A seasonable speech made by Alderman Atkins in the Rump-Parliament Atkins, Thomas, Sir. 1660 Approx. 10 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 3 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2007-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A26130 Wing A4124E ESTC R28311 10521905 ocm 10521905 45187 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A26130) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 45187) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1394:19) A seasonable speech made by Alderman Atkins in the Rump-Parliament Atkins, Thomas, Sir. 4 p. s.n., [London : 1660] Caption title. Imprint information from NUC pre-1956 imprints. Reproduction of original in the Harvard University Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng England and Wales. -- Parliament -- Anecdotes Great Britain -- History -- Commonwealth and Protectorate, 1649-1660 -- Anecdotes 2006-03 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2006-05 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-09 Judith Siefring Sampled and proofread 2006-09 Judith Siefring Text and markup reviewed and edited 2007-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A Seasonable SPEECH Made by Alderman Atkins , IN The Rump-Parliament , Mr. Speaker , AFter so many dispensations and out-goings of Providence , we are now the third time returned to sit in this Honourable House again ; but how long we shall do so , I believe the wisest of us all cannot tell : For the Souldiers have of late set up Governments , as Boys do Nine-pins , to throw them down again : But how oft soever they turn us out hereafter , I shall never doubt to get in again ; for I perceive those Changes and Revolutions ( as they call them ) are just like casting of Knaves at Cards , where some play , and some sit out until the Set be up , or the Gamesters fall , out and throw up their Cards , and then they stand fair to get in again . But notwithstanding so many interruptions and disturbances , many mighty and great Works have been carried on by us Worms and no Men. You , Sir , have a new Wainscot Chair , and our Seats , that were but covered with Mats , when we came first to sit here , are now lin'd with good Broad-Cloth of 16 s. a yard , and the whole House is hang'd in a better manner then any man expected . But this is not all that we have done , for we have reformed Religion , and brought the Church as nigh to what it was in the Primitive times among Jews and Pagans , as may be ; for the Christians have sold all they have long since , and laid it at our feet , and we begin once more to have all things in common . Beside , Sir , we have done strange Justice on the late Tyrant , and transform'd the Kingdom into a Commonwealth , as Nebuchadnezzar was into a Beast . But there is one thing that we have omitted , no less necessary then any thing that we have done , and which indeed the people have much more reason to expect from us ; for Reformation , as well as Charity , should begin at home : To hold forth my meaning in brief to you , Sir , it is the cleansing of our own House of Office ; and if that name be not mannerly enough for this place , it is in your power to help it : for there is a spare name that hath been lately conferr'd on this Honourable House by the people , which was once called the House of Parliament , as it is now the Rump . This name , in my opinion , we cannot better dispose of , then in conferring it on the House I spoke of , that not only that , but all other Houses of the same quality ( of which ours is the Representative ) may in the right thereof hereafter be call'd a Rump , as being a name more proper and significant , in regard of the relation it hath to that part . And truly , Sir , I believe , the wisdom and justice of this House can do no less , if you please but to consider the near and intimate correspondence that House has ever held with this , as having ever been entrusted with the most urgent and weighty matters that we ever carried on , and so necessary , that I may boldly say , without that recourse which we have had to it in our greatest extremities , this House might have suffered for it many a time and oft . It is now , Sir , as full , as this Honourable House was once of Members , and as unuseful , until we take some course to empty it , as we did this , which , I humbly conceive , we can by no means avoid : For , under favour , I do not think we can use this House , as we did the House of Lords ; I mean , Vote it down , when it will serve our turn no longer ; no , this is a matter of a higher nature , and more weighty concernment ; and as the difference is very great in reason of State , so is it also in point of Conscience . For though it is true , we engaged and swore to maintain the House of Lords , yet we did it not after a right manner : For we read , it was a custom among the Jews , when they made any solemn Vow , to put their hands under one anothers Hams ; and if we had done so when we swore that , and kiss'd the Book , I grant , we had been bound in conscience to have upheld it longer than we did , I mean , longer than we had need of it : but we , quite contrary , held up our hands , and so are not bound to keep it otherwise than we took it , that is , hand over head ; for unless we differ'd from the Jews in other matters more than we do , I know no reason why we should in this — But now I speak of the Jews , give me leave , by observing one passage in their History , to hold forth unto you the danger of suppressing the aforesaid House . Saul , for want of such a convenience , going into a Cave where David had hid himself , had like to have lost his life ; for if David had been one of us , I know what had become of Saul , he would rather have cut off his Head than a piece of his Coat , as I wonder he did not , since , being a Prophet , he might have made Scripture of purpose to have prov'd him a Tyrant and a Traitor , as we did Law to condemn the late King after he was put to death . But though David were wiser than his Teachers , he was not so wise as we were ; 'T is true , for his own advantage , he knew how to make the silly Philistims believe he was mad ; but I am mistaken if we have not out-done him that way too , and made the wisest think us so . But to return to the purpose . Suppose , Sir , the Army should have occasion to give this Honourable House a purge again , you would be loth it should work here ; and truly I do not know what other way you have to avoid it , unless we should make use of that place where the Assembly of Divines lately sate ; which for my part , I like very well , if it were nearer ; and certainly they have no reason to take it ill ; for it is according to the example of the best Reformed Churches . And I know no reason why we may not as well sit there , and make sour faces at our own charges , as they did at the charge of the Commonwealth . For mine own part , ( did not the common good provoke me to it ) I have as little reason to speak as another , and perhaps less ; for my Breeches are made close at the knees , and so better fitted against a mischance . Beside , I know the worst of it , for I believe you have often heard what I have suffer'd in the service of my Country . But let that pass , though it were the worse for my Reputation , and my Breeches , it was the better for my Body , and my Soul too , for I have edify'd much by it . 'T is true , the Boys hold their Noses , and cry Fogh , when they see me in the Streets ; but , What of that ? A wise man knows how to make an advantage of the greatest disasters , and so have I done . For there was a time ( Mr. Speaker ) when this Honourable House had like to have been a Foul-House ; And when was that ? Truly it was when the Prentices came hither , to shew us one trick more than ever we taught them : Then did I take this worshipful Chain off my Neck , and very politickly put it in my Codpiece ; for I know well enough , that no body in this Town , where I am so well known , would venture to look for it there ; and I was not mistaken , for here you see I have it still . The same thing I did at another time , and that was , when ( as you may well remember ) a piece of Plaister falling from the Roof , some of the Members cried , Treason , and many made haste to get out of the House as fast as they could ; so did not I , no , Sir , I resolved to stay by it ; and therefore ( having put my Chain in my Codpiece ) I crept under the Bench in this very place where I now sit , and there I lay close , until I heard some that were near me say , They smell'd Gun-powder ; but then I knew it was a mistake , and so it prov'd indeed : but if it had been otherwise , no danger should have made me forsake my duty . No , Sir , I have been so faithful to this House , and so constant to my Principles , that I have not changed so much as my Seat since the happy beginning of this Parliament . In this very place did I then sit ; on both sides of me sate two Members , that afterwards prov'd Malignants ; for they took snuff at something that fell from me in my zeal to the Cause , and ran to Oxford to the King ; their Estates are long since sold , for which the Commonwealth may thank me : For verily , Sir , I have not been altogether an unprofitable Member , according to my Talent , and the dispensation of what was in me ; for my Bowels have been often pour'd out for the prosperity of this House ; and , I hope , my conversation hath held forth so much of the inward man , as may be sufficient to satisfie the well affected , by whom I am entrusted . And as for my Back-biters , I forgive them freely ; alas , they hurt themselves , and not me ; for if they get any thing by dealing with me that way , they must have good luck . SIR , I have us'd the more freedom with you , because I have some pretence to your pardon ; for I believe you have often observ'd , that when any thing has fallen from any of my fellow-Members that the House has resented , it has presently been laid to my charge , and I have always taken it upon me freely ; for I shall never refuse to serve this House in any sense whatsoever . I shall therefore humbly move , that you would be pleased , to order this Honourable House to adjourn for a convenient time , until that House be emptied and made sweet again ; for if we should sit here before , it will not be in the power of any one man to own so much stink as will be laid to my charge . FINIS .