A SPEECH OF THE honourable DENZELL HOLLIS, (Second Son to the Right honourable JOHN Earl of Clare deceased) and Brother to the now Earl of Clare. At the dellvery of the Protestation to the Lords of the upper House of Parliament, 4. May 1641. Wherein is set forth the reasons that moved the House of Commons to make the said Protestation. ●o gether with a short Narration of the several grievances of the kingdom.  
LONDON, Printed by B. A. and T. F. for John HAMMOND, 1641.   

A SPEECH AT A CONFERENCE of both Houses in the Painted Chamber, May, 4. 1641.  
MY LORDS:  
THe Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses of the House of Commons, having taken into consideration, the present estate and condition of this kingdom, they find it surrounded with variety of pernicious, and destructive designs, practices, and plots, against the well after he had fought a good fight, & overcome all his Enemies, Or as the shock of wheat which cometh in due season to fill our Granaries with corn, uphold our lives with the staff of bread. For Parliaments are our Panis quotidianus, our true bread, all other ways are but Quelques choses, which yield no true nourishment, nor breed good blood.  
This very Parliament which hath sat so long, hath but beat the air, and striven against the stream, I may truly say, the wind and tide hath still been against us.  
The same ill Counsels which first raised the storm, and almost shipwrecked the commonwealth they still continue, they blow strong like the East wind, that brought the Locusts over the land. These counsels cross our designs, cast difficulties in our way, hinder our proceedings, and make all that we do to be fruitless & ineffectual. They make us not to be Masters of our business, & so not Masters of money, which hath been the great business of this Parliament, that we might pay the armies according to our promises and engagement.  
For, my Lords, our not effecting of the good things, which we had undertaken for the good of the Common weal hath wounded our reputation, and taken off, from our credit.  
Is it not time then (my Lords) that we should unite and concentrate ourselves, in regard of the Antiperistasis of hurtful and malicious intentions and practices against us.  
My Lords. It is most agreeable to nature, and I am sure most agreeable to reason, in respect of the present conjuncture of our affairs: for one main engine, by which our enemies work our mischief is by infusing an opinion and belief into the World, that we are not united among ourselves, but like Samson's Foxes, we draw several ways, and tend to several Ends.  
To defeat then the counsel of these Achitophel's which would involve us, our Religion, our being, our laws, our liberties, all that can be near and dear unto an honest soul in one universal and general Desolation, To defeat I say, the counsel of such Achitophels, the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses of the house of Commons, knowing themselves to be specially entrusted with the preservation of the whole, and in their consciences persuaded that the dangers are so imminent, that they will admit of no delay, have thought fit to declare their united affections by entering into an association amongst themselves, and by making a solemn Protestation and vow unto their God, that they will unanimously endeavour to oppose and prevent the Counsels, and the counsellors, which have brought upon us all these miseries, and the fears of greater. To prevent the ends, and bring the Authors of them to condign punishment, and thereby discharge themselves both before God and Man.  
The Protestation your Lordships shall have read unto you; together with the grounds and reasons which have induced the House of Commons to make it, which are prefixed before it by way of Preamble.  
Then the Protestation was read by Master Maynard.  
And thereupon concluded his Message to this effect, That the house of Commons had commanded him to present unto their Lordships this Protestation, That every Member in that house had made it, no one refusing it, and that they sent it to your Lordships, with assurance of your lordship's concurrence in the same zeal and affection for the public safety: That it is their desire your Lordships should likewise make the same Protestation, which we humbly leave to your lordship's wisdoms, and there made an end of the conference.  
FINIS.