THE SPEECH OF Sr Ellis Leighton Kt. AT THE THOLSELL OF DUBLIN, April the 4th 1672.  
DUBLIN: Printed by Benjamin took, Printer to the KING's most Excellent Majesty; And are to be Sold by Joseph Wild Bookseller in 〈…〉   

My LORD and Gentlemen,  
IT is no difficult thing to spin out a long Speech, and entertain an Auditory, either with Compliment or Common place; but it is a hard thing to speak discreetly in an arduous and perplexed conjuncture of Affairs, it being safer many times to Act, than to Discourse, and men expose themselves often more by what they say, than what they do; so that since I knew there was some purpose in the City, to desire me to supply the place of their Recorder: Among the many and various considerations that presented themselves, to persuade me to accept of it, or to decline it, when I had brought myself almost to a resolution of complying with the City's inclination, I was driven off again by the thoughts, That it was fit to say something upon this Occasion, and that I could not determine what was fit to say. I am sure common civility required my waiting upon you, and giving you a respectful Answer; and what I think I must pitch upon at last, is this, That no consideration that terminates in myself, could prevail upon me to meddle with a thing liable to so many misconstructions with those that know not the steps of this matter, and will be sure to meet with so many misrepresentations, from th●se whose interest it is to have your proceed cried down, and not considered. But since the City have thought sit, for motives best known to themselves, to desire it of me, I will hope my serving of you in it for a time, may conduce to the public tranquillity; and I will say no more of that matter.  
I shall only serve myself of this occasion, to give you some Advice for your future conduct; it is that must justify the innocency of your intentions, and crown your actings with applause. if I may make bold with the N●tation of the word, He that is to you a good Recorder, will be a good Counsellor, He that will but put you in mind of what you have done, will not advise you ill in what you have to do; your former practice is the best commentary upon your duty; and a discourse of your duty, is the best Panegyric of your practice. Corporations are the creatures of the Monarchy, and therefore they have a particular obligation beyond other subjects at large, to depend upon the Monarchy, and to uphold it. Your Charter is to the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs and Commons, this is the creature of the Monarchy: The Table of Aldermen is the creature of the Corporation, which by an Act of its own, to ease the Commons of the burden and disturbance of frequent and numerous Assemblies, hath made an abstract of the wisest and wealthiest among them, to assist and advise the Lord Mayor, and at once to represent and dignify the Commons. These aught to outvie all the rest of the Corporation, in that common duty of depending upon the King. They ought to have no politic Maxims of their own, no headiness, no restiness, but leaving all affairs of State of the first magnitude, to the piety and prudence of the Prince; they ought nimbly and readily to obey all the motions of his Hand, in those various changes he shall have occasion to manage them to.  
And hath ever City done this more, than this City? They have always been easy and obsequious to any Governor the Crown hath sent them, they have always adhered to its interest with a perfect obedience, And in the late unhappy times, when Rebellion overflowed all, like an unresistible inundation, their coming under that fatal deluge, had the greatest face and appearance of Obedience in it, of any other part of the King's Dominions, They prudently complied with the necessity of the Times, by the direction of those His Majesty had placed at the Helm; and when the happy hour came, that Loyalty began to peep out again, it must be acknowledged, as it hath nobly been, by some of the prime Actors in that glorious Work, That if the Commons of this City had not sheltered and assisted them, they might have been crushed and ruined in their first attempt. This I have heard some of them say, for the glory of the Commons, and out of great compassion to them, in the beginning of these late agitations. The character, humour and passion of this City, seems to be Loyalty, and it cannot be any ways diminished or allayed in the height of its Tincture, except unfortunately some few of the chief do affect and obtain an Oligarchy, or overswaying power, and linking themselves to factious and partial dependencies, should by the communication and defluxion of the same humour upon the Commons, breed in them an unnatural stiffness, contrary to that gentle and supple temper they have always hitherto showed towards the least intimation of the King's pleasure.  
It shall always be remembered for the honour of this present Lord Mayor and the City, how cheerful and how ready an Obedience they gave to the King's late Proclamation, and the Act of Council (though it hath not met with the like alacrity and respect in all other parts of the Kingdom) And this is most particularly remarkable, That though the Lord Mayor be noted and famous, as one that hath always been for the King, hath fought for Him, and suffered for Him, and is highly principled for the Government of the Church established by Law, and that some of the Commons are dissenters from it; yet in all these agitations, those dissenters have chose rather to stick to the Lord Mayor, than to those that have more affinity and inclination to their Opinions: and whereas in many other places, those dissenters are not so well satisfied with the general indulgence His Majesty hath given to tender consciences, In this City, the rumour of that favour hath by those that dissent, been received with all imaginable joy and thankfulness, and an entire resignation to the King's Will in all civil affairs. So that in a word, This City may be an example to the greatest Cities of the world, of a most submissive and implicit Loyalty, and cannot receive a better example from any than from itself.  
One thing I would advise, which I have heard professed from some of the most eminent among you, That how ill soever you may take it to be ensnared by the cunning, or enslaved to the passion of any among yourselves; yet if any body could find out a shape of Government, or devise any Rules that would make you more subject to the Will and personal Power of the Prince, you would petition the King for that Model, and for those Rules. It is a short, but a safe counsel, Do as you have done, persevere, and you will prevail; prevail, over all that malice can devise, calumny insinuate, or obloquy can spread.  
It remains that I put the Commons in mind to bear all due respect to the Table of Aldermen, and that no bad Opinion they may have of any they imagine had a design of bearing too hard upon them, should alienate them from that esteem compliance, and confidence they ought to have for those, who are therefore set up above the Commons, that under their conduct and vigilance, the Commons might have more leisure to follow their Callings, and so enjoy both profit and ease.  
I have but one word more to add, that I pretend in any further service I shall be required to do you, no other advantage, but the honour of serving you; and that you may have time to cast about and consult for your further conveniency, and I shall think that I have a great Reward (whoever censure me) if you do but forgive my failings, and accept of my good will.  
FINIS.