My Lord Lucas HIS SPEECH IN THE House of Peers, Feb. the 22. 1670/ 1 UPON The Reading of the Subsidy BILL the second Time, in the presence of his. MAJESTY. Aude aliquid brevibus, Gyaris & Carcere dignum Si vis esse aliquis Probitas laudatur & alget. JUVENAL Sat. 1. London, Printed in the Year 1670. To the Reader. Reader, I Need not tell you that this Speech was Burnt by the hand of the Common Hangman, it being done in a public place, to the great grief and astonishment of all True-Englishmen, to whom my Lord Lucas his Loyalty to his Prince, and his inviolable Love to his Country, was abundantly manifested. But I dare affirm this Barbarous usage did so little discourage him from doing his Duty, that he would have submitted himself to the same Fate, if his Death might have prevented these approaching Calamities and evil Counsels, which have since been so fatally Destructive to this poor Kingdom. But God has taken him from an ungrateful Generation, and from the Evil to Come, and left us to lament the loss of so worthy a Patriot; for now he is gone, who shall show his Sacred Majesty, those dreadful precipices, whereon French Fraud, and Popish Malice has placed him? From whence they daily expect not only to see him fall, but to dash himself in pieces. Who shall tell the House of Peers by what Generous Steps their Ancestors ascended to those Immortal Titles of Honour and Renown? And who shall tell the House of Commons, of their profuse and Lavish Squandering the Wealth and Liberties of this now weak and perishing (but once Mighty and Invincible) People. If none are left amongst us that dare imitate the Virtues of this Noble Lord; I hope that there are some that will venture to Read this SPEECH, and if they have any Relics of Virtue, and of a Pious L●ve to their Country; I am confident it will give them a New Soul, and inflame them with a Generons Desire of doing that for their Country, which this Just and truly Honourable Lord intended; if an unhappy Death had not prevented him. My Lord Lucas' Speech, etc. My Lords, WHen by the Providence of Almight God, this Nation recalled his Majesty to the exercise of the Regal Power, it was the hope of all good men, That we should not only be restored to his Majesty's Royal presence and Divine Laws, but we should be free from those heavy Buthens, under which we had lain so long oppressed; We did believe that from thenceforth every man should sit under his own Vine, enjoying the Fruits of Peace and Plenty; and Astrea herself, (long since for the sins of men fled up to Heaven,) should have been invited by his Majesty's most Gracious and Happy Reign, to return hither, and dwell with us, and converse here amongst us Mortals again. But alas! we are fallen very short of our expectations and our Burdens are so far from being made lighter to us, that they are heavier than ever they were! and as our Burdens are increased, so our Strength also is diminished, and we are less able to support them. In the Times of the late Usurping Powers, although great Taxes were exacted from us we had then means to pay them, we could sell our Lands, our Corn and Cattle, and there was plenty of Money throughout the Nation; now there is nothing of this; Brick is required of us, and no Straw allowed to make it with. For that our Lands are thrown up, and Corn and Cattle are of little value, is notorious to all the World. And it is evident that there is scarcity of Money; for all the Parliament money called Breeches, (a fit stamp for the Coin of the Rump) is wholly vanished, the King's Proclamation and the Dutch, have swept it all away, and of his own Majesty's Coin, there appears but very little, so that in effect we have not left for Common use, but a little old Lean Coined Money, of the late three former Princes, and what Supply is preparing for it my Lords? I hear of none, unless it be of Copper Farthings, and this is the Metal that is to Vindicate (according to the Inscription on it,) The Dominion of the four Seas. And yet if amidst this scarcity, the vast Sums given were all employed for the King and Kingdom, it would not so much trouble us: But we cannot without infinite Regret of Heart, See so great a part of it pounded up in the Purses of other private men, and see them flourish in Estates, who at the Time of his Majesty's most happy Restauration, were worth very little or nothing; and now the same Men purchase Lands, and keep their Coach and Six Horses, their Pages, and their Lackeys; while in the mean time those that have faithfully served the King, are exposed to Penury and want, and scarce sufficient left to buy them Bread. And is this my Lords the Reward of our Services? have we for this born the Heat of the Day, been Imprisoned, Sequestered, ventured our Lives and Families, our Estates and our Fortunes? And must we after all this Sacrifice so much of our poor Remainder to the Will of a few particular Men, and to the Maintenance of their Vanities? But suppose all the Money given were employed for the Use of his Majesty, and his Majesty were not Cozened (as without doubt he is) is there no bound to, or Moderation in giving? will you say that if we shall not plentifully Supply his Majesty, he will not be able to defend us, or maintain the Triple League? And we shall thereby run the Hazzard of being Conquered. 'Tis true, My Lords that this may be a Reason for giving something, But 'tis so far from being an Argument for giving so much, that it may be clearly made out to your Lordships, that it is the direct and ready way to be Conquered by a Foreigner, And it may be the Policy of the French King, by those often Alarms of Armies and Fleets to induce us to consume our Treasure in vain Preparations against him; And after he has by this means made us poor and Weak enough, he may then come upon us, and Destrey us. It is not my Lords, the giving of a great deal, but the well managing of the Money given that must keep us safe from our Enemies; Your Lordships may be pleased to call to mind the Story of Samson, who while he preserved his Hair wherein his Strength lay, was still Victor over his Enemies; But when (by the enticement of his Dalilah,) his Hair war cut off, the Philistines came upon him, and overcame him: And so my Lords, if we shall preserve and Husband well our Treasure wherein our Strength and the Sinews of War lie, and apply it to the right Uses, we shall still be Superior to all our Enemies, but if we shall vainly and imprudently misspend it, we shall become an easy prey to them. Besides my Lords, what is this but Ne morari Mori, and for fear of being conquered by a Foreigner, put ourselves into a condition almost as bad, pardon me My Lords, if I say in some Respects a great deal worse; for when we are under the Power of the Victor, we know we can fall no lower; and the certainties of our Miseries are some kind of diminution of them: But in this wild way we have no certainty at all, for if you give thus much to day, you may give as much more to morrow, and never leave giving till we have given all that ever we have away, and the Anxiety of mind which arises from this doubtful Estate, is an high Addition to our Afflictions. All that we beg My Lords, is that we may be able to make some Estimate of ourselves; would his Majesty be pleased to have a quarter of our Estates, for my part he shall Have it: would his Majesty be pleased to have half, for my part upon a good occasion he shall Have it: But I beseech your Lordships then that we may have some assurance of the quiet enjoyment of the Remainder, and know what we have to trust to. My Lords, the Commons have here sent us up a Bill for the giving his Majesty the twentieth part of our Estates at the full extended value; and I hear there are other Bills for Money also preparing, which together according to the best computation, will amount to little less than three Millions of Money, a prodigious Sum, and such that if your Lordships shall not afford Relief, we must of necessity sink under the weight of so heavy a Pressure. My Lords, the Scripture tells us that God Almighty sets hounds unto the Ocean, and says unto it, Hither shall thy proud Waves come and no further. And so I hope your Lordships in imitation of the Divinity will set some Bounds, some Limits to this over Liberal Humour of the Commons, and say to them Hither shall your Profuseness come and no further. My Lords, either your Lordships can deny or moderate a Bill for Money coming from the Commons; or if you cannot, all your great Estates are wholly at their disposal, and your Lordships have nothing that you can properly call your own, and then let us pass this Bill without further Examination; But if you can deny or moderate (as without Question you can) your Lordships never had, nor possibly ever will have such a fair Occasion to show it. My Lords, upon the whole matter, I most humbly propose to your Lordships, that your Lordships will be pleased to reduce the 12 d. in the Pound to 8 d. And truly My Lords I have some reason to hope that if your Lordships will duly reflect upon it, ye will find it fit to do accordingly; for in the first place it will be so far from being a service to his Majesty, that your Lordships will do his Majesty in it the highest Service in the World; for although ye shall thereby take from his Majesty a part of the Sum, you will give him a great deal more in the Love and Hearts of his Subjects; and there his Majesty must Reign if he will be Great and Glorious. And next your Lordships acquire to yourselves eternal Honour ye shall thereby endear yourselves to the whole Nation, who for the future will look upon you as the Ancients did upon their Tutelary Gods; nor shall the House of Commons but the House of Peers, be hereafter Precious in their Sight. My Lords give me leave to mind your Lordships, that Noble Acts are Steps whereby the Great Men of the World ascend the Throne of Glory. And can there be a nobler Act to Release a distressed Kingdom, which lies Languishing under so hard Oppressions, and about to be so much more Oppressed. I do detain your Lordships too long, and therefore shall say no more, But must beg your Lordship's Pardon, and submit all to your Better Judgements. Reader, I shall give you a short though not a full Account of the Mischief happened since this Speech. 1. THe Sirict Alliance with France. 2. Shutting up the Exchequer. 3. Breach of the Triple League, and the present War with the Confederate the States of the Low Countries. 4. Fall of Lands. and decay of Trade. 5. Sending so great Forces to France, under French and Popish Commanders, to be debauched in their Religion, and thereby to introduce an Arbitrary Power at Home. 6. Our Losses at Sea by Privateers, amounting to at least two-Millions. 7. Corrupting of Members of Parliament. 8. Drunken and debauched Elections. 9 Oppression in Quartering of Soldiers. 10. Pressing of English men to serve in the Wars out of the Nation. 11. Loss of many Thousands of our Seamen in this Picture War. 12. Making Papists, Atheists, and French Pensioners, Ministers of State. 13. Great Consumption of the Treasure of the Nation by the Privy Purse. 14. Sending Ignorant and illaffected Ambassadors abroad. 15. Debauching the Nation by Masquerades. 16. Favour shown to Papists at Court. 17. Continuing Salaries to those that refused to abjure Transubstantiation. 18. Dissensions at Sea between Protestant and Popish Officers. 19 Encouragement of Popery in Ireland, notwithstanding the late Addresses of Parliament. 20. Defrauding of our Seamen of their Pay. 21. Great and Grievous Taxes, notwithstanding our Grievous Poverty. 22. Suspending the Penal Laws against the Popish Priests and Jesuits. 23. Loss of the Dominion of the Seas by the Treachery of the English. 24. His Highness refusing the Tests for prevention of Popery, and Marrying a Papist (Niece to a Cardinal) to the great strengthening of the Popish and French Interest at home and abroad. 25. Making a French Lieutenant General, to the great Dishonour of the English Nobility. 26. Making French Carwell an English Duchess, to the great Disgrace of the Ladies and Gentlewomen of this Nation. This was Printed in haste, but I intent shortly to make it appear, that the Moneys given to his Majesty by the Parliament, since his blessed Restauration; Amounts to more than this poor Kingdom is now worth. FINIS.