The several SPEECHES OF Sr. EDWARD TURNER Kt.  
Speaker of the honourable House of Commons, to the KING'S most excellent Majesty, delivered on Friday the tenth day of May, 1661.   regal crown 
LONDON, Printed for john Williams, at the sign of the Crown in S. Paul's Churchyard. 1661.   

May it please your most excellent Majesty.  
THE Knights, Citizens, & Burgesses of the Commons House of Parliament being there assembled by virtue of your Majesty's most gracious Writ, have been pleased (I dare not say to choose, but) to name me their Speaker.  
It is an undoubted privilege of every Member in that House, to be heard speak, much more when he speaks for, or against himself. But Sir, whether more out of favour to me, or injury to themselves, I cannot tell, they were not pleased to hear, at least they would not accept my just Apology and Excuse from this Service.  
Therefore from this their Judgement, if I must call it so, I do most humbly appeal to your Sovereign Justice, beseeching your Majesty for the errors that are too visible & apparent in their Proceed, that you will review and reverse the same.  
My inexperience in the Customs and Orders of the House, my inability to collect their fence and state the Questions rising upon long and arduous Debates, do justly render me unfit, and therefore unworthy of this weighty employment.  
Your Majesty well knows, when a Ship puts forth to Sea she should be provided with Mariners of all sorts; in case a Storm doth arise, some must trim and lore the sails, some must watch aloft the Decks, some must work at the Pump, but he had need be a very good Sea man that is the Pilot. Sir, I hope I may be useful to this your Sovereign Vessel in some of these inferior places, but I dare not undertake to be their Steersman.  
I do most humbly therefore beseech your Majesty, that you will not take us at our first word, our second thoughts are best, pray therefore be pleased to command the Members of the House of Commons to return into their House, to recollect themselves, & to present your Majesty with a better choice.  
FINIS.   

THE SECOND SPEECH, AFTER THE LORD CHANCELLOR Had declared the KING's Approbation of the Choice of the House of COMMONS.  
HE that knows his Master's Will, and doth it not, is worthy to be beaten with many stripes: I shall therefore humbly and cheerfully, to the best of my poor skill and knowledge, apply myself to the performance of my Duty; not doubting therein to obtain Your Majesty's Gracious Pardon for all involuntary Transgressions; for 'tis a Rule in Law, and in Conscience too: Actus non facit reum, nisi mens sit rea.  
And since I have found this Favour in the sight of my Lord the King, pray let me beg Your Majesty's patience for a while, to make a stand, and from this place to look about me: Sir, a weak head is soon giddy, but the strongest brain may here be turned; the Presence of this Glory, and the Glory of this Presence, do transport me: whilst I contemplate the incomparable beauty of this Body Politic, and the goodly Order of this High Court of Parliament, where at once I behold all the glory of this Nation, I am almost in the condition of St. Paul, when he was taken up into the third Heavens, all he could say upon his return, was, He saw things unutterable.  
God, that made all things for the use of Man, and made him Governor over all his Works, thought it not fit to leave him to himself; nor to live without a Law and Government. The Forms and Species of Governments are various, Monarchical, Aristocratical, and democratical; but the first is certainly the best, as being nearest to Divinity itself. Aristocracy is subject to degenerate and run into Faction; but Democracy naturally runs into Confusion: then every man becomes a Tyrant over his Neighbour, Homo Homini Lupus: Homo Homini Daemon.  
This famous Island, Historians tell us, was first Inhabited by the Britain's, then by the Romans, then by the Saxons, then by the Danes, then by the Normans; and during all these Successions of Ages, and variety of Changes, though there was sometimes Divisum Imperium, yet every Division was happy under a Monarchical Government.  
Since the Entrance of the Norman Race 25 Kings & Queens famous in their generations, from whom Your sacred Majesty is lineally descended, have swayed the Royal Sceptre of this Nation.  
The Children of Israel, when they were in the Wilderness, though they were fed with Gods own hand, and ate the food of Angels, yet they surfeited, and murmured, and rebelled against Moses.  
The same unthankful spirit dwelled in this Nation for divers years last passed; the men of that Age were weary of the Government, though it was refined to the wonder and envy of all other Nations: they quarrelled with our Moses, because he was the Lords Anointed; Nolumus hunc regnare, was their first quarrel; but levelling Parity and Confusion followed, than tyranny & usurpation was the Conclusion.  
We read of the Emperor Adrian, when he lay a dying, he complained that many Physicians had destroyed him; meaning, that their contrary Conceits and different Directions for his Recovery, had hastened his Death.  
So it was with us, we were sick of Reformation; our Reformers were of all Ages, Sexes, and Degrees, of all Professions and Trades: The very Cobbler went beyond his Last: These new Statesmen took upon them to Regulate and Govern our Governors: This was the Sickness and Plague of the Nation: Their new Laws were all written in bloody Letters, the cruelty of their Tribunals made the Judgement Seat little differ from a Slaughter house: The Rich man was made an Offender for a word, Poor men were sold for Slaves, as the Turks sell Heads, twenty for an Asper: Yet for all this Villainy there was at length found a Protector.  
No amendment at length would serve these Reformers turns; no Concessions, though the most Gracious that could be imagined, would satisfy these Usurpers; but Root and Branch, all must go; our late Sovereign Lord, of blessed memory, must be offered up a Sacrifice to their Lusts; Your sacred Person (Great Sir) proscribed, and all the Royal Family exiled: Monarchy itself was voted burdensome; & therefore they must try a Commonwealth, and the better to digest it, the People were intoxicated with a belief that they should all like themselves be Princes in their turns.  
Amongst the Persians, after the death of their Governor, there was used to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a five day's Lawlessnesse, in which time every man might do what he listed: during those five days there was such kill and robbing, and destroying one another, that before they were ended, the People longed again for their old Government.  
After the death of Your Majesty's most Royal Father, here was the like Licentiousness; but alas, it continued more than twice five years: Liberty they called it, but it was Libertas quidlibet audendi. Your Loyal Subjects were a Prey to Wolves and Tigers, and to the most cruel of all Beasts, unreasonable men: every man did what seemed good in his own eyes, for in those days there was no King in our Israel.  
But as the former Spirit of Reformation at first brought us into this misery; so the spirit of giddiness which God sent amongst our Reformers, at length cured us. The brazen Serpent was the best cure for those that were bitten by the fiery Serpent: the divisions and subdivisions of those that exercised dominion over us, weakened their own power, and stirred up the hearts, and strengthened the hands of your loyal Subjects, to restore our ancient Government, and to bring your Sacred Majesty back to your Royal Throne in peace, as to the joy of all our hearts we see it is this day.  
This was the work of God alone, and it is admirable in our eyes. And as we have cause at all times to bless God that he hath thus brought your Majesty to your People; so we have just cause at this time to return our hearty thanks unto your Majesty, that you have thus brought your People to yourself.  
The Sun exhales the vapours from the earth, and then sends them down again in showers of plenty: So we to our great joy, do find that our obedience and affection to your Majesty are returned upon our heads in plenty, peace and protection.  
The last meeting here in Parliament was happy in healing the bleeding wounds of this Nation; they were blessed also, even for their Works sake, your sacred Majesty did bless them, and therefore they shall be blessed to all posterity.  
But Sir we hope you have a blessing left for us too: That was your Parliament by Adoption, but this is yours by Birthright; this Parliament is Freeborn: I hope this honour will beget in us an Emulation to exceed the actions of our Predecessors, and not only to meet your Majesty as our Sovereign, with the duty of Subjects, but with the love of Sons to a most indulgent Father.  
Next to the glory of your Majesty's Royal Throne, I cannot but observe the brightness of this— second orb, this Firmament is richly decked with Stars of several magnitudes, each star appears like the morningstar, and yet each star differs from another in glory.  
You cannot want Commanders, either by Sea or Land, to manage your designs, whilst all these Sons of Mars stand candidate to serve you in the wars.  
You cannot want Counsellors to advise you in the great affairs of the Nation, whilst all these Senators, each fit to be a Consul, contend who shall most ease you in the thorny cares of the Government.  
Amidst these Noble English Barons, and at your Majesty's feet are placed the Reverend Judges of the Land, the Sages of the Law, Men so learned and expert in the Customs, and statutes of this land, that if Wat Tyler, or Jack Cade, or the new fanatics of this latter age had burned our books, they were able to restore our laws in purity and perfection.  
And next to these, though in a lower Orb, appear the worthy Knights, the prudent Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons, being the third estate of Parliament.  
When the fame of Solomon's wisdom had filled the neighbour Nations, the Queen of Sheba could not contain herself at home, but with many Camels laded with Spices, with Gold and precious stones in abundance, she comes to Solomon to commune with him of all that was in her heart. Great Sr. whilst this your native Country was unworthy of you, foreign Nations were made happy in the knowledge of your Person, your piety and your wisdom: And now the Lord our God hath brought you home, and set you on your Throne, your Subjects long to see you.  
What striving and rejoicing was there at your first landing, to see our rising Sun?  
What striving was there at your Coronation to see the Imperial Crown set upon your Royal head?  
What striving hath here lately been, in all the Counties, Cities and Burroughs of this Nation, who should be sent up to hear your wisdom, and confer with you in Parliament?  
Royal Sr. these chosen worthy Messengers are not come empty handed, they are laden, they are sent up to you, heavy laden, from their several Counties, Cities and Burroughs.