THE SPEECH OF Sr. Edw. Turnor, Kt. SPEAKER of the Honourable House of COMMONS, TO THE KING'S most Excellent MAJESTY.  
Delivered on Friday the Eighteenth day of January 1666.  
C R  HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE DIEV ET MON DROIT  royal English blazon or coat of arms 
LONDON, Printed by Tho. Ratcliff, for Robert Pawlet, at the sign of the Bible in Chancery-Lane. 1666.   

I I Do appoint Robert Pawlet to print this Speech, and that no other presume to print the same.  
Edw. Turnor.   

THE SPEECH OF Sr EDW. TURNOR, Kt Speaker of the Honourable House of Commons, TO THE KING'S most Excellent MAJESTY.  
Delivered on Friday the Eighteenth day of January 1666.  
May it please Your Most Excellent Majesty,  
SInce the Two Houses of Parliament, by Your Majesty's Command, were last Convened, they have with great care inspected the State of the Kingdom: They find Your Majesty engaged in a sharp and costly War, opposed by mighty Princes, and States, that are in conjunction against us, they see with sorrow, the greatest part of your Metropolitan City buried in ashes. These are Ardua Regni, indeed, and fit only for the advice of a Loyal Parliament. But, SIR, looking more narrowly into things, we found our Body Politic entering into a Consumption, our Treasures, that are the sinews of War, and the bond of Peace, are much exhausted; the great aids which are given to your Majesty for the maintenance of the War, are but like the blood in its circulation, which will return again, and nourish all the parts; but a great deal is yearly transported in specie into France to bring home Apes and Peacocks, and the best returns are but superfluities and vanities: We have therefore unanimously besought Your Majesty to stop this issue of blood, and We hope Your Majesty's most seasonable and gracious Proclamation, will prevent the future expiration of these Spirits.  
We have likewise been alarumed from all parts of the Kingdom by the insolences of Popish Priests and Jesuits, who by their great numbers and bold writings declare to all the World, they are in expectation of a plentiful harvest here in England: But Your Majesty by Your gracious answer to the desire of Both Your Houses, Your command for all Officers and Soldiers in Your Majesty's pay to take the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, and Your Proclamation for the departure of Priests and Jesuits out of this Nation, have in a great measure secured us against those Fears.  
When Your Majesty was pleased at the opening of this Session of Parliament to speak to us, You commanded. Us to find out the best Expedients we could, for carrying on the War with as little burden to the people as was possible. The Knights, Citizens and Burgesses of the Commons House of Parliament have industriously applied themselves to the consideration of this matter. They quickly resolved of a Supply for Your Majesty suitable to your occasions of 1800000 l. but it hath taken up much of their time, so to lay this Aid, that it may not seem a burden. A little weight lying always upon one shoulder will at length become uneasy, but being shifted sometimes to the other shoulder, there will be some refreshment.  
The greatest part of the Taxes that have been raised these Six and Twenty years, were laid upon our Lands, which made us desire to give them some rest; We have therefore prepared a Poll bill, whereby we have brought in all sorts of persons, processions, and personal estates to give their assistance to Your Majesty, and to ease the Land Tax; Multorum manibus grande levatur onus: This Bill we hope will speedily bring in a considerable Sum of ready money for Your Majesty's present use. We have likewise taken care for supplying the remainder of the 1800000 l. by another Bill remaining with us, which in a short time will be ready to be presented to your Majesty.  
The better to enable your Majesty's good Subjects to pay these several Aids, and with cheerfulness to supply your Majesty's future occasions, We thought it necessary to remove a Nuisance out of their way, the infinite number of Foreign  that were daily imported, did glut our markets, and bring down the prizes both of our homebred , and our Lands; therefore we have prepared a Bill for the prohibiting the importation of any Foreign  for 7. years.  
We find your Majesty's Mint is not so well employed as formerly, and the reason is, because the sees and wages of the Officers and Workmen is in part paid out of the Bullion that is brought thither to be coined, and what is wanting is made up by your Majesty: We have therefore for the ease of your Majesty and those that shall bring in any Plate or Bullion to be coined there, made another provision by an Imposition upon Wines, Brandy, or Cider imported from any Foreign Nations.  
Having given your Majesty this short Account at present; We shall with Your leave return to perfect those Bills that still remain with Us; and we hope so to finish them to Your Majesty's satisfaction, that all Your Majesty's Enemies both at home and abroad may see, and feel the effects of this blessed Correspondence between Our Gracious King and his Loyal Parliament.  
FINIS.