THE SPEECH OF Bulstrode Whitelocke Esquire, TO The Right Honourable the Lords, At a Conference of both Houses on Thursday the seventeenth of February last, Concerning the Propositions then made by divers Gentlemen, Citizens, and others, for the speedy reducing of the Kingdom of IRELAND.  
LONDON. Printed for John Burroughes. 1642.   

The Speech of Bulstrode Whitelock Esquire, To the Right Honourable the House of Peers, now assembled in PARLIAMENT.  
My Lords,  
I Am commanded by the House of Commons, to present unto your Lordships a Vote which hath passed that House upon some propositions made unto them, for the speedy, and effectual reducing of the Kingdom of Ireland: I desire the Vote may be read, and afterwards I shall offer a few Reasons to invite your lordship's consent unto it.  
After the Vote read,  
My Lords,  
You observe three Motives for the House of Commons to pass this Vote.  

1. The Reducing of Ireland.  
2. The greatness and profit of the King.  
3. The case of the People of England.   
The reducing of that Kingdom at this time, concerns not only the Civil Power, but the existence of our Religion. Their former Rebellions have been only conflicts with sovereignty, to withstand the subjection to the Crown of England; the present revolts goes to the extirpation of our Nation and Religion amongst them. They have falsely scandalised the Piety and Honour of His majesty, and of the Queen; and yet pretend loyalty, and would cover their wickedness with the cloak of their Religion.  
It is too evident, they intend not only to shake of the Government of England over them, but to blot out the name of the English, and Protestants, and if their strength can equal their malice, and suffice to transport them hither, they will stain this Land with the blood of Protestants, as they have already with most barbarous cruolties taken away the lives of many thousands of our poor Brethren in Ireland.  
●. The question is not now, Whether English or Irish shall govern; but whether the Protestant, or the Popish Religion shall be established, and which of them shall be ruined. The very life and soul of our Religion lies now at stake, and no good Protestant but will readily lay down his own life and fortunes, to succour and maintain it. These propositions tend to that good end, and there can be no greater motive to entertain them.  
2. The greatness and profit of His Majesty is so much concerned herein, That as the loss of that large and fertile island, would cut off a third part of His majesty's Dominions; so a through reduction of it would establish the King's throne which hath been totterring there above 400. years, and would much advantage the greatness and profit of His Majesty.  
3. The ease of the people of England, your Lordships will readily condescend unto, when you shall be pleased to remember the great and heavy payments they have lately undergone. I omit those illegal ones before the Parliament, where the payment was a punishment for submission to unlawful taxes; but those necessary great levies raised by Authority of this Parliament; and whereby the happy settlement of the peace and union of England and Scotland hath been wrought, These with the present general decay of trade have brought the people very low; and we find some in the Country more apprehensive, what sums go out of their Purses, then what honour or liberty they gain thereby.  
Our Stories acquaint us with sad effects of great and often taxes; If these propositions succeed, those dangers will be prevented; the inferior and poorer sort eased, and sufficient to do the work, raised voluntarily by such as are best able and willing to spare it, By many liberal and cheerful contributions, whom God will bless for it. It will be a pleasing sacrifice to him, and an immortal honour to those most worthy persons, who shall bring materials to this building, And this not without strong hopes of advantage to themselves.  
When profit shall be an ingredient with Charity and Loyalty; the plaster will be the sooner, and better tempered, that may cure the wounds of Ireland. And when Charity doth relieve our poor distressed Brethren; Loyalty to our King and Country, to preserve the honour and profit of both, And Piety to God, and our own souls are the Motives. I doubt not of the cheerful concurrence of your Lordships with the House of Commons, to embrace all good and honourable means, for the effecting this great work of reducing that Kingdom.  
I come now to the propositions. The first is, That two Millions and a half of Acres may be allotted to such as shall disburse moneys for this service. The propositions may seem at the first very large and difficult; but when it shall appear by computation of men of great experience of that country, and upon solid grounds, that the content of this Island is above 15 Millions of Acres of profitable Lands; whereof 5 Millions of Acres are estimated to belong to the King's good Subjects there: out of the ten Millions remaining, they ask but two Millions and a half; and yet three parts of four of that Kingdom, are out in Rebellion.  
This may make the propositions seem neither immoderate nor difficult.  
The proportions to be assigned to the adventurers, will be found equal and reasonable.  
The second proposition is in advancing the King's Revenue by reserved Rents to him, out of these two Millions, and half Acres. It is well known, the Revenue of that Kingdom, out of the Exchequer and Court of Wards there, never exceeded forty three thousand pounds per an. besides the customs, which never yielded much, and altogether would scarce defray the charge of that Crown. And some late pretences of improving the Revenue there, appear to your Lordships upon examination, to be very small, and all that was advanced, came by unworthy Monopolies, and to private hands. By these propositions, the Rent to be reserved, will amount to between thirty and forty thousand pounds per an. besides seven Millions and a half, of Acres left to be disposed, and what even the customs have been at the highest, will be really trebled unto his Majesty.  
The other propositions are for the speedy payment of such sums as shall be raised, whereby the war may proceed with a full strength and expedition. Livy observes, that the Romans made their wars great and short. Those with the Latins, Samnites, and Tuscany's, concluded in short times; one in six days, another in ten days, and a third in twenty days' space. I mention not this with hopes to be imitated, but to show how much their actions which bear a great sway in the world, confirm this truly, That nothing in War can be more advantageous to a State, that to bring it to a speedy conclusion.  
I cannot remember, without much grief of heart, the unhappy delays in the relief of Ireland; but those obstructions are now in a good measure removed, and our hopes raised, that by a blessed concurrence of his royal Majesty, your Lordships, and the House of Commons, the great work of Ireland, with all possible speed, will be finished. A narrow and thrifty course in this business, will prove after the old Proverb, but penny wisdom. To prolong time, would give advantage to neighbouring Princes, whose particular interest may, perhaps, at this time, engage them; otherwise stand at gaze, and are full of jealousies of these proceedings, to take the first occasion to oppose us, and to support our enemies.  
I shall trouble your Lordship no further, but with a short observa●ion from the Story of Ireland. King William the first, who called himself the Conqueror, gave leave to twelve Knights to enter Wales, and what Lands they could gain there, to keep and plant themselves in it: from one of these, descended Richard, the strong bow, Earl of Chepstoe, who in Henry the seconds time, made the first Conquest, and with such as desired to plant themselves in Ireland. Gerraldus Cambrensis tells us, this shall continue Crebris conflictibus multis caedibus longoque certamine. These propositions, I hope, will give a period to that prophecy: and as the first Conquest there, was begun by Plantation, so a happy and perfect establishment thereof, and of the true Religion, may be made by a like noble Plantation, to which these propositions tend; and by command of the House of Commons, I present them to your Lordships, for your consent and approbation.  
FINIS.