His Majesty's Most Gracious SPEECH, Together with the Lord Chancellors, TO THE TWO HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT, On Thursday the 13. of September, 1660.  

Die Jovis, 13. Septemb. 1660.  
PRinted and Published at the desire of both Houses of Parliament, And With His Majesty's Allowance.  
JOHN BROWN. Cleric. Parliamentorum.   
Edinburgh, reprinted by Christopher Higgins, in Hearts Close, over against the Throne Church, 1660.   


C R  HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  royal blazon or coat of arms   

His Majesty's most Gracious SPEECH to His two Houses of Parliament, on Thursday the 13. of September, 1660.  
My Lords and Gentlemen,  
TWO My presence here had not been requisite for the passing these many Bills, I did always intent to see you together before your Adiournment, that I might again thank you for the many good things you have done for Me and the Kingdom; and in truth I do thank you more for what you have done for the public, than what you have done for My own particular, and yet I do thank you too for that with all My heart: But I confess to you, I do thank you more for the provision you have made to prevent Freequarter, during the time the Army shall be disbanding, which I take to be given for My satisfaction, than I do for the other present you have made Me for My own particular occasions; and I do promise you, which is the best way I can take to gratify you, I will not apply one penny of that money to My own particular occasions, what shift soever I make, till it is evident to Me, that the public will not stand in need of it; and if it do, every penny of it shall be disbursed that way; and I dare say, I shall not be the poorer for it.  
I cannot but take notice of one particular Bill I have passed, which may seem of an extraordinary nature, that concerning the Duke of Somerset, but you all know it is for an extraordinary Person, who hath merited as much of the King My Father and Myself, as a Sub●●●● 〈…〉 am none of those, who think that Subjects by performing their duties in an extraordinary manner, do not oblige their Prince to reward them in an extraordinary manner; there can be no danger from such a Precedent, and I hope no man will envy him, because I have done what a good Master should do to such a Servant.  
My Lords and Gentlemen, I will not deny to you, that I had some inclination, when I consented, upon your desire, to your Recess, to have made a Session, which I thought most agreeable to the ancient order of Parliaments, and I hope you will all join with Me in reducing the proceed of Parliaments to the ancient Rules and Orders of Parliaments, the deviation from which, hath done us no good, and I think there were never so many Bills passed together, as I have this day given My Assent to, without a Session: But upon the Desire and Reasons given by the House of Commons, for an Adiournment without a Session, I did very willingly departed from that inclination, and do as willingly give you leave and direct you that you Adiourn yourselves till the sixth day of November, when I hope you will all meet again, and in the mean time, that you will be all welcome to your Countries, and do me much Service there.  
I have many other particulars to say and recommend to you, in which I cannot enough trust My own memory, and therefore I shall command the Chancellor to say the rest to you.  
(After His Majesty had ended His Speech, the Lord Chancellor said, as followeth)   

My Lords and Gentlemen,  
THe King tells you that He hath commanded me to say many particulars to you, and the truth is, He hath charged me with so many, that I have great reason to fear, that I shall stand in much need of His Mercy, for omitting many things He hath given me in command, at least for delivering them in more Diso●●●● 〈…〉 matters of such moment and importance ought to be to such an Assembly, for which the King Himself hath even a kind of Reverence, as well as an extraordinary Kindness. I am to mention some things He hath done already, and many things He intends to do during this Recess, that you may see, how well content soever He is, that you should have Ease, and Pleasure, and Refreshment, He hath designed work enough for Himself.  
The King hath thanked you for the Provision you have made that there may be no free Quarter during the time the Army shall be disbanding, and hath told you what He will do with that Money you have given Him, if there should want wherewithal to disband it; And now I hope you will all believe, that His Majesty will consent to the bisbanding: He will do so; And yet He does not take it unkindly at their hands, who have thought that His Majesty would not disband this Army; It was a sober and a rational Jealousy; No other Prince in Europe would be willing to disband such an Army; An Army to which Victory is entailed, and which, humanely speaking, could hardly fail of Conquest whithersoever He should lead it; And if God had not restored His Majesty to that rare felicity, as to be without apprehension of danger at home or from abroad, and without any Ambition of taking from His Neighbours what they are possessed of; Himself would never disband this Army; an Army whose Order and Discipline, whose Sobriety and Manners, whose Courage and Success hath made it famous and terrible over the world; An Army of which the King and His two Royal Brothers may say, as the noble Grecian said of Aeneas,  
— Stetimus tela aspera contra,  
Contulimusque manus, experto credit, quantus  
In clypeum assurgat, quo turbine torqueat hastam.  
They have all three in several Countries found themselves engaged in the midst of these Troops, in the heat and rage of Battle, and if any common Soldiers (as no doubt many may) will demand the old Romans privilege for having encountered Princes single, upon my Conscience, he will find both Favour and preferment: They have all three observed the Discipline, and felt, and admired, and loved the Courage of this Army, when they were the worse for it; and I have seen them 〈◊〉 a season when there was little else of comfort in 〈…〉 themselves with joy, that the English had done the Great Work, the English had got the day, and then please themselves with the Imagination what wonders they should perform in the head of such an Army: And therefore when His Majesty is so entirely possessed of the Affection and Obedience of this Army, and when it hath merited so much from Him, Can it be believed, or imagined, that He can without some regrate part with them: No, My Lords and Gentlemen, He will never part with them, and the only sure way never to part with them, is to Disband them; Should it be otherwise, they must be exposed to the daily Importunity of His great Neighbours and Allies; and how could He refuse to lend them His Troops, of which He hath no use Himself? His Majesty knows they are too good English men, to wish that a standing Army should be kept up in the bowels of their own Country; that they who did but in Bello, pacis gerere negotium, and who, whilst an Army, lived l●ke good Husbandmen in the country, and good Citizens in the City will now become really such, and take delight in the benefit of that Peace they have so honestly and so wonderfully brought to pass: The King will part with them, as the most indulgent Parents part with their Children for their education, and for their preferment; he will prefer them to disbanding, and prefer them by disbanding, and will always retain such a kindness for them, and such a memory of the service they have done him, that both Officers and Soldiers, after they are disbanded, shall always find such countenance, favour, and reward from His Majesty, that He doubts not, but if He should have occasion to use their Service, they will again resort to Him with the same alacrity, as if they had never been disbanded: And if there be any so ill amongst them (as there can be but very few, if any) who will forfeit that Favour and Protection they may have from H●m by any withstanding His Majesty's commands, and the full and declared sense of the Kingdom; His Majesty is confident they will be as odious to their companious, as they can be to any other honest men.  
My Lords and Gentlemen, I am in the next place, by the King's command, to put you in mind of the Act of Indemnity, not of any Grants or Concessions or Releases He made to you in that Act, I have nothing of that in charge; no Prince hath so excellent a memory to forget the Favours he ●oth. But of what He hath done against you in that Act, how you 〈…〉 that Act, if you are not very careful to perform the obligations He hath laid upon you in it: the clause I am to put you in mind of, is this, And to the intent and purpose that all names and terms of distinction may be like wise put into utter Oblivion, Be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any person or persons, within the space of three years next ensuing, shall presume maliciously to call, or allege, or object against any other person or persons any name or names, or other words of reproach, any way leading to revive the memory of the late differences, or the occasion thereof, That then every such person, so as aforesaid offending, shall forfeit, etc. It is no matter for the Penalty, it is too cheap a one; the King wishes it had been greater, and therefore hath by His just Prerogative (and 'tis well for us He hath such a Prerogative) added another Penalty more insupportable, even His high Displeasure against all who shall swerve from this clause in the Act. Give me leave to tell you, That as any name or names, or other words of reproach are expressly against the letter, and punishable accordingly, so evil and envious looks, murmuring and discontented hearts, are as directly against the equity of this Statute, a direct breach of the Act of Indemnity, and aught to be punished too; and I believe they may be so. You know Kings are in some sense called Gods, and so they may in some degree be able to look into men's hearts; and God hath given us a King who can look as far into men's hearts as any Prince alive; and He hath great skill in Physiognomy too, you would wonder what calculations he hath made from thence; and no doubt, if He be provoked by evil looks, to make a further enquiry into men's hearts, and finds those corrupted with the passions of Envy and uncharitableness, He will never choose those hearts to trust and rely upon. He hath given us a noble and princely example, by opening and stretching His arms to all who are worthy to be His Subjects, worthy to be thought English men, by extending His heart with a pious and grateful joy to find all His Subjects at once in His arms, and himself in theirs: and shall we fold our arms towards one another, and contract our hearts with Envy and Malice to each other, by any sharp memory of what hath been unneighbourly or unkindly done heretofore? What is this but to rebel against the Person of the King, against the excellent Example and Virtue of the King, against the known Law of the Land, this blessed Act Oblivion?  
My Lords and Gentlemen, The King is a Suitor to you, makes it His suit very hearty, That you will join with Him in restoring the whole Nation to its primitive temper and integrity, to its old good manners, its old good humour, and its old good nature, Good nature, a virtue so peculiar to you, so appropriated by God Almighty to this Nation, that it can be translated into no other Language, hardly practised by any other people, and that you will by your example, by the candour of your conversation, by your precepts, and by your practice, and by all your Interest, teach your neighbours and your friends, how to pay a full obedience to this clause of the Statute, how to learn this excellent Art of Forgetfulness.  
Let them remember, and let us all remember, how ungracious, how indecent, how ugly, the Insolence, the Fierceness, the Bruitishness of their Enemies appeared to them; and we may piously and reasonably believe, that God's indignation against them, for their want of bowels, for their not being Englishmen, (for they had the hearts of Pagans and Infidels) sent a Whirlwind in a moment to blow them out of the world, that is, out of a capacity to do more mischief in the world, except we practise their vices, and do that ourselves which we pretend to detest them for: Let us not be too much ashamed, as if what hath been done amiss, proceeded from the humour, and the temper, and the nature of our Nation. The Astrologers have made us a fair excuse, and truly I hope a true one; all the motions of these last twenty years have been unnatural, and have proceeded from the evil influence of a malignant Star; and let us not too much despise the influence of the Stars: And the same Astrologers assure us, that the malignity of that Star is expired; the good genius of this Kingdom is become Superior, and hath mastered that malignity, and our own good old Stars govern us again, and their influence is so strong, that with our help, they will repair in a year what hath been decaying in twenty; and they only shall have no excuse from the Stars, who continue their malignity, and own all the ill that is past to be their own, by continuing and improving it for the time to come.  
If any body here, or any where else, be too much exalted with what he he hath done, or what he hath suffered, and from thence thinks himself warranted to reproach others, let him remember the story of Nicephorus; it is an excellent story, and very applicable to such distempers: He was a pious and religious man, and for his Piety and Religion was condemned to the fire; when he was led to execution, and when an old Friend who had done him injury enough, fell at his feet and asked his pardon; the poor man was so elated with the triumph he was going unto, with the glory of Martyrdom, tthat he refused to be reconciled unto him; upon which he was disappointed of his end; and for this uncharitableness, the Spirit of God immediately forsook him, and he apostatised from the Faith. Let all those who are too proud of having been as they think, less faulty than other men, and so are unwilling to be reconciled to those who have offended them, take heed of the Apostasy of Nicephorus, and that those fumes of Envy and Uncharitableness, and Murmuring, do not so far transport and intoxicate them, that they fall into those very Crimes, they value themselves for having hitherto declined.  
But, my Lords and Gentlemen, whilst we conspire together, to execute faithfully this part of the Bill, to put all old names and terms of distinction into utter Oblivion; let us not find new names and terms to keep up the same, or a worse distinction: If the old reproaches of Cavalier, and Round-head, and Malignant be committed to the Grave; let us not find more significant and better words, to signify worse things; let not Piety and Godliness grow into terms of reproach, and distinguish between the Court and the City and the Country; and let not Piety and Godliness be measured by a morosity in Manners, an affectation of Gesture, a new mode and tone of Speaking; at least, let not our Constitutions and Complexions make us be thought of a contrary party; and because we have not an affected austerity in our looks, that we have not Piety in our hearts. Very merry men have been very godly men; and if a good Conscience be a continual Feast, there is no reason but men may be very merry at it.  
You, Mr. Speaker, have this day made a noble Present to the King. Do you think that if you and your worthy Companions had brought it up with folded Arms, downcast looks, with sighs and other instances of desperation, would it not have been a very melancholic Present? Have not your frank and dutiful expressions, that cheerfulness and vivacity in your looks, rendered it much more acceptable, much more valuable: No Prince in Christendom loves a cheerful giver so well as God Almighty does, and he of all gifts, a cheerful heart; and therefore I pray, let not a cloudy and disconsolate face be the only, or the best sign of Piety and Devotion in the heart.  
I must ask your pardon for misplacing much of 〈◊〉 Discourse, which I should have mentioned, when I came to speak 〈◊〉 the Minister's Bill; they, I hope, will endeavour to remove these 〈…〉 ●●rks of distinction and reproaches, and keep their Auditory 〈…〉 ●●●osed upon by such characters and descriptions. The King hath passed this Act very willingly, and done much to the end of this Act before; yet hath willingly admitted you to be sharers and partners with Him in the Obligation: I may say confidently His Majesty hath never denied his Confirmation to any man in possession, who hath asked it: and they have all had the effect of it, except such, who upon examination and enquiry, appeared not worthy of it, and such who though they are pardoned, cannot yet think themselves worthy to be preferred. His Majesty well knows that by this Act he hath gratified and obliged many worthy and pious men, who have contributed much to his Restauration, and who shall always receive fresh evidence of his Majesty's favour and kindness, but he is not sure that he may not likewise have gratified some who did neither contribute to his coming in, nor are yet glad that he is in; how comes it else to pass, that he receives such frequent information of seditious Sermons in the City and in the Country, in which all industry is used to alienate the affections of the people, and to infuse Jealousies into them of the King and his Government; They talk of introducing Popery, of evil Councillors, and such other old Calumnies as are pardoned by this Act of Indemnity.  
His Majesty told you when he was last here, what rigour and severity he will hereafter use, how contrary soever it is to his Nature, in these cases; and conjured you, My Lords and Gentlemen, to concur with him in this just and necessary Severity, which I am sure you will do with your utmost vigilance, and that you will believe that too much ill cannot befall those who do the best they can to corrupt His Majesty's Nature, and to extinguish His Mercy.  
My Lords and Gentlemen, I told you I was to acquaint you with some things his Majesty intends to do during this Recess, that you may see He will give no intermission to His own thoughts for the public good, though for a time He dispenses with your assistance.  
He doth consider the infinite importance the improvement of Trade must be to this Kingdom, and therefore His Majesty intends forthwith to establish a Council for Trade, consisting of some principal Merchants of the several Companies; to which he will add some Gentlemen of quality and experience; and for their greater honour and encouragement, some of my Lords of His own Privy Council.  
In the next place, His Majesty hopes that by a well settled Peace, and Gods great blessing upon Him and you, this Nation will in a short time ●●●●●ish to that degree, that the Land of Canaan did, when Esau found 〈◊〉 ●●cessary to part from his brother— For their riches were 〈…〉 that they might dwell together, and the Land where 〈…〉 not bear them, because of their Cattle, We have been Ourselves very near this Pinnacle of happiness, and the hope of contemplation that we may be so a gain, disposes the King to be very solicitous for the improvement and prosperity of His Plantations abroad, where there is such large room for the Industry and Reception of such who shall desire to go thither; and therefore his Majesty likewise intends to erect and establish a Council for those Plantations, in which persons well qualified shall be wholly intent upon the good and advancement of those Plantations.  
There are two other Particulars, which I am commanded to mention, which were both mentioned and recommended to You by His Majesty in His Declaration from Breda; The one, for the Confirmation of Sales, or other recompense for Purchasers; The other, for the composing those differences and distempers in Religion, which have too much disturbed the Peace of the Kingdom. Two very weighty particulars, in which His Majesty knows You have spent much time, and concerning which he should have heard from You before this time, if You had not met with great difficulties in the disquisition of either.  
For the first, His Majesty hath not been without much thought upon the Argument, and hath done much towards the accommodation of many particular persons, and You shall not be at Your Journeys end before his Majesty will put that business concerning Sales into such a way of Dispatch, that he doubts not You will find a good progress made in it before Your coming together again, and I believe the Persons concerned, will be very much to blame; if they receive not good satisfaction; And some of You who stay in Town, shall be advised and consulted with in that settlment.  
The other, of Religion, is a sad Argument indeed; it is a Consideration that must make every religious heart to bleed, to see Religion, which should be the strongest obligation and cement of affection, and brotherly kindness and compassion, made now by the perverse wranglings of passionate and froward men, the ground of all animosity, hatred, malice and revenge: And this unruly and unmanly passion (which no question the Divine nature exceedingly abhors) sometimes, and I fear too frequently transports those who are in the right, as well as those who are in the wrong, and leaves the latter more excusable than the former, when men who find their manners and dispositions very conformable in all the necessary obligations of Humane nature, avoid one another's Conversation, and grow first unsociable, and then uncharitable to each other, because one cannot think as the other doth. And from this separation we entitle God to the patronage of, 〈…〉 concernment in our fancies & distinction, & purely for his sake 〈…〉 ●●her hearty. It's was not so of old, when one of the most 〈…〉 of the Church tells us, That Love and Charity was so signal and eminent in the Primitive Christians, that it even drew Admiration and Envy from their Adversaries. Vide (inquiunt) ut invicem se diligunt! Their Adversaries in that in which they most agreed, in their very persecution of them, had their Passions and Animosities amongst themselves; they were only Christians, that loved, and cherished, and comforted, and were ready to die for one another; Quid nunc illi dicerent Christiani, si nostra viderent tempora? says the incomparable Grotius: How would they look upon our sharp and virulent Contentions in the debates of Christian Religion, and the bloody Wars that have proceeded from those Contentions, whilst every one pretended to all the Marks which are to attend upon the true Church, except only that which is inseparable from it, Charity to one another.  
My Lords and Gentlemen, This Disquisition hath cost the King many a sigh, many a sad hour, when he hath considered the almost irreparable reproach the Protestant Religion hath undergone, from the divisions and distractions which have been so notorious within this Kingdom. What pains he hath taken to compose them, after several discourses with learned and pious men of different persuasions, you will shortly see, by a Declaration He will publish upon that occasion, by which you will see His great indulgence to those who can have any protection from Conscience to differ with their Brethren. And I hope God will so bless the candour of His Majesty in the condescensions He makes, that the Church as well as the State, will return to that unity and unanimity, which will make both King and People as happy as they can hope to be in this world.  
My Lords and Gentlemen, I shall conclude with the King's hearty thanks to you, not only for what you have done towards Him, which hath been very signal, but for what you have done towards each other; for the excellent correspondence you have maintained; for the very seasonable deference and condescension you have had for each other, which will restore Parliaments to the veneration they ought to have. And since His Majesty knows, that you all desire to please him, you have given him ample evidence, that you do so; He hath appointed me to give you a sure Receipt to attain that good end, it is a Receipt of His own prescribing, and therefore is not like to fail.  
Be but pleased yourselves, and persuade others to be so; contrive all the ways imaginable for your own happiness, and you will make Him the best pleased, and the most happy Prince in the World.  
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