A most Excellent and Remarkable SPEECH, DELIVERED By that Mirror and Miracle of Princes, QVEEN ELIZABETH, Of famous memory, in the Honourable the High Court of PARLIAMENT, in the seventeenth year of her REIGN;  
Wherein she fully expresseth the duty of Princes to their Subjects, and that of Subjects to their Princes:  
Setting forth also, the good Opinion She had of the Justice and Moderation of Our English PARLIAMENTS towards both Prince and People,  
As it is faithfully collected out of the Records of the said PARLIAMENT;  
A Discourse very suitable for these times.  
London, Printed for Humphrey Richardson, january 28. An. Dom. 1643. 1642   

DOCTRINA PARIT VIRTUTEM  printer's or publisher's device  
A most Excellent and Remarkable SPEECH, Delivered by that Mirror and Miracle of Princes, Queen Elizabeth, of famous memory, in the Honourable the High Court of Parliament. in the seventeenth year of her Re●gne.  
My Lord,  
THis present Session of Parliament gathered together by Our command, for the good of Ourself and the prosperity of Our, Subjects, We wish may be as fortunate to them as conducing to Our intents, which shall still guide themselves to the advancement of Our people's welfare. We are not ignorant of the imbecility and unableness of Our sex to govern such a powerful and mighty Kingdom as this is, strong in faction, through reason of diversity of Religion now reigning in it, foreign Princes, especially the Pope and the King of Spain, Our inveterate enemies, in regard of the profession of the Gospel, who, both by practices abroad, and incitations of Our Subjects at home, have sought all means to deprive Us of the royalty of this Our Hereditary Kingdom; such and so bloody 〈…〉 of the 〈…〉 lo●● the true Worship of God, that they never cease, like roaring Lions, to go about day and night, seeking whom they may devour: but though fear be naturally incident to Ou● sex, it is banished from the condition of a Prince; as We● a●● a woman. We may fear to fall under their malice; as We are a Prince, the Sovereign of this Kingdom, We cannot dread their attempts, knowing that the awe which is entailed upon Majesty, hath power to strike dead all such erterprises of the most desperate traitors that are; and for Our own part. We shall no ways be careless of Our own security: but as you, my Lords, and Our honourable the House of Commons, have been well and judiciously advised in enacting good and wholesome laws against these inhuman and barbarous traitors, the Recusants of this Kingdom, so shall We without regard or fear of any, see they be put in execution. We have made it always Our principal study, my Lords, to be well experienced in the duty of Princes towards their people, and by the instructions both of the Divine and Humane laws, We find that Princes have as near a relation, and as strict an obligation to their Subjects, as Subjects have to them; secundum morem principis, after the manner which a Prince can be engaged or obliged, that is, by the bond sealed to the people at the Coronation; every Prince covenants with the people, to defend them from all injuries, domestic and foreign, to institute and ordain good and wholesome laws for their security, from oppressions one from another, and from the Prince himself, who by the unlimited power and prerogative of his royalty, may only, and yet more grievously afflict the people than the people can any way injure one another; the people being equal one with another, and obliged to the same laws, the Prince being above them. And surely wrongs from equals are easilier righted then from superiors, the eminence of power oft eithes blinding the eagle's eyes of equity.  
A Prince should therefore be toward the people, as that great Prophet Samuel was toward the Israelites, whom, when he had judged for many years, he boldly challenged the whole Congregation to attest against him whose Ox, or whose Ass he had taken, or from whom he had received any bribe to pervert Justice.  
This, my Lords, have We in Our consideration and resolution, set down as Our precedent in the government of this Our English Israel, whom God's mercies have notified his peculiar people, and this we shall ever accomplish, the due administration of Justice. Princes as they are Gods on earth in title, should be so in their actions: and We call you all to witness, my Lords, this day, that in this seventeenth year of Our reign over you, We have never performed any act preduciall to the liberty, or opposite to the known laws of the land, which have been confirmed to them by so many Kings, Our Royal Progenitors; and surely what Monarch of England that shall at any time go about to alienate the property of the Subject, or impose on their immunities any innovation, or diminishment, can never boast himself to be absolute Sovereign of this Kingdom, nor to enjoy His Crown and dignity, with the well wishes, and affections of his Subjects; for so large is the charter of the English Subjects liberty, which the piety of Our Royal Predecessors have granted them, and the merit of their own ancestors purchased, that they are a free people, if compared with other Nations, who groan under the yoke and heavy burdens laid on their servile necks by their Sovereigns, custom in suffering, making them undergo their sufferings withpatience.  
But the nature We know of all Englishmen to be such, that fair words and gentle usage may sooner overcome and enslave their huge stomaches and great spirits then any force or foul means whatsoever. There lives not in the whole world a more obedient people to their Sovereign than Ours are, so long as they continue; the Prince studies to defend and preserve their liberties, but if once they fall off from that opinion, either by the over severity, or too much neglect of their Sovereign in the managing the affairs of the Commonwealth: They are of all other Subjects most violent and implacable, which We conceive proceeds out of the extraordinary affection they bear their King, grieving inwardly, and taking from hence more to heart any indignity offered them then any Subject whatsoever.  
But you my Lords, and you Our house of Commons, of this Our high Court of Parliament, to you the principal care of Our people by Us hath ever been committed; We are so well assured, both by your own integrities, and the precedents which you have given in former ages, both to Our Royal Father, and others of Our renowned Ancestors, of your loyalties, that We should esteem it an uncivil defect in Our judgement to doubt thereof: We know it was the Act and wisdom of Parliament that united those two long jarring Royal Families of York and Lancaster, both in Ourself incorporated, by the marrying of Our Grandmother and Grandfather of famous memory. It was the power of Parliament that assisted Our said Grand father against all those conspiracies of Warbeck, Lambert, and others, and tendered him victorious over all of them. It was the wisdom of His supreme Council, the Parliament, guiding and counselling His actions as well as His own natural prudence, that made Him be accounted the very Solomon of his time through all Nations; and surely it cannot be denied, but it was the same genius of Parliament that in Our Royal Father's time produced such admirable effects, as were the denying the Antichristian Supremacy of the Pope, and the dissolutions of those Seminaries of sloth and vices, the wealthy Abbeys and Monasteries, which had gotten into their possession the very fat of this Land, flowing with milk and honey, and did also assist Him with aids of money in all his wars abroad, rendering His name terrible to other Nations. It hath been the justice of Parliament that hath settled the indubitate right of this Kingdom in his children, Our Brother, Sister, and last of all, Ourself, who must acknowledge that the Parliaments congregated by Us, have been happy and fortunate, both to Ourself and people; they have augmented: and settled Our Royal Revenue, discovered and punished all dangerous conspiracies against Us, making and providing sharp and fitting laws for the determent of all desperate wretches from practising aught of violence-against Our Person. The Parliament hath by Our consent, reduced coin throughout Our Kingdom of England, and Principality of Wales, to its just and staple value. Finally, the Parliament is the mediator betwixt the Sovereigns of this Kingdom and the people thereof, the best inheritance and supportment of the royalty of the one, and the liberty of the other.  
To you therefore Our Lords and Commons, assembled in this Our present Parliament, to treat and manage the difficult affairs of this Kingdom, We do most willingly commit and commend the care of them, We believe so many noble and wise men, as here are gathered together, cannot be recreant from the virtue of their Predecessors, who have obtained and ordained so many wholesome and profitable laws for the weal of the Subject, but be as industrious and zealous in the business of the Commonwealth, as they have been careful husbands of their properties and patrimonies: they expect from you the confirmation and augmentation of their liberties; and for Our own part, We are so confident of your well meanings to Us, that We will freely intrust you with all the differences, or controversies between Ourself and people, if any such there be, that you may rectify and reform them: Our people are as Ourself, and whatsoever ill or injury happens to them, either by the too much rigour of the laws, or iniquity of the Judges. We shall judge as cast upon Us; look severely to this business, and to all other that shall either concern the people, or the true service of God, and you shall always find Us ready and willing to correspond with your votes in any thing.  
We have only one thing to admonish you of, which concerns Gods true Religion, and Ourself and people nee●ly, to wit, the power and still increasing number of Popish Recusants in this Kingdom; the Pope and Our English Fugitives sending over from beyond Seas daily new Emissaries of untruth and sedition amongst Us; these must either be prevented, or as illegitimate and dangerous sons of the Commonwealth, cut off, use in it your own discretions; We are confident Our Parliament hath as great a stock of wisdom as the grand Council of any Kingdom whatsoever, that the wisest of the Kings Our Progenitors have relied upon their prudence, well then may We, a poor weak woman put all Our confidence in your discretions, which we shall ever as well as at this present time, beseech the God of Heaven to increase and bless, that the Land may be happy in the pendence of your Counsels, and We rejoice and be exalted and beloved of Our neighbours, to the peace of Our Kingdom and Our own increase of happiness.  
FINIS.