THE SPEECH OF Sr. George Pudsey Kt. At the Time of his being Sworn.  
RECORDER OF THE City of Oxford IN The Council-Chamber of the same City, on Tuesday the Eighth day of January 1683/4. where they agreed to the Sealing the Instrument sent by his Majesty.  
Ordered by Act of Council, that Sir GEORGE PUDSEY Knt. be Desired, to Print his Speech.  BAKER. 
OXON Printed for Anthony Stephen's Bookseller near the Theatre, 1684.   

The Speech of Sir George Pudsey Knight, at the Time of his being Sworn Recorder, etc.  
GENTLEMEN,  
FOrtune has at last gratified me in that earnest Desire I have always had to serve You; And though I despair of making due Acknowledgements, yet you may believe, that I am very sensible of the Favour you have done me, in so unanimously choosing me to be your Servant; for such a one your Recorder is: 'tis a place of Honour, and of Trust, and if I discharge it not as I ought, or at least as I am able, I am the worst of Men: I value myself much upon it, but more upon your Friendship. Perhaps few Recorders for many ages have been so freely Elected. Therefore Gratitude as well as Oath obliges me to be faithful to you, Interest also, (a mighty Motive) prompts me to the same. I am your Neighbour as well as fellow Citizen. The little Fortune that I have lies near you, if Oxford flourish, Elsfield will not far the worse. Gentlemen, I hope you'll have a favourable opinion of him you have made yours. ' It's not inconsiderable disadvantage to succeed a man of such great abilities as your last Recorder was: A Person who lived long amongst you, and knew the secrets of your Corporation; yet this I vow, I'll pray the aid of all the Inns of Court rather than you shall suffer; And indeed why should you in any thing? Have you not opportunities enough to be happy? Does not the Great and Good Earl of Abingdon offer his assistance, ready at all times upon his knee to beg his Majesty's Favour in your behalf? When he appears, Make room for Oxford, cries the Guards, the Town is Loyal grown; when at another time (if I may speak it) A modest Oxford man dare hardly peep in Court. Why then done't we by his vast Interest let in the Beams of Majesty upon us? Who can live without the Sun? Have we not a famous University for our Example? Let her great Loyalty (if it be possible) be out done by us. Can we be poisoned at the Fountain head? Where is Learning, Piety, and Obedience practised, if not in this our English Athens? Who so ignorant that does not know how eminent this Place has been for Loialty? How proud it was when Charles the first, that Glorious King, shut himself up within our walls? Did not our Citizens follow Bellona's Call, to defend his Sacred Person from Rebel's fury? Was not this the Seat of war? With what bravery and gallantry did this City assert its Monarch's Right? Surely the stock of Loyalty is not worn out. How many are there in this place now that lived in those days, and played the Soldier's part, therefore I'll not think there's an ill man amongst us, however it happens that for some miscarriages of ours we stand not right in Caesar's favour. We promise largely, perform poorly, and that with grudging too. The widow's mite, what was it? yet being all, and freely given, had the largest thanks. Gentlemen, let me advise you to redeem yourselves again: His Majesty, whom the Law styles Head of the Kingdom, Father of the Country, Master of the whole family of the Nation, Chief Justice of all England, and a kind of petty God on earth, who for the excellency of his Person, by way of resemblance, has Divine Attributes, as Immortality, for as King he never dies, Sovereignty, Majesty, Power, Verity, Justice, and the like: He is merciful, of a Godlike temper, as ready to forgive as we to ask: let us think nothing but good of him and his Government; for fears and jealousies have been of fatal consequence to this Nation, and still are the greatest enemies to the peace and tranquillity of it. Sometimes they cry Popery is a breaking in upon us, when God knows (as it is lately proved) the eight hundredth man is not Papist, unless all are such that are not Dissenters from the Church, for so indeed they call us. Did not his Majesty for several years live in Popish soil, yet came over to us as well in Heart as Title, Defender of the Faith. His Royal Highness, Great Britain's Mars, its Heir, and Glory, has upon all occasions expressed himself highly in favour of our Church, has settled the Protestant Religion upon such sure foundations in Scotland, that it's not to be shaken. Are not his Daughters, (after him the present Heirs to the Imperial Crown,) Protestant's, and married two such Princes, on design purely for to secure our Religion, when France itself courted that alliance for its Heir? Are not the Lords of the Romish Faith excluded the House of Peers? the Laws strictly put in execution against the Papists? Besides, what alteration can there be in Church or State, without a National consent? If these are signs of Popery then indeed we are in danger. What think ye Gentlemen? You are men of reason, live among the Muses, where Learning is at the Hight; Though I must confess if a Papist must not breathe Common Air, or tread his Native Earth because he is so, 'tis hard. Who does not think his own opinion best? Sometimes again, how does the fears of Arbitrary Power, of loss of Liberty and Property call Crowds together to consult, who shake the Head, look down, cry we are lost, sad times are coming? when that's the only way to have them come, for if a People grow Rebell-ripe, why should not we believe that Kings who set at stern, that pick and cull the Nation for the wisest Heads, should not endeavour to preserve their Empire, and Dominion, as well as we quit shops and stalls and fly to Coffeehouses to examine every Letter, to see how things are like to go with us. Gentlemen, be not seduced by men of Seditious Spirits; The first sin of Men and Angels was Rebellion, Heaven and Paradise were lost by it, believe it is the King's Interest, as well as Royal Inclination to Preserve us in our Rights and Liberties; For take away Property, and industry is quickly at an end: Where is the Crowns safety then? The empty Traveller laughs at the Thief; who values his Country's defence that hath nothing in it which he can call his own? In some of the Eastern Parts, (the Garden of the World by Nature) a man may Ride some scores of Miles, and scarcely see a Hut; because no man has any thing but at the Princes will; With us the Prosperity of the People is the Monarch's joy: He always esteems himself Rich if they are so.  
Gentlemen, I am not altogether a stranger to History, can give a reasonable account of most Countries, amongst which England has not an equal. Let us see how matters stood with the Jews in Righteous David's days? Thou and Ziba divide the Land was David's judgement: against his Master's Son before his offence was proved. A Semeter or a Bowstring leaves breathless in a minute the greatest subject in three parts of the world, without a Judge and Jury. In our Neighbouring Countries, Racks and Wheels are thought gentle easy ways to find out truth. The French Kings sword is his subjects Charter, The Spanish Inquisition this world's Hell. In Holland itself, that famed Commonwealth, a Herring is Excised nine times before it's eat, yet in these places all hush, and still: No Plots to murder Kings, or Magistrates. Gentlemen, you must pardon me, if I tell ye, that many times the too great indulgence of a Prince brings speedy ruin to a Nation. Plutarch in the life of Lycurgus gives us a Relation of one Eurytion a Spartan King, who took a course never practised by his wise Predecessors, which was to cajole his own Subjects by slacking the Reins of the Royal Authority; but see what followed, instead of gaining upon them, they grew so insolent that at last they brought the Government into contempt, and soon after the whole Kingdom into Anarchy and confusion, and were never satisfied, till one of their best Princes was barbarously murdered in the streets by the Rabble, as he was appeasing a Tumult; How near a parallel is this to his late Majesty who I'll boldly say has done more, except the Present King, to endear the subject than all the Kings from the Norman to this time besides; but what come on't? That's a Melancholy consideration. Mercy and Goodness in Princes are too often mistaken, and called necessity and easiness of Nature: An yielding King shall always find a craving Subject. We are like the Israelites never satisfied, desire to return back into Egypt into our old Bondage. I have heard, that in the late Rebellion, a Captain and his Company has made London that haughty Mistress of our Isle, whom we so much delight to imitate, all in tears, her Citizens Crouching like Spaniels at the frown of a Traitor, when at the same time they bid defiance to their King.  
Are not we turned Madmen, and the Devil fool, His invention is lost. Must a Nation be destroyed, ' twice in half an age by the very same methods; A jugglers tricks if shown more than once or twice becomes children's sport. Popery was the Topick amongst the zealous  since I remember, and is now the only idol that supports the brethren's cause: if the word were but forgotten they were Dumb, its the holding twig. Who would not have sworn three years since that the Pope's Bull was not broken in among us: no Popery no Papist were the Oxford Cries when, on my conscience the promoters of the Noise are nearer that persuasion than myself; the man they aimed at. Do they not say that Kings are the people's Creatures, made by them, and when the Spirit moves may be laid aside again. Our Church abhors such Doctrine, let's hold to that. Julian that cunning arch Enemy of our Religion encouraged all Opinions and Sects amongst the Christians that tended to the rooting out of our Faith. For shame let's grow wiser, we are in safety (if there be such a thing on this side Heaven:) Let the most factious fellow of 'em all tell me what's not done to secure the subject? He is fenced in on every side, the Star Chamber, Court of Wards, High Commission Court, and every thing which the people had the least colour to call greiveous, are willingly laid aside. What a noise has quartering of Soldiers made? How are the Law-Books filled with Cases of imprisonments. To ease us of these fears too, there's not a Soldier looks into a private house, or enters any Inn, but as a Traveller: the Landlord makes the Bill: what Offender is not bailed out of Prison in such a time, if not prosecuted, though Treason threw him in? If such acts of Grace as these will not give us grateful souls, or at least keep us in quiet, nothing but a rod of iron will. Will there be no peace till Shebah's head is thrown over the wall. Gentlemen, I could waste a day upon this subject, and challenge all the world to show me such another Government; therefore if these be signs of Arbitrary Power, of loss of Liberty and Property, speak, gentlemans, be not silent. Good men will be convinced by reason, and bless their Maker for their happiness; Ill men must be watched by those that are in Power. He that grumbles at this Government, with Lucifer would quarrel Heaven, therefore with him deserves his punishment. But suppose the worst, that our fears were true, that Religion and Allegiance did no ways oblige us, that his Majesty had as many vices as he has virtues, would Rebellion mend the matter? No, that a Nation's Ruin is ready to attest. Has not that happened to us and much more, which foolish Rehoboam threatened the ten Tribes with, that his little finger should be heavier upon them than his Father's Loins, that if his Father whipped them with rods, he would beat them with Scorpions. Gentlemen, a civil war is like a gaming house, where none gets at last but the Box-keeper. Not long after his Majesty's return I was at such a place at a time when a great Lord had lost no little sum, to cheer his Heart, he calls for a glass of Wine, and drinks a health to him that had gained by play; amongst fifty Gentlemen there was not one would lay any title to it, at last in comes a little creeping fellow, and claims the health, protesting that he had never brought into the house more than half a Crown at any one time, seldom so much, yet by his cunning and advantages had heaped up many a hundred pounds; so in a Civil War the beggar mounts a horseback, and all above him goes a foot, Cobblers and Tinkers turn Lords, and Lords turn nothing. If Rebellion has success, which to the discouragement of all Treason (it has had but once this six hundred years in England) to change its Government, yet the leading Rebels very rarely die in peace. If the Prince be victorious, which certainly he is, unless when the Almighty intends to call the Nation to a reckoning for her sins, than the People are at mercy. Which of us would willingly call an Equal or an Inferior, Lord? Where were our English Liberty then? Therefore since all cannot be Kings, let's be obedient to him that is the best of Kings, think Loialty our greatest interest as well as Duty. Gentlemen, consider, we have watchful eyes over us: Esteem not them good Citizens who advise us to wrestle too much with Majesty, for we shall have the fall. Why then all say with me, Long live the King, we'll grant him any thing that he will have, because we are sufficiently assured, he will ask nothing but what we may freely, and safely give.