My Lord Lucas
HIS
SPEECH
IN THE
Houfe of Peers, Feb. the 22. 167
UPON
The Reading of the Subfidy BILL
the fecond Time, in the pre-
fence of his.
3.
MAJESTY.
Ande aliquid brevibus, Gyaris & Carcere dignum
Si vis effe aliquis Probitas laudatur & alget.
JUVENAL Sat. 1.
London, Printed in the Year 1670..
A
Reader,
I
To the Reader.
Need not tell you that this Speech was Burnt by the band of the
Common Hang-man, it being done in a publick place, to the
great grief and aſtoniſhment of all True-Engliſhmen, `to whom my
Lord Lucas his Loyalty to bis-Prince, and his inviolable.Love to his
Country, was abundantly manifested.
But I dare affirm this Barbarous ufage did fo little difcourage bim
from doing his Duty, that he would have fubmitted himſelf to the fame
Fate, if his Death might have prevented theſe approaching Calamities
and evil Counſels, which have fince been fo fatally Deſtructive to this
poor: Kingdom. But God has taken him from an ungrateful G.nerati-
on, and from the Evil to Come, and left us to lament the loss of fo wor-
thy a Patriots for now be is gone, who shall fhew his Sacred Majefiy,
thefe dreadful precipices, whereon French Fraud, and Popish Malice bas
placed him? From whence they daily expect not only to fee him fall, but
to daſh himſelf in pieces.
Who shall tell the House of Peers by what Generous Steps their An-
ceſtors afcended to thofe Immortal Titles of Honour and Renown?
And who shall tell the House of Commons, of their profufe and La-
vith Squandering the Wealth and Liberties of this new weak and pe-
rishing (but once Mighty and Invincible) People.
7
If none are left amongst us that dare imitate the Vertues of this Noble
Lord; I hope that there are fame that will venture to Read this
SPEECH, and if they have any Relicts of Vertue, and of a Pious
Love to their Countrey; I am confident it will give them a New Soul,
and inflame them with a Generons Defire of doing that for their Country,
which this fut and truly Honourable Lord intended; if an unhappy
Death had not prevented him.
Farewell,
(3)
My Lord Lucas's Speech, &c.
My Lords,
W
Hen by the Providence of Almight God, this Nati-
on recalled his Majefty to the exercife of the Regal
Power, it was the hope of all good men, That we
thould not only be reitored to ha: Majesties Royal
prefence and Divine Laws, but we should be free from thofe heavy
Buthens, under which we had lain fo long oppreft; We did believe
that from thenceforth every man thould fit under his own Vine
joying the Fraits of Peace and Plenty; and Aftrea her felf, (long fince
for the fins of men fled up to Heaven,) fhould have been invited by his
Majesties moft Gracious and Happy Raign, to return hither, and dwell
with us, and converfe here amongst us Mortals again.
en-
But alas! we are fallen very short of our expectations and our
Burthens are fo far from being made lighter to us, that they are
heavier then ever they were! and as our Burthens are increafed, fo
our Strength alfo is diminiſhed, and we are less able to ſupport them.
In the Times of the late Ufurping Pemers, although great Taxes
were exacted from us we had then means to pay them, we could fell
nur Lands, our Corn and Cattle, and there was plenty of Money
throughout the Nation; now there is nothing of this; Brick is re-
quired of us, and no Straw allowed to make it with. For that our Lands
are thrown up, and Corn and Cattle are of little value, is notorious to
all the World.
1
A dicis evident that there is fcarcity of Money, for all the Parlia-
ment money called Breeches, (a fit ftamp for the Coyn of the Rump)
is wholly vanished, the Kings Proclamation and the Dutch, have
ſwept it all away, and of his own Majefties Coyn, there appears but
very little, ſo that in effect we have not left for Common ufe, but a
little old Lean Coyned Money, of the late three former Princes, and
what Supply is preparing for it my Lords? I hear of none, unleſs it
A 2
be
(4)
be of Copper Farthings, and this is the Mettal that is to Vindicate (ac-
cording to the Infeription on it,) The Dominion of the four Seas.
And yet if amidst this fcarcity, the vaft Sums given were all im-
ployed for the King and Kingdom, it would not fo much trouble us :
But we cannot without infinite Regret of Heart, See ſo great a part
of it pounded up in the Purfes of other private men, and fee them
Aourish in Estates, who at the Time of his Majefties moft happy Re-
Mauration, were worth very little or nothing; and now the fame M
purchafe Lands, and keep their Coach and Six Horſes, their Pages, and
their Lacqueyes; while in the mean time thoſe that have faithfully
ferved the King, are expoſed to Penury and want, and ſcarce fufficient
left to buy them Bread.
And is this my Lords the Reward of our Services? have we for this
born the Heat of the Day, been Imprifoned, Sequestered, ventured
our Lives and Families, our Estates and our Fortunes? And muſt we
after all this Sacrifice ſo much of our poor Remainder to the Will of a
few particular Men, and to the Maintenance of their Vanities?
But fuppofe all the Money given were imployed for the ufe of his
Majefty, and his Majesty were not Couzened (as without doubt he is)
is there no bound to, or Moderation in giving? will you fay that if
we fhall not plentifully Supply his Majesty, he will not be able to de-
fend us, or maintain the Tripple League? And we shall thereby run
the Hazzard of being Conquered.
Tis true, My Lords that this may be a Reafon for giving fome
thing, But 'tis fo far from being an Argument for giving fo much,
that it may be clearly made out to your Lordships, that it is the
direct and ready way to be Conquered by a Forreigner, And it may be the
Policy of the French King, by thofe often Alarms of Armies and Fleets
to induce us to confume our Treafure in vain Preparations against him;
And after he has by this means made us poor and Weak enough, he
may then come upon us, and Destroy us.
Tris not my Lords, the giving of a great deal, but the well ma-
naging of the Money given that muft keep us fafe from our Enemies;
Your Lordships may be pleaſed to call to mind the Story of Sampson,
who while he preferved his Hair wherein his Strength lay, was ftil
Fictor over his Enemies; But when (by the enticement of his Dalilah,)
his Hair war cut off, the Philistines came upon him, and overcame
him:
(3)
him: And ſo mỹ Lords, if we hall preſerve and Husband well our,
Treaſure wherein our Strength and the Sinews of War lye, and ap
ply it to the right Ulfes, we shall ftill be Superior to all our Enemies;
but if we ſhall vainly and inprudently mif-fpend it, we fhall become
an eaſie prey to them.
Befides my Lords, what is this but Ne morari Mori, and for fear of
being conquered by a Forreigner,put our felves into a condition almok
as bad, pardon me My Lords, if I fay in fome Refpects a great deal
worfe; for when we are under the Power of the Victor, we know
we can fall no lower; and the certainties of our Miſeries are fome
kind of diminution of them: But in this wild way we have no cer-
tainty at all, for if you give thus much to day, you may give as much
more to morrow, and never leave giving till we have given all that
ever we have away, and the Anxiety of mind which arifes from this
doubtful Eſtate, is an high Addition to our Afflictions.
All that we beg My Lords, is that we may be able to make ſome
Eftimate of our felves; would his Majesty be pleaſed to have a quarter
of our Eftates, for my part he fhall Have it would his Majefty be
pleased to have half, for my part upon a good occafion he fhall Have it:
But I beseech your Lordships then that we may have fome affurance
of the quiet enjoyment of the Remainder, and know what we have
to truſt to.
My Lords, the Commons have here fent us up a Bill for the giving
his Majesty the twentieth part of our Estates at the full extended value;
and I hear there are other Bills for Money alſo preparing, which to-
gether according to the beft computation, will amount to little lefs
than three Millions of Money, a prodigious Sum, and fuch that if your
Lordſhips ſhall not afford Relief, we muft of neceffity fink under the
weight of fo heavy a Preffure.
My Lords, the Scripture tells us that God Almighty fets bounds unto
the Ocean, and fays unto it, Hither fhall thy proud Waves come and no
further And fo I hope your Lorfhips in imitation of the Divinity
will let fome Bounds, fome Limits to this over Liberal Humour of the
Commons, and ſay to them Hither ſhall your Profuſeneſs come and no
further.
My Lords, either your Lordships can deny or moderate a Bill for Me
wey coming from the Commons; or if you cannot, all your great
Phater
(6)
Eftates are wholly at their diſpoſal, and your Lordships have nothing
that you can properly call your own, and then let us pafs this Bill with
out further Examination; But if you can deny or moderate (as with-
out Queſtion you can) your Lordships never had, nor poffibly ever
will have fuch a fair Occafion to ſhew it.
My Lords, upon the whole matter, I moſt humbly propoſe to
your Lordships, that your Lordſhips will be pleaſed to reduce the 12d.
in the Pound to 8d. And truly My Lords I have fome reaſon to hope
that if your Lordships will duely reflect upon it, ye will find it fit to
do accordingly; for in the first place it will be fo far from being a
fervice to his Majesty, that your Lordships will do his Majesty in it the
higheſt Service in the World; for although ye shall thereby take from
his Majefy as part of the Sum, you will give him a great deal more
in the Love and Hearts of his Subjects; and, there his Majesty muft Reign
if be will be Great and Glorious..
And next your Lordships acquire to your felves eternal Honour ye
hall thereby indear your felves to the whole Nation, who for the fu-
ture will look upon you as the ients did upon their Tutelary Čods;
northall the House of Commons but the House of Peers, be hereafter
Precious in their Sight.
My Lords give me leave to mind your Lordships, that Noble Acts
are Steps whereby the Great Men of the World afcend the Throne of
Glory. And can there be a nobler Act to Releaſe a diſtreſſed Kingdom,
which lyes Languiſhing unde: ſo hard Oppreſſions, and about to be fo
much more Oppreſſed.
I do detain your Lordſhips too long, and therefore fhall fay no more,
But muſt beg your Lordſhips Pardon,, and ſubmit all to your Better.
Fudgments.
"
Reader, Iſhall give you a fhort though not a full Account of
the Miſchief happened fince this Sp.ech..
1. The Strict Alliance with France.
2. Sbutting up the Exchequer.
3. Breach of the Triple League, and the prefent War with the Confe
derate the States of the Low Countries.
Earge