you have left me without a liberty of choice save as to all. [Must accept the whole Petition and Advice, or reject the whole of it. I question not your wisdom in doing so; 1 think myself obliged to acquiesce in your determination; knowing you are men of wisdom, and considering the trust you are under. It is a duty not to question the reason of anything you have done. [Not even of the Kingship: say Yes, then!]

I should be very brutish did I not acknowledge the exceeding high honour and respect you have had for me in this Paper. Truly, according to what the world calls good, it hath nothing but good in it,-according to worldly approbation of sovereign power. You have testified your value and affection as to my person, as high as you could; for more you could not do! I hope I shall always keep a grateful memory of this in my heart;—and by you I return the Parliament this my grateful acknowledgment. What ever other men's thoughts may be, I shall not own ingratitude. But I must needs say, That that may be fit for you to offer, which may not be fit for me to undertake. [Profound silence.] And as I should reckon it a very great presumption, were I to ask the reason of your doing any one thing in this Paper,-(except 'in' some very few things, the 'new' Instrument, 'this Paper,' bears testimony to itself),— so you will not take it unkindly if I beg of you this aadition to the Parliament's favour, love and indulgence unto me, That it be taken in tender part if I give such an answer as I find in my heart to give in this business, without urging many reasons for it, save such as are most obvious, and most to my advantage in answering: Namely, that I am not able for such a trust and charge. [Won't have it, then!

And if the "answer of the tongue," as well as the pre

9 Means 'value for.'

paration of the heart, be "from God," I must say my heart and thoughts ever since I heard the Parliament were upon this business-[Sentence breaks down] - For' though I could not take notice of your proceedings therein without breach of your privileges, yet as a common person I confess I heard of it in common with others. —I must say I have been able to attain no farther than this, That, seeing the way is hedged-up so as it is to me, and I cannot accept the things offered unless I accept all, I have not been able to find it my duty to God and you to undertake this charge under that Title. [Refuses, yet not so very peremptorily!]

The most I said in commendation of the 'new' Instrument may be retorted on me;-as thus: "Are there such good things provided for 'in this Instrument;' will you

refuse to accept them because of such an ingredient ?" Nothing must make a man's conscience a servant. And really and sincerely it is my conscience that guides me to this answer. And if the Parliament be so resolved, 'for the whole Paper or none of it,' it will not be fit for me to use any inducement to you to alter their resolution.

This is all I have to say. I desire it may, and do not doubt but it will, be with candour and ingenuity represented unto them by you.*

His Highness would not in all circumstances be inexorable, one would think!-No; he is groping his way through a very intricate business, which grows as he gropes; the final shape of which is not yet disclosed to any soul. The actual shape of it on this Friday afternoon, 3d April 1657, I suppose he has, in his own manner, pretty faithfully, and not without sufficient skill and dignity, contrived to express. Many considerations weigh upon his Highness; and in itself it is a most unexampled matter, this of negotiating about being made a King! Need of wise speech; of wise reticence no less. Nay it is of the nature of a Courtship withal: the young lady cannot answer on the *Additional Ayscough мss. no. 6125: printed in Burton, i. 417; and Parlia mentary History, xxiii. 161.

first blush of the business; if you insist on her answering, why then she must even answer, No!—

SPEECH IX.

Wednesday 8th April 1657. The Parliament, justly interpreting this No of his Highness, has decided that it will adhere to its Petition and Advice, and that it will 'present reasons to his Highness;' has got, thanks to our learned Bulstrode and others, its reasons ready;—and, this day, 'at three in the afternoon,' walks over in a body to the Banqueting-House, Speaker Widdrington carrying in his hand the Engrossed Vellum, and a Written Paper of 'Reasons,' to present the same.10 What Speaker Widdrington spoke on the occasion is happily lost; but his 'Reasons,' which are very brief, remain on the Record;11 and will require to be transcribed. They are in the form of a Vote or Resolution, of date yesterday, 7th April 1657:

• Resolved, That the Parliament having lately presented their 'Humble Petition and Advice to your Highness, whereunto they have not as yet received satisfaction; and the matters 'contained in that Petition and Advice being agreed-upon by 'the Great Council and Representative of the Three Nations; which matters, in their judgment, are most conducing to the good of the People thereof both in Spiritual and Civil concernments: They have therefore thought fit

To adhere to this Advice; and to put your Highness in 'mind of the great obligation which rests upon you in respect ' of this Advice; and again to desire you to give your Assent " thereunto.'

Which brief Paper of Reasons, Speaker Widdrington having read, and then delivered to his Highness, with some brief touches of mellifluous eloquence now happily lost,—his Highness, with a look I think of more than usual seriousness, thus answers the Assembled Parliament and him:

MR. SPEAKER,

No man can put a greater value than I hope I do, and shall do, upon the desires and advices of the 10 Commons Journals, ii. 520-1 (6th, 8th April); Burton, i. 421.

▲ Ibid.

Parliament. I could in my own heart aggravate, both concerning the Persons advising and concerning the Advice; readily acknowledging that it is the Advice of the Parliament of these Three Nations. And if a man could suppose it were not a Parliament to some [Malignants there are who have such notions];—yet doubtless it should be to me, and to us all that are engaged in this common Cause wherein we have been engaged. I say, surely it ought to be a Parliament to us! Because it arises as a result of those issues, and determinations of Settlement, that we have laboured to arrive at! And therefore I do most readily acknowledge the weight of authority 'you have' in advising these things.

I can aggravate also to myself the general notion of the Things Advised-to; as being things which tend to the settlement of the chiefest Interests12 that can fall into the hearts of men to devise or endeavour-after. And at such a time, 'too;' when truly, I may think, the nation is big with expectation of something that may add to their 'security of' Being.—I therefore must needs puts a very high esteem 'upon,' and have a very reverent opinion of anything that comes from you.

And so I have had of this Instrument :-and, I hope, so I have expressed. And what I have expressed, hath been, - if I flatter not myself, from a very honest heart towards the Parliament and the Public. I say not these things to compliment you. For we are all past complimenting, and all considerations of that kind! [Serious enough his Highness is, and we all are; the Nations and the Ages, and indeed the MAKER of the Nations and the Ages, looking on us here! We must all be very real now, if ever we will be so!

Now, howbeit your title and name you give to this 12 'things' again, in orig.

Paper [Looking on the Vellum] makes me think you intended “Advice;" and I should trangress against all reason, should I make any other construction than that you did intend Advice: ‘yet'—!—[Still hesitates, then ?]—I would not lay a burden on my beast but I would consider his strength to bear it! And if you lay a burden upon a man that is conscious of his own infirmity and disabilities, and doth make some measure of counsels which may seem to come from Heaven, counsels from the Word of God (who leaves room for charity, and for men to consider their own strength),— I hope it will be no evil in me to measure your “ Advice" with my own Infirmities. And truly these will have some influence upon conscience! Conscience in him that receives talents13 to know how he may answer the trust of them. And such a conscience have I had 'in this matter;' and still have; and therefore, when I thought I had an opportunity to make an Answer, I made that Answer [The unemphatic Negative; truest "Answer" your Highness then had: :—can it not grow an Affirmative?]—and am a person that have been, before and then and since, lifting up my heart to God, To know what might be my duty at such a time as this, and upon such an occasion and trial as this was to me! [Deep silence: Old Parliament casts down its eyes.]

Truly, Mr. Speaker, it hath been heretofore, I think, a matter of philosophical discourse, That great places, great authority, are a great burden. I know it so. And I know a man that is convinced in his conscience, Nothing less will enable him to the discharge of it than Assistance from Above. And it may very well require in such a one, so convinced and so persuaded, That he be right with the Lord in such an undertaking! And therefore, to speak very clearly and plainly to you: I had, and I have, my

13 Meaning charges,' 'offices.'