Several Speeches, Title page – To the reader
SEVERALL SPEECHES, Spoken by the Right HONOURABLE The Earle of LONDOUN, Lord high Chancellour of the Kingdome of SCOTLAND: AT A Conferen…e with a Committee of the Honourable Houſes in the Painted Chamber, October 1646.
Proverbs 25.11.
A word fitly ſpoken is like apples of gold in pictures of ſilver.
EDINBURGH: Printed by Evan Tyler, Printer to the Kings moſt Excellent Majeſty. 1646.
Good Reader,
I Underſtand that the right Honourable the Lord Chancellour of Scotland had not right done him by the printed Copie of his Speech to the Kings Majeſtie at New-caſtle, concerning the Propoſitions of Peace, there being in that Copie Errours and Omiſſions, and both material; which hath moved me to reſolve, as to print the former according to the true Copie, ſo for preventing the like miſtakes and miſ-repreſentations, firſt to procure to my ſelf, and now to communicate to the publike view, the true tranſcrips of theſe laſt three Speeches: In which thou ſhalt find the merit of an excellent ſubject to ſpeak for it ſelf, for thou haſt here a moſt ſolid, judicious, candid, and plain debate, concerning the beſt and moſt hopeful means of attaining a ſpeedy and happy Peace, which may put a period to the laſting miſeries of theſe three Kingdoms: Read and conſider, and beware thou do not receive with the left hand what is reached forth with the right; This Noble Lord hath dealt freely and faithfully both with King and Parliament; and, as Truth and plain dealing did appear in his Speeches, ſo what he ſpake is here faithfully imparted; and thou maiſt be confident, that in this it holds true, foreign
Thine to ſerve thee for the Publike good, G. A.