Speech Made in the Parliament of Scotland, Text
AN HONOURABLE SPEECH Made in the Parlament of Scotland by the Earle of ARGILE (being now Competitor with Earle MORTON for the Chancellorſhip) the Thirtieth of SEPTEMBER 1641.
Touching the prevention of Nationall diſſention, and perpetuating the happie Peace and Union betwixt the two Kingdomes, by the frequent holding of PARLAMENTS.
LONDON Printed by A. N. for I. M. at the George in FLEETSTREET, Anno 1641.
MY LORDS,
WHat was more to bee wiſhed on earth then the great happineſſe this day wee enjoy, viz. To ſee his Royall Majeſty our Native Sovereign and his loyall Subjects of both his Kingdomes ſo really united, That his Majeſty is piouſly pleaſed to grant unto us his Subjects our lawfull demands concerning Religion and Liberties, and we his Subjects of both Nations cheerfully rendring to his Majeſty that dutie, affection, and aſſiſtance, which he hath juſt cauſe to expect from good people, and each Nation concurring in brotherly amitie, unity, and concord, one towards the other.
Oh, what tongue is able to expreſſe the honour and praiſe due to that great and good God, who in theſe late Commotions ſuffered not the counſels of either Kingdome to deſpaire of the ſafetie of either Common-wealth, but through his bleſſing to their painfull and prudent endevours hath wrought ſuch an happineſſe for us, That now after the great toyle and trouble which we have on both ſides ſo long endured, wee may each man with his wife, children, and friends, under his own Vine and Fig-tree (and all under his Majeſties protection) refreſh himſelfe, with the ſweet fruits of peace, which I beſeech the Lord of peace to make perpetuall to both Nations.
And to that end my earneſt deſires are, that all our beſt ſtudies and endeavours may bee employed (for ſome time) in contriving and eſtabliſhing ſuch wholſome Laws in both Kingdomes whereby (as much as in us lyes) the opportunity and occaſion of producing the like calamities as lately threatned both Nations may for the future be prevented, if in any age hereafter ſuch Miſcreants ſhall goe againe to attempt it.
It is (my Lords) notorious, that the late Incendiaries that occaſioned the great differences betwixt his Majeſty and his Subjects took much advantage & courage by the too long intermiſſion of the happy conſtitution of Parliaments, In the vacancie of which they by falſe informations incenſed his Majeſty againſt his loyall Subjects, and by their wily inſinuations extorted from his Highneſſe Proclamations for to yield obedience to their innovations in the Kirke, and Patents for Projects, whereby the poore Subject was both polled and oppreſſed in his eſtate, and enthralled in his conſcience: and thus by their wicked practices, his Majeſtie was diſtaſted, and his Subjects generally diſcontented, in ſo much, that had not the great mercy of God prevented them, they had made an Obſtruction betwixt his Majeſtie and his liege people, and had broken thoſe mutuall and indiſſoluble bonds of protection and allegiance, whereby, I hope, his Royall Majeſtie, and his loyall and dutifull Subjects of all his three Kingdomes, will be ever bound together. To which let all good Subjects ſay Amen.
My Lords, the diſtaſte of his Majeſty, nor diſcontents of his Subjects, could never have come to that height they did (nor conſequently have produced ſuch effects) had not there bin ſuch an interpoſition, by theſe Innovators and Projectors, betwixt his Majeſtie our glorious Sun, and us his loyall Subjects, that his goodneſſe appeared not (for the time) to us, nor our loyaltie and obedience to him. For no ſooner was that happy Conſtellation (the Parliament in England) raiſed, and thereby thoſe vaporous clouds diſsipated, but his Majeſties goodneſſe, his good Subjects loyalty, and their treachery, evidently appeared.
Our Brethren of England (my Lords) finding the intermiſsion of Parlaments to be prejudiciall and dangerous to the State, have taken care, and made proviſion for the frequent holding of them: whoſe prudent example My Motion is may be our pattern forthwith to obtaine his Majeſties Royall aſſent, for doing the like here in this Kingdome. By which meanes his Majeſty may in due time heare and redreſſe the grievances of his Subjects, and his Subjects (as neede ſhall require) chearefully aid and aſſiſt his Majeſty, And nor only the domeſtique peace and quiet of each Kingdome bee preſerved, But likewiſe all Nationall differences (if any happen) may be by the wiſdome of the Aſſemblies of both Kingdomes, from time to time compoſed and reconciled to the perpetuating of the happie peace and union betwixt both Nations.
FINIS.
End of the text · Archibald Argyll, Speech Made in the Parliament of Scotland (1641)