A1v A2r 3

A most Excellent and Remarkable
Speech,
Delivered by that Mirrour and Miracle of
Princes, Queen Elizabeth, of famous memory, in
the Honourable the High Court of Parliament .
in the seventeenth yeere of her Reigne.

This present Session of Parliament gathered
together by Our command,
for the good of Our selfe and the
prosperity of Our Subjects, Wee
wish may be as fortunate to them as
conducing to Our intents, which
shall still guide themselves to the advancement
of Our peoples wel-fare.
We are not ignorant of the imbecillity
and unablenesse of Our sex to governe such a powerfull
and mighy Kingdom as this is, strong in faction, through reason
of diversity of Religion now raigning in it, forraigne
Princes, especially the Pope and the King of Spaine, Our inveterate
enemies, in regard of the profession of the Gospell,
who, both by practices abroad, and incitations of Our Subjects
at home, have fought all meanes to deprive Us of the
royalty of this Our hereditary Kingdome; such and so bloody minded A2 A2v 4minded are the devices of the Papists against Us, and all that
love the true Worship of God, that they never cease, like roring
Lyons, to goe about day and night, seeking whom they
may devoure: but though feare be naturally incident to Our
sex it is banished from the condition of a Prince; as Wee are
a woman. We may feare to fall under their malice; as Wee
are a Prince, the Soveraigne of this Kingdome, Wee cannot
dread their attempts, knowing that the awe which is intailed
upon Majesty, hath power to strike dead all such enterprizes
of the most desperate traytors that are; and for Our
owne part, We shall no wayes be carelesse of Our owne security:
but as you, my Lords, and Our honourable the House of
Commons, have beene well and judiciously advised in enacting
good and wholesome lawes against these inhumane
and barbarous traytors, the Recusants of this Kingdome, so
shall We without regard or feare of any, see they be put in execution.
We have made it alwayes Our principall study, my
Lords, to be well experienced in the duty of Princes towards
their people, and by the instructions both of the Divine
and Humane lawes, We find that Princes have as neere a relation,
and as strict an obligation to their Subjects, as Subjects
have to them; secundum morem principis, after the manner
which a Prince can be ingaged or obliged, that is, by the bond
sealed to the people at the Coronation; every Prince covenants
with the people, to defend them from all injuries,
domesticke and forraigne, to institute and ordaine good and
wholsome lawes for their security, from oppressions one
from another, and from the Prince himselfe, who by the unlimited
power and prerogative of his royalty, may onely, and
yet more grievously afflict the people, then the people can
any way injure one another; the people being equall one
with another, and obliged to the same lawes, the Prince being
above them. And surely wrongs from equalls are easilier
righted then from superiours, the eminence of power oft
times blinding the Eagles eyes of equity.

A Prince should therefore be toward the people, as that great A3r 5great Prophet Samuel was toward the Israelites, whom, when
hee had judged for many yeares, hee boldly challeng’d the
whole Congregation to attest against him whose Oxe, or
whose Asse he had taken, or from whom he had received
any bribe to pervert Justice.

This, my Lords, have We in Our consideration and resolution,
set downe as Our president in the government of
this Our English Israel, whom Gods mercies have notified
his peculiar people, and this we shall ever accomplish, the
due administration of Jutstice. Princes as they are Gods on
earth in title, should be so in their actions: and We call you
all to witnesse, my Lords, this day, that in this seventeenth
yeare of Our raigne over you, We have never performed any
act prejudiciall to the liberty, or opposite to the known lawes
of the land, which have been confirmed to them by so many
Kings, Our Royal Progenitors; and surely what Monarch
of England that shall at any time goe about to alienate the
property of the Subject, or impose on their immunities any
innovation, or diminishment, can never boast himselfe to be
absolute Soveraigne of this Kingdome, nor to injoy His
Crowne and dignity, with the well wishes, and affections
of his Subject; for so large is the charter of the English Subjects
liberty, which the piety of Our Royal Predecessors
have granted them, and the merit of their own ancestors
purchased, that they are a free people, if compared with
other Nations, who groan under the yoak and heavy burdens
laid on their servile necks by their Soveraignes, custome in
suffring, making them undergo their suffrings with patience.

But the nature We know of all Englishmen to be such,
that faire words and gentle usage may sooner overcome and
inslave their huge stomacks and great spirits then any force
or foule meanes whatsoever. There lives not in the whole
world a more obedient people to their Soveraigne then
Ours are so long as they continue, the Prince studies to defend
and preserve their liberties, but if once they fal off from
that opinion, either by the over severity, or too much neglectlect A3 A3v 6 of their Soveraigne in the managing the affaires of the
Common-wealth: They are of all other Subjects most violent
and implacable, which We conceive proceeds out of
the extraordinary affection they beare their King, grieving
inwardly, and taking from hence more to heart any indignity
offered them then any Subject whatsoever.

But you my Lords, and you Our house of Commons, of
this Our high Court of Parliament, to you the principall
care of Our people by Us hath ever beene committed; Wee
are so well assured, both by your own integrities, and the
presidents which you have given in former ages, both to
Our Royall Father, and others of Our renowned Ancestors,
of your loyalties, that Wee should esteeme it an uncivill
defect in Our judgement to doubt thereof: Wee know it
was the Act of wisedome of Parliament that united those
two long jarring Royall Families of Yorke and Lancaster,
both in Our selfe incorporated, by the marrying of Our
Grandmother and Grandfather of famous memory. It was
the power of Parliament that assisted Our said Grandfather
against all those conspiracies of Warbecke, Lambert, and others,
and rendred him victorious over all of them. It was
the wisedome of His supreme Councell, the Parliament,
guiding and couselling His actions as well as His owne
naturall prudence, that made Him bee accounted the very
Solomon of his time throughout all Nations; and surely it
cannot be denied, but it was the same genius of Parliament
that in Our Royall Fathers time produced such admirable
effects, as were the denying the Antichristian Supremacy
of the Pope, and the dissolutions of those Seminaries of
sloth and vices, the wealthy Abbies and Monasteries, which
had gotten into their possession the very fat of this Land,
flowing with milke and honey, and did also assist Him with
aids of money in all his wars abroad, rendring His name
terrible to other Nations. It hath been the justice of Parliament
that hath setled the indubitate right of this Kingdome
in his children, Our Brother, Sister, and last of all, Our selfe, who A4r 7who must acknowledge that the Parliaments congregated
by Us, have been happy and fortunate, both to Our Selfe
and people; they have augmented and setled Our Royall
Revenue, discovered and punished all dangerous conspiracies
against Us, making and providing sharpe and fitting
lawes for the determent of all desperate wretches from
practising ought of violence against Our Person. The Parliament
hath by Our consent, reduced coyne throughout
Our Kingdome of England, and Principality of Wales, to
its just and staple value. Finally, the Parliament is the mediator
betwixt the Soveraignes of this Kingdome and the
people thereof, the best inheritance and supportment of the
royalty of the one, and the liberty of the other.

To you therefore Our Lords and Commons, assembled
in this Our present Parliament, to treat and manage the
difficult affaires of this Kingdome, We doe most willingly
commit and commend the care of them, We believe so
many noble and wise men, as here are gathered together,
cannot be recreant from the vertue of their Predecessors,
who have obtained and ordained so many wholesome and
profitable lawes for the weale of the Subject, but be as industrious
and zealous in the businesse of the Commonwealth,
as they have beene carefull husbands of their
properties and patrimonies: they expect from you the confirmation
and augmentation of their liberties; and for Our
owne part, We are so confident of your well meanings to
Us, what We will freely intrust you with all the differences,
or controversies between Our Selfe and people, if any such
there be, that you may rectifie and reform them: Our people
are as Our Selfe, and whatsoever ill or injury happens to
them, either by the too much rigor of the lawes, or iniquity
of the Judges, We shall judge as cast upon Us; looke
severely to this businesse, and to all other that shall either
concerne the people, or the true service of God, and you
shall alwaies finde Us ready and willing to correspond with
your votes in any thing.

We A4v 8

We have only one thing to admonish you of which concernes
Gods true Religion, and Our selfe and people neerly,
to wit the power and still increasing number of Popish Recusants
in this Kingdome; the Pope and Our English Fugitives
sending over from beyond Seas daily new Emissaries of untruth
and sedition amongst Us; these must either be prevented,
or as illegitimate and dangerous sonnes of the Commonwealth,
cut off, use in it your owne discretions; We are confident
Our Parliament hath as great a stocke of wisdome as
the grand Councell of any Kingdome whatsoever, that the
wisest of the Kings Our Progenitors have relyed upon their
prudence, well then may We, a poore weake woman put
all Our confidence in your discretions, which wee shall ever
as well as at this present time, beseech the God of Heaven
to increase and blesse, that the Land may be happy in the prudence
of your Councels, and We rejoyce and be exalted and
beloved of Our neighbors, to the peace of Our Kingdome
and Our owne increase of happinesse.

Finis.