The greatest part of this Forenoons Passage
being thus transcribed out of the Original Book
of the House of Commons; now follows a question
only moved by the Speaker upon the rising
of this House, as also his access unto her Majesty
in the Afternoon with divers of the said House
at Whitehall, touching Monopolies or Patents of
Priviledge, out of the said private Journal.

The Speaker asked the House, What it was
their pleasures he should deliver unto her Majesty?
and Sir Edward Hobbie stood up and said,
it was best he should devise that himself, the whole
House would refer it to him, and all said “I, I, I”.

In the Afternoon about three of the Clock,
some sevenscore of the House met at the great
Chamber before the Council Chamber in Whitehall.

At length the Queen came into the Council
Chamber where sitting under the Cloth of State
at the upper end, the Speaker with all the Company
came in, and after three low reverences
made he spake to this effect.

“Most Sacred and most gracious Sovereign
We your Faithful, Loyal and obedient
Subjects and Commons here present, vouchsafed of
your especial goodness (to our unspeakable comfort)
access to your sacred presence, do in all duty
and humbleness come to present that which
no words can express, most humble and thankful
acknowledgement of your most gracious Message,
and most bounden and humble thanks for
your Majesties most abundant goodness extended and Pppp2r 659

and performed to us. We cannot say, Most Gracious
Soveraign, We have called and been heard,
we have complained and have been helped;
though in all duty and thankfulness we acknowledge,
your Sacred Ears are ever open, and ever
bowed down to hear us, and your blessed Hands
ever stretched out to relieve us; We acknowledge,
(Sacred Sovereign) in all duty and thankfulness
we acknowledge, that before we call,
your preventing Grace and All-deserving Goodness
doth watch over us for our good, more ready
to give than we can desire, much less deserve.
That Attribute which is most proper unto
God, to perform all he promiseth, appertaineth
also unto you our Most Gracious Soveraign Queen,
of all Truth, of all Constancy, of all Goodness,
never wearied in doing good unto us (the Deeds
themselves do speak) most careful to provide all
good things for us, most gracious, most tender to
remove all grievances from us, which all your
Princely Actions have ever shewed, and even
now your most gracious published Proclamation
of your own only meer Motion and special
Grace for the good of all your People doth witness
to us. We come not, Sacred Sovereign, one
of ten to render thanks, and the rest to go away
unthankful; but all of us, in all duty and thankfulness
do throw down our selves at the Feet of
your Majesty, do praise God and bless your Majesty.
Neither do we present our thanks in words
or any outward thing which can be no sufficient
retribution for so great goodness; but in all duty
and thankfulness, prostrate at your Feet, we present
our most loyal and thankful hearts, even the
last drop of Blood in our Hearts, and the last
spirit of breath in our Nostrills to be poured out,
to be breathed up for your safety.”

And after three low Reverences made he with
the rest kneeled down, and her Majesty began
thus to answer her Self, viz.

“Mr Speaker, We have heard your Declaration
and perceive your care of our
State, by falling into the consideration of a grateful
acknowledgment of such benefits as you have
received; And that your coming is to present
thanks unto us, which I accept with no less Joy
than your Loves can have desire to offer such a
Present. I do assure you, that there is no Prince
that loveth his Subjects better, or whose Love
can countervail our Love; There is no Jewel,
be it of never so rich a prize, which I prefer before
this Jewel, I mean your Love; for I do more
esteem it than any Treasure or Riches: for that
we know how to prize, but Love and Thanks I
count inestimable. And though God hath raised
me High, yet this I count the Glory of my
Crown, that I have Reigned with your Loves.
This makes me that I do not so much rejoice
that God hath made me to be a Queen, as to be
a Queen over so thankful a People. Therefore
I have cause to wish nothing more than to content
the Subject, and that is a duty which I owe.

Neither do I desire to live longer dayes, than
that I may see your Prosperity, and that’s my
only desire. And as I am that Person that still,
yet under God, hath delivered you, so I trust,
by the Almighty Power of God, that I still shall
be his Instrument to preserve you from Envy,
Peril, Dishonour, Shame, Tyranny and Oppression,
partly by means of your intended helps,
which we take very acceptably, because it manifesteth
the largeness of your Loves, and Loyalties
unto your Sovereign. Of my self I must say
this, I never was any greedy, scraping Grasper,
nor a strait fast-holding Prince, nor yet a Waster;
My heart was never set on Wordly Goods, but
only for my Subjects good. What you do bestow
on me, I will not hoard it up, but receive
it to bestow on you again. Yea mine own properties
I count yours to be expended for your
good. Therefore render unto them from me I
beseech you, Mr Speaker, such thanks as you imagine
my Heart yieldeth, but my Tongue cannot
express.

Note that all this while they kneeled. Whereupon
her Majesty said, Mr Speaker, I would wish
you and the rest to stand up, for I shall yet trouble
you with longer Speech, so they all stood up
and she went on in her Speech, saying.

Mr. Speaker, You give me thanks, but I doubt
me, I have more cause to thank you all than
you me; And I charge you to thank them of
the House of Commons from me: for had I not
received a knowledge from you, I might have
fallen into the Lap of an Error, only for lack of
true Information. Since I was Queen, yet did I
never put my Pen to any Grant, but that upon
pretext and semblance made unto me, that it
was both good and beneficial to the Subjects in
general, though a private profit to some of my
antient Servants who had deserved well: But
the contrary being found by Experience, I am
exceeding beholding to such Subjects as would
move the same at first. And I am not so simple to
suppose, but that there be some of the Lower
House whom these grievances never touched;
And for them I think they speak out of Zeal to
their Countries, and not out of Spleen or malevolent
Affection, as being Parties grieved; and
I take it exceeding grateful from them, because
it gives us to know that no respects or interesses
had moved them, other than the minds they
bear to suffer no diminution of our Honour, and
our Subjects Love unto us. The Zeal of which Affection
tending to ease my People and knit their
Hearts unto me, I embrace with a Princely Care;
far above all Earthly Treasure I esteem my Peoples
Love, more than which I desire not to merit.
That my Grants should be grievous to my
People, and Oppressions to be Priviledged under
colour of our Patents, our Kingly Dignity shall
not suffer it; Yea, when I heard it I could
give no rest to my thoughts until I had reformed
it. Shall they think to escape unpunished, that Pppp2have Pppp2v 660
have thus oppressed you, and have been respectless
of their duty, and regardless of our Honour?
No. Mr Speaker, I assure you, were it not more
for Conscience sake, than for any glory or encrease
of Love, that I desire these Errors, Troubles,
Vexations and Oppressions done by these
Varlets and lewd Persons, not worthy the name
of Subjects, should not escape without condign
punishment. But I perceive they dealt with me
like Physicians, who ministring a Drug make it
more acceptable by giving it a good Aromatical
Savour, or when they give Pills do gild them all
over. I have ever used to set the last Judgment
day before mine Eyes, and so to Rule as I shall
be judged to answer before a Higher Judge. To
whose Judgment Seat I do Appeal, that never
thought was cherished in my Heart that tended
not to my Peoples good. And now if my Kingly
Bounty have been abused, and my Grants turned
to the hurt of my People, contrary to my will
and meaning; or if any in Authority under me,
have neglected or perverted what I have committed
to them, I hope God will not lay their
Culps and offences to my Charge; and though
there were danger in repealing our Grants, yet
what danger would not I rather incur for your
good, than I would suffer them still to continue?
I know the Title of a King is a Glorious
Title; but assure your self, that the shining glory
of Princely Authority hath not so dazled the
Eyes of our understanding, but that we will
know and remember, that we also are to yield
an Account of our Actions before the great
Judge. To be a King and wear a Crown is more
glorious to them that see it, than it is pleasure to
them that bear it. For my Self, I was never so
much enticed with the glorious name of a King,
or Royal Authority of a Queen, as delighted
that God hath made me this Instrument to maintain
his Truth and Glory, and to defend this
Kingdom (as I said) from Peril, Dishonor, Tyranny
and Oppression. There will never Queen
sit in my Seat with more Zeal to my Country,
Care to my Subjects, and that will sooner with
willingness yield and venture her Life for your
Good and Safety than my Self. And though you
have had and may have many Princes more
mighty and wise sitting in this Seat, yet you
never had or shall have any that will be more
Careful and Loving. Should I ascribe any thing
to my Self and my Sexly Weakness, I were not
worthy to live then, and of all most unworthy
of the mercies I have had from God, who hath
ever yet given me a Heart which never yet feared
Foreign or home Enemies. I speak it to give
God the praise as a Testimony before you, and
not to attribute any thing unto my self; For I,
O Lord, what am I, whom practices and perils
past should not fear! O what can I do” (these
she spake with a great Emphasis) “that I should
speak for any Glory! God forbid. This Mr
Speaker I pray you deliver unto the House, to
whom heartily recommend me. And so I commit
you all to your best Fortunes, and further

Councels. And I pray you Mr. Comptroller,
Mr. Secretary, and you of my Council, that before
these Gentlemen depart into their Countries,
you bring them all to kiss my Hand.”