The Last
Speech
of
Queen Elizabeth
to her
Last Parliament,

Which began 1601-10-20October 20th 1601.

The 1601-11-30Thirtieth of November Her Majesty being seated under a Canopy
of State in the Council Chamber; the Speaker, with about 180. of the
House of Commons presented themselves at her Majesties feet, for that
so Graciously and Speedily She had heard and yielded to Her Subjects
desires, humbly kneeling upon their knees: To whom She spake in these Words.

Mr. Speaker, We perceive, your coming is to present Thanks to Us; Know I
accept them with no less Joy, than your Loves can have a desire to offer such
a present; and do more esteem it than any treasure or riches. For the value of
Them I know, but Loyalty, Love and Thanks I account unvaluable; and though
God hath raised Me high, yet this I account the Glory of My Crown, that I have
Reigned with your Loves. This makes Me that I do not so much rejoyce, that
God hath made me a Queen, as to be a Queen of so thankful a people, and to be
a means under God, to conserve you in safety, and to preserve you from danger;
yea, to be an Instrument to preserve you from dishonour, shame and infamy; to
keep you out of servitude and slavery under Our Enemies, and cruel tyranny
and vile oppression intended against Us. For the better withstanding whereof,
We take very acceptably your intended Supplies; and chiefly, that it manifesteth
your Love and Largeness of heart to your Sovereign. Of My Self I was never
a greedy scraping grasper, nor strict fast-holding Prince, nor yet a Waster. My
heart was never set upon any wordly goods; but what you bestow on Me, I
will not hoard it up, but receive it, to bestow on you again. Yea, my own properties
I account yours, to be expended for your good, and your Eyes shall see
the bestowing of it for your welfare.

Mr. Speaker, I wish you and the rest of the Gentlemen to stand up, for I fear I
shall yet trouble you with a longer Speech.

A2 Mr. Speaker, A2v 2

Mr. Speaker, You give Me thanks, but I am more to thank you, and I charge
you thank them of the Lower House from me; for had I not received knowledge
from you, I might have fallen into the lapse of an errour, only for want of true
Information. Since I was a Queen, I never yet put my Pen to any Grant, but
upon pretext and semblance made, that it was for the good and avail of My Subjects
in General, though a private profit to some of my antient servants, who
have deserved well. But that any Grant of Mine, shall be made grievous to My
people, and oppression to be priviledg’d under the Colour of our Patents, Our
Princely Dignity shall not suffer it. When I heard it, I could give no rest to
My thoughts; and those Varlets, lewd persons, abusers of My Bounty shall know,
I will not suffer it. And Mr. Speaker, Tell the House from Me, That I take it
exceeding grateful, that the knowledge of these are come unto Me from them:
and though amongst them the principal members are such as are not touched
in private, and therefore speak not from any feeling of the grief, yet We have
heard, That other Gentlemen also of the House who stand as free, have spoken as
freely in it. Which gives Us to know, that no respects of Interests have moved
them, otherwise than what they bear to suffer the diminution of Our Honor, and
Our Subjects Love to Us. The zeal of which affection tending to ease My people
and knit their hearts to Us, I embrace with a Princely care; for above all other
treasures, I esteem My peoples love, more than which, I desire not to merit: and God
that gave me to sit, and placed Me over you, knows, That I never respected My,
but as your good was concerned in Me. Yea, What dangers! What perils!
What practices I have past, some if not all of you know; but none of those
things ever moved me, or made me fear, but it’s God that hath delivered Me.

And in governing this Land, I have ever set the last Judgement day before
My eyes, and so to rule, as I shall be judged and answer before a higher Judge,
to whose Judgement Seat I do appeal, That never thought was cherished in My
heart, that tended not to My peoples good. And if My Princely Bounty hath
been abused, and my Grace turned to the Hurt of My people contrary to My
Will and Meaning, or if any Authority under Me have neglected, or converted
what I committed to them from My design, I hope God will not lay their Culp
upon My charge.

To be a King, and wear a Crown, is a thing more Glorious to them that see
it, than it is pleasant to them that bear it. For My Self, I was never so much
inticed with the Glorious Name of a King, or the Royal Authority of a Queen,
as delighted, that God made me his Instrument to maintain his Truth and Glory,
and defend this Kingdom from dishonor, damage, Tyranny and oppression.

But should I ascribe these things to My Self or to My Sexly weakness, I were
not worthy to live; and of all most unworthy of the Mercies I have received at
Gods hands: but to God alone, and to him wholly is all given and ascribed.

The Cares and troubles of a Crown, I cannot more fitly resemble, than to the
Druggs of an Apothecary perfumed with some Aromatical favour, or bitter Pills
gilded over, by which they are made acceptable or less offensive, when indeed they
are bitter and unpleasant. As for My own part, were it not for Conscience sake
to discharge the duty God hath laid upon Me, and to maintain his Glory, and
keep you in safety, in my disposition I should be willing to Resign that place I hold
to any other, and be glad to be freed of the Glory with the labour. For it is
not My desire to Live and Reign longer, than My Life and Reign shall be for
your good; and though you have had, and may have Mightier and Wiser Princes
sitting on this Seat, yet you never had, nor shall have any that will love you
better.

Thus Mr. Speaker, I commend Me to your Loyal Loves, and yours to My best
Care and your further Counsels. And I pray you Mr. Controller and Mr. Secretary,
and you of My Council, that before these Gentlemen depart into the Countrey,
you bring them all to Kiss My Hand.

Finis