first, the chasing out of the Scotch rebels; secondly, the satisfying their just grievances, wherein he promised heartily to concur; the supplies necesssary for maintaining the troops, (the money for which he had borrowed from the City of London, and was only adequate to maintain the army for two months,) and the securing of the northern parts of England from the calamities they were enduring in consequence of the rebellion; and his Majesty thus concluded: "One thing more I desire of you, as one of the greatest means to make this an happy Parliament, that you, on your parts, as I on mine, lay aside suspicion one of another, as I promised my Lords at York, it shall not be my fault if this be not an happy and good Parliament." But, notwithstanding this conciliatory speech, the Commons began as usual to settle their grand committees for grievances, religion, privileges, &c. Upon which Mr. Pym first rose (after the presentation of petitions from various counties), and delivered a very able speech, in which he summed up all the grievances of the nation, and concluded by moving a conference with the Lords upon all these weighty matters. He was followed by Sir Benjamin Rudyerd, in a very powerful speech, in which he set forth the dangers of the King and kingdom, and inveighed

against the cowardice of the ministers in casting all their responsibility from themselves, and throwing the whole weight upon the King. That the speech in question must have made a great impression upon the House, and in the public mind at the time, is sufficiently attested by the fact of the numerous MS. copies which are preserved in the Harleian Library and elsewhere; but the Editor cannot avoid the expression of his astonishment at the entry in the printed index or catalogue of the Harleian MSS. in which, in allusion to Sir Bedjamin Rudyerd's speech on this occasion, and the particular copy of it then before him, the compiler says, "It is in my poor opinion as seditious in itself as this copy of it is incorrectly written."-Vol. ii. The reader will perceive that it breathes a feeling of the purest kindness towards the monarch, in whose favour Sir B. Rudyerd's appeal is almost irresistibly pathetic. It is true he sets forth the fatal consequences arising from the advice of evil counsellors, and entreats a reformation of those glaring abuses which had so grievously attacked the liberties and property of the subject; but even then he urges both lenity and moderation indeed the whole speech is as far removed, both in spirit and language, from the charge of sedition, as the

sternest and stanchest loyalty is opposed to the practice of treason.

The following extract from the "History of the Long Parliament," by Sir Thomas May, Knight, Secretary of the Parliament, published by authority, 1647, and republished 1812, adduces further proof of the manner in which this speech was appreciated at the period of its delivery. Sir Thomas May says, page 48:

"The abuses which of late years had been committed about religion, and the manifest violation of the laws and liberties, were, upon the first day after the House of Commons was settled, being the 9th of November, commented and discoursed upon by Master Grimston, Sir Benjamin Rudyerd, Master Pym, and Master Bagshaw," &c. He then observes, "that the like speeches, for many daies following, were made by divers gentlemen of great quality; where, in the midst of their complaints, the King was never mentioned but with great honour: they alwaies mixing thanks for the present hope of redresse with their complaints of former grievances. The first of which they rendered to the King, and threw the other upon his ministers; of which, if the reader would see a perfect exemplar, Sir Benjamin Rudyerd's speech (the second that was delivered in the House) will best discover the present state of grievances, and the way of sparing the King; he being a religious, learned, and judicious gentleman,

'Cujus erant mores qualis facundia,'

whose speech I shall wholly insert, that the condition of the state may the better be understood.”

"Sir Benjamin Rudyerd rose and spoke as follows:

"Mr. Speaker, -We are here assembled to do God's business and the King's, in which our own is included, as we are Christians, as we are subjects. Let us fear God, then we shall honour the King the more; for I am afraid we have been the less prosperous in Parliament, because we have preferred other matters before him. Let religion be our primum quærite, for all things else are but et ceteras to it; yet we may have them too, sooner and surer, if we give God his precedence. We well know what disturbance hath been brought upon the Church for vain, petty trifles. How the whole Church, the whole kingdom, hath been troubled, where to place a metaphor'-—an altar. We have seen ministers, their wives, children, and families undone, against all law-against conscience -against all bowels of compassion—about not dancing upon Sundays. What do these sort of men think will become of themselves when the master of the house shall come, and find them thus beating their fellowservants? These inventions are but sieves made on purpose to winnow the best men, and that's the devil's occupation. They have a mind to worry preaching; for I never yet heard of any but diligent preachers that were vexed with these and the like devices. They despise prophecy, and, as one said, 'They would fain be at something more like the mass, that will not

bite-a muzzled religion.' They would evaporate and dispirit the power and vigour of religion, by drawing it out into some solemn, specious formalities-into obsolete, antiquated ceremonies, new furbished up. And this, belike, is the good work in hand, which Dr. Heylin hath so often celebrated in his bold pamphlets. All their acts and actions are so full of mixtures, involutions, and complications, that nothing is clear, nothing sincere in any of their proceedings. Let them not say, that these are the perverse, suspicious, and malicious interpretations of some few factious spirits amongst us, when a Romanist hath bragged, and been congratulated in print, that the face of our Church begins to alter, and the language of our religion to change: and Sancta Clara hath published, that if a synod were held, non intermixtis Puritanis, setting Puritans aside, our articles and their religion would soon be agreed. They have so brought it to pass that, under the name of Puritans, all our religion is branded; and, under a few hard words against Jesuits, all Popery is countenanced. Whosoever squares his actions by any rule, either divine or human, he is a Puritan. Whoever would be governed by the King's laws, he is a Puritan. He that will not do whatsoever other men would have him do, he is a Puritan. Their great work, their masterpiece, now is, to make all those of the religion to be the suspected party of the kingdom. Let us further reflect upon the ill effect these courses have wrought, what by a defection from us on the one side-a separation on the other, some, imagining whither we are tending,