what fuch Cruelty, what fuch Impiety hath King Richard committed? Examine the Imputations objected, with falfe Circumstances of Aggravation, and you fhall find but little of Truth, or of great Moment: It may be many Overfights have efcaped (as who lives without offending) yet none fo grievous to be termed Tyranny, as proceeding rather from unexperienced Ignorance, or corrupt Counsel, than from any natural or wilful Malice. Oh! how fhould the World be pe ftered with Tyrants, if Subjects might be permitted to Rebel, upon pretence of Tyranny? How many good Princes fhould often be fuppreffed by thofe by whom they ought to be fupported? If they but levy a Subfidy, or any other Taxation, it fhall be judged oppreffion; if they put any to Death for traiterous Attempts against their Perfons, it fhall be exclaimed at for Cruelty; if they fhall do any thing against the good-liking of their People, it fhall be proclaimed Tyranny.

But let it be that without Desert in him, or Authority in us, King Richard must be Depofed; yet what Right hath the Duke of Lancaster to the Crown? Or what reason have we, without right, to give it him? If he make Title as Heir to King Richard, then must he stay King Richard's Death; for no Man can fucceed as Heir to the Living: But 'tis well known to all Men, who are not wilfully blind, or grofly ignorant, that there

are

;

are fome yet alive, lineally defcended from Lionel Duke of Clarence, whofe Iffue by the Judgment of the High Court of Parliament, in the eighth year of King Richard's Reign, was declared Heir apparent to the Crown, in cafe King Richard fhould die without Iffue. As for the Claim from Edmund Crouchback, I pafs over the Authors thereof, themfelves being afhamed of so abfurd an Abuse and therefore all the Pretence now on foot, is by right of Conqueft; and the King's Refignation and Grant, and the Confent of the many: It is bad Stuff that will take no Colour, what Conqueft can a Subject make againft a Sovereign, where the War is Infurrection, and the Victory high Treason? King Richard's Refignation, being in Prifon, an Act of Exaction by Force, and therefore of no Force to bind him: And by the Laws of this Realm, the King by himself cannot alienate the ancient Jewels and Ornaments of the Crown, much lefs give away his Crown and Kingdom. And Custom we have none for the vulgar to elect their King, but they are always ty'd to accept of him, whom the Right of Succeffion enables to the Crown, much lefs can they make good that Title, which is by violence ufurped; for nothing can be faid to be freely done when Liberty is restrained by Fear. As for the Depofing of Edward II. it is no more than the Poisoning of King John, or the Murthering of any

other

other Lawful Prince: We muft live according to the Laws, not Examples, yet the Kingdom then was not taken from the Lawful Succeffors: But if we look back to times paft, we fhall find that these Titles were more strong in King Stephen, than they are now in the Duke of Lancaster; for King Henry the First being at Liberty, neither reftrained, nor conftrained, the People affented to this Defignment, and thereupon with out Fear or Force he was anointed and crowned King. Yet Henry Fitz-Empress, having a nearer Right to the Crown by his Mother (notwithstanding his Father was a Stranger, and he born beyond the Seas) never ceafed the Profecution of Bloody Wars, to the great Effufion of Blood, and fpoiling the Country, until his lawful Inheritance was affured him. It terrified me but to think how many flourishing Kingdoms have been, by fuch Contentions, either rent by Inteftine Divifion, or fubdued to Foreign Princes, under a pretence of Affiftance and Aid. This Kingdom hath had too woful Experience of thefe feveral Mischiefs; and yet neither Examples of other Countries, or Miseries of our own, are fufficient to make us be wary. Certainly, I fear, it will betide us as it did to Efop's Frogs, who being defirous to have a King, had a Beam given them, which at the firft Fall affrighted them; but when they faw it lie ftill, they contemptuously infulted thereon,

thereon, and desired a King of a more active Spirit: Then a Stork was fent them, which ftalking amongst them, daily devoured them. King Richard's Mildness had bred in us this Scorn, interpreting it to be Cowardise and Dulness of Nature; I dare not fay (yet give me leave to fufpect) with greater Courage, we may find greater Cruelty. And thus Í have declared my Opinion with more Words, you may perhaps conjure, than Wisdom; yet fewer than the weight of the Caufe did require. And I do refolutely conclude, that we have neither Power nor Policy, either to depofe King Richard, or in his place to Elect Duke Henry: That King Richard remaineth ftill our Sovereign Lord, and therefore it is not lawful for us to givė Judgment against him: That the Duke, whom you are pleafed to ftile King, hath more transgreffed against the King and Realm, than Richard hath done either against him or us: For he being banifhed the Realm for ten Years by the King and Councel (amongst whom his own Father was chief) and having given Oath not to return without fpecial License; he hath not only broken his Oath, but difturbed the Peace of the Land, difpoffeffed the King of his Royal Eftate, and now demandeth Judgment 2gainft his Perfon, without Offence proved, or Defence heard: If this Injury move not, yet let both our Private and Publick Dan

gers

gers fomewhat withdraw us from these violent Proceedings.

Queen Elizabeth's Speech to her laft Parliament, upon her Reaffumption of feveral Grants that were a Grievance to the Subject, &c. 1598.

Mr. Speaker,

WE

E perceive your coming is to present Thanks unto us; Know I accept them with no lefs Joy than your Loves can have defire to offer fuch a Prefent, and do more efteem it than any Treasure or Riches; for those we know how to prize, but Loyalty, Love and Thanks, I account them invaluable: And tho' God hath raised me high, yet this I account the Glory of my Crown, that I have reigned with your Loves. This makes that I do not fo much rejoyce that God hath made Me to be a Queen, as to be a Queen over fo thankful a People; and to be the mean under God to conferve you in Safety, and preferve you from Danger; yea, to be the Inftrument to deliver you from Dishonour, from Shame, and from Infamy: To keep you from out of Servitude, and from Slavery under our Enemies, and cruel Tyranny, and vile Oppreffion intended against us: For the better withstanding whereof, We take very acceptably your intended Helps and chiefly

in