The King's Speech at the Prorogation.] After passing the Bills, his majesty made a short Speech, the effect of it was: "He told the lords and commons, he had very little to say more than again to renew his thanks to them for the present they made him when he met them last here.-Ile desired the gentlemen of the house of commons, that, when they are returned into their countries, they would take care for the equal rating the Taxes laid upon the people.--His majesty told the commons, He had been at some charge himself, that no counties might be over-rated: and he persuaded himself, that the members of the house of commons and the rest of the commissioners will take care that it might be equally taxed in the several countries, it will be the more readily and chearfully paid in. And his majesty desired those that were lieutenants and deputy lieutenants, that they would take care to preserve the peace of the kingdom; for, his maj. did assure them, the republican party have still their councils on foot, and are yet in hopes to make some advantage to themselves, upon the score of the present war. But his maj. did not doubt but, by God's blessing upon his and their endeavours, their expectations would be frustrated. His maj. said, his intentions were, that the houses should not meet here again till this time 12 months. But, lest there should be any occasion of his needing their assistance sooner, he did intend the prorogation shall be only till June next; before which, he should by a timely proclamation give notice of the next meeting, if it hold not at that time."

Both houses were then prorogued to the 21st of June; afterwards to the 1st of Aug. and lastly to the 9th of October.

FIFTH SESSION OF THE SECOND PARLIAMENT.
HELD AT OXFORD.

The King's Speech on opening the Session.] Oct. 9, 1665. The Plague raging in London and Westminster, the parliament met this day at Oxford, where the University-Schools were prepared for the reception of both houses: notwithstanding which, the king commanded both houses to attend him in the Great Hall at Christ-Church, and, on the 10th, opened the session with the following Speech: "My Lords and Gentlemen; I am confident you all believe, that if it had not been absolutely necessary to consult with you, I would not have called you together at this time, when the Contagion hath so spread itself over so many parts of the kingdom. I take it for a good omen to see so good an appearance this day; and I doubt not but every day will add to your number; and I give you all my thanks for your compliance so far with my desires.The truth is, as I entered upon this War by your advice and encouragement, so I desire that you may, as frequently as is possible, receive information of the conduct and effects of it; and that I may have the continuance of your chearful Supply for the carrying it on. I

will not deny to you, that it hath proved more chargeable than I could imagine it would have been the addition they still made to their Fleets beyond their first purpose, made it unavoidably necessary for me to make proportionable preparations, which God hath hitherto blessed with success in all encounters. And as the enemies have used their utmost endea-. vours, by calumnies and false suggestions, to make themselves friends, and to persuade others to assist them against us; so I have not been wanting to encourage those princes who have been wronged by the Dutch, to recover their own by force; and, in order thereunto, have assisted the bishop of Munster with a very great sum of ready money, and am to continue a Supply to him, who is now in the bowels of their country with a powerful army. These issues, which I may tell you have been made with very good conduct and husbandry (nor indeed do I know that any thing hath been spent that could have been well and safely saved); I say, this expence will not suffer you to wonder, that the great Supply which you gave me for this war in so bountiful a proportion is upon the matter already spent, so that I must not only expect an assistance from you to carry on this war, but such an assistance as may enable me to defend myself and you against a more powerful neighbour, if he shall prefer the friendship of the Dutch before mine.-I told you, when I entered upon this war, that I had not such a brutal appetite, as to make war for war-sake. I am still of the same mind; I have been ready to receive any propositions that France hath thought fit to of fer to that end; but hitherto nothing hath been offered worthy my acceptance: nor is the Dutch less insolent; though I know no advantage they have, but the continuance of the contagion. God Almighty, I hope, will shortly deprive them of that encouragement. The Chancellor will inform you of all the particulars."

The Lord Chancellor (Clarendon's) Speech, detailing the State of Public Affairs.] The Lord Chancellor then rose and spoke as followeth :

66

My lords; and you the knights, citizens, and burgesses, of the house of commons; The king is not content, you see, to leave you to yourselves, to make a state of the war, and the success that hath attended it, by your own observation, and the general communication of all that hath fallen out, which in truth have left few men ignorant of any thing, who have had any curiosity to inform themselves; but takes care that you be informed by himself, that you may know all that he knows, that so you may be able to give him your counsel upon the clearest evidence.-In order to this, it will not, I hope, be unreasonable or ungrateful to yon, to refresh your memory, by looking some years backwards, even to the time of his majesty's happy restoration, that we may take the better prospect of the posture we are now in, and how we have come into it. What incli

in the Spring he sent a strong fleet against the pirates of Argiers and Tripoli (who had grown to that strength and boldness that they interrupted the whole trade of Christendom), as the only enemies he would choose to have.-It was a design of great glory and equal expence, crowned in the end by God Almighty with the success we could wish, and with an entire submission to the English flag, and as great security to all his majesty's subjects in their trade as the engagement and honour of infidels can give; and this agreement ratified with all formality (the like whereof had never been before) by the Great Turk himself.-Hereupon the king again renewed his resolution for a further retrenchment of his naval expence, even to the lessening the guard in the narrow seas, his merchants in all places receiving less interruption in their trade than they had in any former time undergone, until he received intelligence from the Straights, that the faithless people of Argiers, who had so lately submitted to him, had committed new insolencies upon some of his subjects, or rather upon foreign persons taken by his subjects into their protections, and which the Turks pretended they might do without violation of the Treaty. But his maj. resolving to admit none of those elucidations, lost no time in sending a new strong flcet into the Mediterranean Sea, to chastise those perfidious pirates; and after a chargeable war made upon them for near or full 12 months, and after having taken several of their ships from them, and upon the matter blocking them up in their harbours, he re

nations his maj. brought home with him to live | the Narrow Seas never ought to be without, in amity with his neighbours of Holland, though he had received indignities enough from them, and in truth had been little less proscribed there than he had been in England, needs no other manifestation, than that he chose that place to embark himself in, when he was pressed by the two neighbour kings, from whom he had received more civilities, to have made use of their ports.-It cannot be denied but that his reception in Holland was with great civility and lustre, and a sufficient evidence that they had a full sense of the high honour his maj. had vouchsafed to them, and the departure from thence was with equal and mutual satisfaction in each other; which made many men the more wonder, that, albeit the ambassadors who were to follow had been nominated before the king left the Hague, there was so long an interval before their arrival here, that the two neighbour kings and many other princes had finished their embassies of congratulations, before we had heard any more from the United Provinces.-You all remember how long it was before the armies were disbanded, and the fleets paid off; during which time his maj. lived upon his credit, and easily contracted a great debt, for the mere support of himself and his household, which was not so easily discharged afterwards. There was one thing that exceedingly surprized him, when he found (which will be incredible to posterity) that a triumphant nation, that had made itself terrible to Christendom, by having fought more battles that all the neighbour kingdoms and states together had ever done in so few years, and seemed to be in a postureceived a second submission from them, with ready to fight them over again, that had so long reigned over the ocean in formidable fleets, should, at the time of his majesty's happy return, as if on the sudden all their arms had been turned into plough-shares, and their | swords into pruning-hooks, not have in all the magazines, in all the stores, arms enough to be put into the hands of 5000 men, nor provision enough to set out ten new ships to sea; which his maj. did not desire should be known to his best neighbours, how little soever he suspected their affections, nor did indeed so much as make it known to his parliament; but made it his first care, without the least noise, and with all imaginable shifts, to provide for the full supply of those important magazines and stores, which have been ever since replenished as they ought to be. He had not the least imagination, that any of his neighbours would wantonly affect to interrupt the happy calm that he and themselves enjoyed; and therefore resolved to retrench the vast expence of the Navy, under which he found the nation even to groan, and out of that good husbandry to provide for more necessary disbursements. Yet, that the world might not think that he had abandoned the Ocean, and that the memory of the glorious actions the English had so lately performed upon it might not vanish in an instant, after he had provided such a guard as

better and more advantageous conditions than the former.--I must not omit one circumstance, that about this time the Dutch, who received much more prejudice and damage from the Turks than the English had done, besought his maj. that he would once more send a fleet into those seas against those pirates, and that it might upon all occasions join with one they were likewise ready to send out to the same Christian end, and for the extirpation of those sea robbers; and within a very short time after the English Fleet was gone, they likewise sent De Ruyter with a good fleet thither, which was so far from any conjunction with us, that when our ships chaced any Argier men near them, they never offered to obstruct their flight, but quickly made it manifest that they rather brought money with them to buy a dishonourable and disadvantageous peace, than to make a war upon them.-Matters standing thus, the king's fleet being gone into the Streights against the Turkish pirates, and there remaining few ships in the Narrow Seas, we began every day to hear of depredations by the Dutch upon our merchants in all parts. Instead of delivering up the Island of Poleroone in the East Indies, as by the Treaty they ought to have done, they, by their naval power in those parts, hindered our ships to take in their lading of such merchandize as the

as to declare, that the king our master is the ready and solicitous for another battle, when aggressor, that he first began the war?-From there was no appearance of their purpose to this time the war began to be more in earnest, come out and upon sure intelligence that and to be carried on at another expence. the East India fleet was coming about by the Though his royal highness ventured himself in north, he received orders to go for Norway, Nov. in a fleet consisting of little more than upon such encouragement as was not made fifty ships, to stop the Dutch from passing good, so that he was disappointed of the exthrough the Channel; yet, in April (which pectation he had very reasonably carried with was within few days after your prorogation at him thither, and at a season when that climate the end of your last session), he went again to gives little encouragement to abide in those sea, with a much stronger fleet, and more pro- seas. I am not yet to enlarge upon that matportionate to the great preparations the enemy ter, till we hear a better account from some of had made; and even after he was gone to sea, our friends; however, though he could not upon great additions of strength every day made meet with their whole fleet as he endeavoured by the Dutch, more good ships were sent to to do, yet he hath had the good fortune, in two reinforce the Fleet; insomuch as, upon that encounters, to take 8 of their great ships of glorious 3rd of June, when they had the cou- war, 2 of their best East India ships, and about rage to visit our coasts, after the duke had in 20 of their merchant ships, all under the provain called upon them at their own doors, and tection of their fleet, or ought to have been; took many of their merchants ships in their and was then, by tempest, and other reasons sight, the English fleet consisted of very few which no wisdom of his could prevent, obliged less than 100 sail. The action and blessing of to put into our own harbours.—I do not menthat day hath been celebrated in all the tion the great number of prisoners we have churches in England, and in the hearty devo- taken, an army of prisoners, who in truth do tions of all true Englishinen; and therefore I us more harm at land than ever they did at shall say no more of it here, save only, that sea and are a charge that never fell under whether the public joy then, even upon the our estimate and computation. I would not solemn Thanksgiving-day, was superior to the be understood that we had entered upon a war universal consternation that spread itself over and never thought of prisoners, and sick and the nation before, I appeal to the breasts of all wounded men; but that the prisoners and here present. We, who had the honour to be wounded men should bring upon us so prodinear the king at that time, observed him to be gious an expence, and of which we can yet in that agony that cannot be expressed, an see no bottom, insomuch as in one place, I agony himself could not have long endured, think Colchester, that charge comes to 1200l. even when by all the intelligence he received the week; I say, such an expence never came hourly from the coast, he had reason to assure into our computation.-The king tells you, He himself of the victory. In that great action, hath enabled the prince and bishop of Munwe sunk, burned, and took, 18 good ships of ster to demand justice from those who have so war, whereof half were the best they had, with notoriously oppressed him with such outragethe loss of one single small ship of ours, but ous circumstances of insolence and scorn as of many noble and gallant persons, of too are enough known to the world; and he hath much value to be ventured (if there had not demanded it bravely, in such an equipage as been a greater venture) against such trash, and hath not been made for little money, in which whose memories ought ever to be preserved, he can take as well as ask satisfaction.-After and extolled, and made precious to posterity, all this, since there is a justice due to the worst No diligence was omitted, but all imaginable enemies, we must do them this right, that they expedition used in refreshing, repairing, and do not at all seem weary of the war, they do setting out the fleet again; in order to which not discover the least inclination to peace.the king himself made a journey thither, and It is true, the French king hath offered his stayed till he saw all ready, and fit to sail; but mediation; and truly, if he intends no more then, no intreaty, no importunity, could pre- than a mediation, it is an office very worthy the vail with him to venture his brother again, most Christian king. I wish with all my heart though his family and all preparations for the that (as a mediator) he would make equal voyage were still on board. His maj. too well propositions, or that he would not so importu remembered, and still felt, the impressions he nately press his maj. to consent to those he had undergone the 3d of June; and having got makes, upon an instance and argument that his brother into his arms again, he would not be holds himself engaged by a former Treaty return without him, committing the charge of (of which we never heard till since the beginthe fleet to the earl of Sandwich, who had ning of this war, and had some reason to have acted so good a part in it.Within few days presumed the contrary) to assist the Dutch after, the beginning of July, the earl of Sand-with men and money if his maj. doth not conwich went again to the coast of Holland, with a fleet in no degree inferior with the former, and rode before the Texel, to invite the Dutch to a new engagement, they having used all the arts at home to conceal the loss and dishonour they had undergone, and pretended to be very

sent.—His maj. tells you, that he hath not an appetite to make war for war-sake, but will be always ready to make such a peace as may be for his honour and the interest of his subjects; and no doubt it will be a great trouble and grief to him, to find so great a prince, towards

whom he hath manifested so great an affection, | sure, infallible expedient to preserve their dis-
in conjunction with his enemies. Yet even
the apprehension of such a war will not terrify
him to purchase a peace by such concessions
as he would be ashamed to make you acquaint-
ed with; of which nature you will easily be-
lieve the propositions hitherto made to be,
when you know that the release of Poleroone
in the East Indies, and the demolishing the
fort of Cabo Corso upon the coast of Guinea,
are two, which would be, upon the matter, to
be content with a very vile trade in the East
Indies, under their controul, and with none in
Guinea; and yet those are not propositions
unreasonable enough to please the Dutch, who
reproach France for interposing for peace, in-
stead of assisting them in the war, boldly in-
sisting upon the advantage the contagion in
London and some other parts of the kingdom
gives them, by which, they confidently say, the
king will be no longer able to maintain a fleet
against them at sea, and as if God Almighty
had sent this heavy visitation upon the king-
dom on their behalf, and to expose it to their
malice and insolence.-They load us with such
reproaches as the civility of no other language
will admit the relation. The truth is, they
have a dialect of rudeness so peculiar to their
language and their people, that it is high time
for all kings and princes to oblige them to
some reformation, if they intend to hold cor-
respondence or commerce with them.-My
Lords and Gentlemen: You see in what pos-
ture we stand with reference to our neighbours
abroad, who are our declared enemies. Their
malice and activity to make others declare
themselves so too, the great preparations they
make, and even declarations that they will
have another battle, towards which they have
in readiness an equal number of new, greater,
and better ships to those they have lost, fur-
nished with larger and greater artillery, so that
if they were to be manned with any other
nation than their own, they might be worthy
our apprehension. What preparations are to
be made on our part, you can best judge.-
I have fully obeyed the command that was
laid upon me, in making you this plain, clear,
true Narrative of what hath passed. I have
no order to make reflection upon it, nor any
deduction from it. The king himself hath told
you, that the noble unparalleled Supply you
have already given him is upon the manner
spent: spent with all the animadversions of
good husbandry that the nature of the affair
will bear. What is more to be done, he leaves
entirely to your own generous understandings:
being not more assured of any thing that is to
come in this world, than that the same noble
indignation for the honour of the king and the
nation, that first provoked you to inflame the
king himself, will continue the same passion
still boiling in your loyal breasts, that all the
world may see, which they hoped never to
have seen, that never prince and people were
so entirely united in their affections, for their
true, joint, inseparable honour, as the only,

tinct several interests.-My Lords and Gen-
tlemen: Having yet only presented you a short
view of your foreign enemies, it may not be
altogether unseasonable that you take a little
prospect of those at home; those unquiet and
restless spirits in your own bowels, upon whose
infidelity, I doubt, your enemies abroad have
more dependence than upon their own fleets.
I must appeal to every one of your observa-
tions, whether the countenances of these men
have not appeared to you more erected, more
insolent, in all places, since the beginning of
this war, than they were before. In what
readiness they were, if any misfortune had be-
fallen the king's fleet (which they promised
themselves), to have brought the calamity into
your fields and into your houses, is notoriously
known.-The horrid murderers of our late
royal master have been received into the most
secret counsels in Holland; and other infamous
prostituted persons of our nation are admitted
to a share in the conduct of their affairs, and
maintain their correspondence here, upon
beral allowances and pensions. Too many of
his majesty's subjects, who were lent by this
crown to assist and defend this ungrateful state
against their enemies, have been miserably
wrought upon, for the keeping a vile mean
subsistence, rather than livelihood, to renounce
their allegiance, and become enemies to their
native country; some of whom have wantouly
put themselves on board the enemy's fleet,
without command or office, purely out of ap-
petite, and delight to rebel against their king,
and to worry their country. It is great pity
these men should not be taught, by some ex-
emplary brand, that their allegiance is not
circumscribed within the four seas; but that
they have obligations upon them of duty and
loyalty towards the king, in what part soever
of the world they shall inhabit. Their friends
at home, impatient of long delays for the suc-
cesses they had promised themselves, and for
the succours which others had promised to
send to them, made no doubt of doing the bu-
siness themselves, if they could appoint but a
lucky day to begin the work; and you had
heard of them in all places upon the 3rd of
the last month (their so much celebrated 3rd
of Sept.), if the great vigilance and indefatig-
able industry of the good general, who is al-
ways active for the king's safety and the peace
of the kingdom, had not two days before ap-
prehended the seditious leaders, and given ad-
vertisements for the securing others in most
parts of the kingdom; by the confessions of
many of whom, their wicked design is enough
manifested, and ready for justice; yet some of
the principal persons are not yet taken, and
some others got themselves rescued after they
were apprehended.-My Lords and Gentle-
men: Let it not, I beseech you, be said of us,
what was heretofore said of the senate of
Rome, when they were prosperous enough,
and when they had obtained greater victories
over their enemies abroad than we have done,