XVI. " endeavours to improve the affections of our good BOOK " subjects at home, and to procure the assistance of. " our friends and allies abroad, for the recovery of 1660. " that right, which, by the laws of God and man, is " unquestionable; and of which we have been so "long dispossessed by such force, and with those " circumstances, as we do not desire to aggravate " by any sharp expressions; but rather wish, that "the memory of what is past may be buried to the "world. That we have more endeavoured to pre pare and to improve the affections of our subjects " at home for our restoration, than to procure as"sistance from abroad to invade either of our king"doms, is as manifest to the world. And we can" not give a better evidence that we are still of the " same mind, than in this conjuncture; when com"mon reason must satisfy all men, that we cannot " be without assistance from abroad, we choose ra"ther to send to you, who have it in your power to "prevent that ruin and desolation which a war " would bring upon the nation, and to make the " whole kingdom owe the peace, happiness, security, " and glory it shall enjoy, to your virtue; and to " acknowledge that your armies have complied with " their obligations, for which they were first raised, " for the preservation of the protestant religion, the " honour and dignity of the king, the privileges of " parliament, the liberty and property of the sub"ject, and the fundamental laws of the land; and "that you have vindicated that trust, which others " most perfidiously abused and betrayed. How much " we desire and resolve to contribute to those good "ends, will appear to you by our enclosed declara"tion; which we desire you to cause to be pub BOOK "lished for the information and satisfaction of all XVI. " good subjects, who do not desire a farther effusion 1660. " of precious Christian blood, but to have their " peace and security founded upon that which can " only support it, an unity of affections amongst " ourselves, an equal administration of justice to " men, restoring parliaments to a full capacity of " providing for all that is amiss, and the laws of the " land to their due veneration. "You have been yourselves witnesses of so many " revolutions, and have had so much experience, how " far any power and authority that is only assumed " by passion and appetite, and not supported by jus" tice, is from providing for the happiness and peace " of the people, or from receiving any obedience " from them, (without which no government can "provide for them,) that you may very reasonably "believe, that God hath not been so well pleased " with the attempts that have been made, since he " hath usually increased the confusion, by giving all "the success that hath been desired, and brought " that to pass without effect, which the designers "have proposed as the best means to settle and " compose the nation: and therefore we cannot but " hope and believe, that you will concur with us in "the remedy we have applied; which, to human " understanding, is only proper for the ills we all 66 groan under; and that you will make yourselves "the blessed instruments to bring this blessing of " peace and reconciliation upon king and people; it "being the usual method in which divine Provi"dence delighteth itself, to use and sanctify those 66 very means, which ill men design for the satisfac" tion of private and particular ends and ambition, XVI. 1660. " and other wicked purposes, to wholesome and pub- BOOK "lic ends, and to establish that good which is most "contrary to the designers; which is the greatest " manifestation of God's peculiar kindness to a na" tion that can be given in this world. How far we " resolve to preserve your interests, and reward your " services, we refer to our declaration; and we hope "God will inspire you to perform your duty to us, " and to your native country; whose happiness can" not be separated from each other. "We have intrusted our well-beloved servant "sir John Greenvil, one of the gentlemen of our " bedchamber, to deliver this unto you, and to give " us an account of your reception of it, and to desire you, in our name, that it may be published. And " so we bid you farewell." " Given at our court at Breda, this th of To our trusty and well-beloved, the speaker of the house of commons. 66 " Charles R. " Trusty and well-beloved, we greet you well: In The letter to the house these great and insupportable afflictions and cala- of com " mities, under which the poor nation hath been so mons. 66 proper remedy, than to resort to those for counsel " and advice, who have seen and observed the first "beginning of our miseries, the progress from bad " to worse, and the mistakes and misunderstandings, " which have been produced, and contributed to in BOOK 1660. " conveniences which were not intended; and after " so many revolutions, and the observation of what " hath attended them, are now trusted by our good "subjects to repair the breaches which are made, " and to provide proper remedies for those evils, and " for the lasting peace, happiness, and security of " the kingdom. "We do assure you upon our royal word, that " none of our predecessors have had a greater esteem " of parliaments, than we have in our judgment, as " well as from our obligation; we do believe them "to be so vital a part of the constitution of the " kingdom, and so necessary for the government of " it, that we well know neither prince nor people "can be in any tolerable degree happy without "them; and therefore you may be confident, that 66 we shall always look upon their counsels, as the "best we can receive; and shall be as tender of " their privileges, and as careful to preserve and "protect them, as of that which is most near to " ourself, and most necessary for our own preser"vation. " And as this is our opinion of parliaments, that " their authority is most necessary for the govern"ment of the kingdom; so we are most confident, " that you believe, and find, that the preservation " of the king's authority is as necessary for the pre"servation of parliaments; and that it is not the 66 name, but the right constitution of them, which "can prepare and apply proper remedies for those " evils which are grievous to the people, and which "can thereby establish their peace and security. "And therefore we have not the least doubt, but "that you will be as tender in, and as jealous of, " XVI. any thing that may infringe our honour, or impair Book " our authority, as of your own liberty and property; " which is best preserved by preserving the other. "How far we have trusted you in this great af" fair, and how much it is in your power to restore "the nation to all that it hath lost, and to redeem " it from any infamy it hath undergone, and to " make the king and people as happy as they ought "to be; you will find by our enclosed declaration ; "a copy of which we have likewise sent to the "house of peers: and you will easily believe, that " we would not voluntarily, and of ourself, have re"posed so great a trust in you, but upon an entire "confidence that you will not abuse it, and that " you will proceed in such a manner, and with such "due consideration of us who have trusted you, " that we shall not be ashamed of declining other " assistance, (which we have assurance of,) and re"pairing to you for more natural and proper reme"dies for the evils we would be freed from; nor sorry, that we have bound up our own interests " so entirely with that of our subjects, as that we " refer it to the same persons to take care of us, "who are trusted to provide for them. We look 66 upon you as wise and dispassionate men, and good " patriots, who will raise up those banks and fences "which have been cast down, and who will most " reasonably hope, that the same prosperity will " again spring from those roots, from which it hath " heretofore and always grown; nor can we appre" hend that you will propose any thing to us, or ex"pect any thing from us, but what we are as ready " to give, as you to receive. " If you desire the advancement and propagation 1660. |