THE K GOLDEN SPEECH" OF QUEEN ELIZABETH TO HER LAST PAR- ("From a genuine copy in the collection of the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Bangor." Somers, Tracts, i, 244–246.) Her Majesty being set under state in the Council Chamber at Whitehall, the speaker, accompanied with privy councilors, besides knights and burgesses of the lower House to the number of eightscore, presenting themselves at her Majesty's feet, for that so graciously and speedily she had heard and yielded to her subjects' desires, and proclaimed the same in their hearing as followeth: Mr. Speaker: We perceive your coming is to present thanks unto us. Know I accept them with no less joy than your loves can have desire to offer such a present, and do more esteem it than any treasure or riches; for those we know how to prize, but loyalty, love, and thanks, I account them invaluable; 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 that I do not so much rejoice that God hath made me to be queen, as to be queen over so thankful a people, and to be the means under God to conserve you in safety, and preserve you from danger, yea to be the instrument to deliver you from dishonor, from shame, and from infamy, to keep you out of servitude, and from slavery under our enemies, and cruel tyranny, and vile oppression intended against us; for the better withstanding whereof, we take very acceptable your intended helps, and chiefly in that it manifesteth your loves and largeness of hearts to your sovereign. Of myself, I must say this, I never was any greedy scraping grasper, nor a strict fast-holding prince, nor yet a waster; my heart was never set upon any worldly goods, but only for my subjects' good. What you do bestow on me I will not hoard up, but receive it to bestow on you again; yea mine 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 would wish you and the rest to stand up, for I fear I shall yet trouble you with longer speech. Mr. Speaker, You give me thanks, but I am more to thank you, and charge you to thank them of the Lower House from me; for had I not received knowledge from you, I might a'fallen into the lapse of an error, only for want of true information. Since I was queen, yet did I never put my pen to any grant but upon pretext and semblance made me, that it was for the good and avail of my subjects generally, though a private profit to some of my ancient servants, who have deserved well; but that my grants shall be made grievances to my people, and oppressions, to be privileged under color of our patents, our princely dignity shall not suffer it. When I heard it, I could give no rest unto my thoughts until I had reformed it, and those varlets, lewd persons, abusers of my bounty, shall know I will not suffer it. And, Mr. Speaker, tell the House for me, I take it exceeding grateful, that the knowledge of these things are come unto me from them. And tho' amongst them principal members are such as are not touched in private, and therefore need not speak from any feeling of 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 or interests have moved them other than the minds they bear to suffer no diminution of our honor and our subjects' love unto us. The zeal of which affection tending to ease my people, and knit their hearts unto us, I embrace with a princely care far above all earthly treasures. I esteem my people's love, more than which I desire not. to merit: and God, that gave me here to sit, and placed me over you, knows, that I never respected myself, but as your good was conserved in me; yet what dangers, what practices, and what perils I have passed, some, if not all of you know; but none of these things do move me, or ever made me fear, but it's God that hath delivered me. And in my governing this land, I have ever set the last judgment day before mine eyes, and so to rule as I shall be judged and answer before a higher Judge, to whose judgment seat I do appeal: in that never thought was cherished in my heart that tended not to my people's good. And if my princely bounty have been abused, and my grants turned to the hurt of my people contrary to my will and meaning, or if any in authority under me have neglected, or converted what I have committed unto them, I hope God will not lay their culps to my charge. To be a king, and wear a crown, is a thing more glorious to them that see it than it's pleasant to them that bear it: for myself, I never was so much enticed with the glorious name of a king, or the royal authority of a queen, as delighted that God hath made me his instrument to maintain his truth and glory, and to defend this kingdom from dishonor, damage, tyranny, and oppression. But should I ascribe any of these things to myself or my sexly weakness, I were not worthy to live, and of all most unworthy of the mercies I have received at God's hands, but to God only and wholly all is given and ascribed. The cares and troubles of a crown I cannot more fitly resemble than to the drugs of a learned physician, perfumed with some aromatical savor, or to bitter pills gilded over, by which they are made more acceptable or less offensive, which indeed are bitter and unpleasant to take; and for my own part, were it not for conscience sake to discharge the duty that God hath laid upon me, and to maintain his glory, and keep you in safety, in mine own disposition I should be willing to resign the place I hold to any other, and glad to be freed of the glory with the labors, for it is not my desire to live nor to reign longer than my life and reign shall be for your good. And though you have had and may have many mightier and wiser princes sitting in 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 their countries, you bring them all to kiss my hand. L PROCLAMATION OF JAMES I SUSPENDING MONOPOLIES (Soc. Ant. Proc. Coll. May 7, 1603.) [Preamble praising the devotion and loyalty of the people:] The consideration whereof hath moved us to think of such ways as for the present did occur unto us, wherein we might make manifest to our people, how willing we are now, and will be ready hereafter, to be forward in requiting their love, as they have been in expressing it. On which consideration whilst we were busy, we were informed that the queen our sister, deceased, finding, some few years before her death, that some things had passed her hands, at the importunity of her servants, whom she was willing to reward with little burden to her estate (otherwise by necessary occasion exhausted), which, though they had and might have foundation in princely prerogative, yet either by too large extending thereof, or for the most part in respect that they were of such nature as could hardly be put in use without hindrance to multitudes of people, or else committed to inferior persons, who in the execution thereof did so exceedingly abuse the same, as they became intolerable, had purposed to revoke all grants of that nature, and did begin with some which were heard most unjust; putting the rest to the examination of her laws, to stand or fall, as in construction of law they might consist or not. [All grants and charters of monopoly suspended, together with all licenses to dispense with penal laws, except grants to corporations and companies of arts or "misteries" and for enlarging trade until examination can be had of them by the king with the advice of his Council. Protections, and assignments of debts abolished. Saltpetermen and purveyors exhorted to have especial care. Subjects to petition privately in an orderly manner, not publicly. M DELEGATION OF THE EXECUTION OF PENAL STATUTES The Letter sent by all the Judges to the Lords (S. P. D. November 8, 1604.) May it please your Lordships, We have (as we were required by your honorable letters of the 21st of October last) conferred and considered amongst ourselves (calling to us his Majesty's counsel learned) of such matters as were thereby referred unto us, and have resolved for law and convenience as followeth: That the prosecution and execution of any penal statute cannot be granted to any, for that the act, being made by the policy and wisdom of the Parliament, for the general good of the whole realm, and of trust committed to the king, as to the head of justice and of the weale publique the same cannot by law be transferred over to any subject, neither can any general statute be prosecuted or executed by his Majesty's grant, in other manner or order of proceeding, than by the act itself is provided and prescribed. Neither do we find any such grant to any in former ages. And of late years upon doubt conceived that penal laws might be sought to be granted over, some Parliaments have forborne to give forfeitures to the crown, and have disposed thereof to the relief of the poor, and other charitable uses, which cannot be granted or employed otherwise. We are also of the opinion that it is inconvenient that the forfeitures upon penal laws or others of like nature should be granted to any before the same be received or vested in his Majesty by due and lawful proceedings, - for that in our experience it maketh the more violent and undue proceedings against the subject, to the scandal of justice, and the offence of many. But if by the industry or diligence of any, there accrueth any benefit to his Majesty, after the receipt, such have been rewarded out of the same, at the king's pleasure. |