I am confident you all beleive 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 it selfe 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 every day will add to your number, and I give you all my Thanks for your com­pliance so farre with my desires.

[Page 2] The Truth is, as I entred Upon this Warr by your advice and encouragement, so I do 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 cheerfull Supply for the carrying it on. I will not deny to you, that it hath proved more chargeable, then I could Imagine it would have been; the addition they still made to their Fleets beyond their first purpose, made it unavoydably necessary for Me to make proportionable preparations, which God hath hitherto blessed with Success in all encounters. And as the Enemy have used their utmost endeavours by Calumnies and fals Suggestions to make themselves friends, and to perswade others to assist them against Us, so I have not been wanting to encourage those Princes who have been wrong'd by the Dutch, to recover their own by force; and in order thereunto, have assisted the Bishop of Munster with a Very great summ of ready Money, and am to continue a supply to him, who is now in the bowels of their Country with a powerfull 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 warr in so bountifull a proportion, is upon the matter already spent: So that I must not only expect an assistance from you., to carry on this warr, but such an assistance as may inable Me to defend my [Page 3] self and you against a more powerfull Neighbour, if he shall prefer the Friendship of the Dutch before Mine.

I told you when I entred upon this warr, that I had not such a Brutall appetite, as to make warr for wars sake, I am still o [...] the same minde; I have been ready to receive any propositions that France hath thought sit to offer 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 had, but the continuance of the Contagion; God Almighty I hope will shortly deprive them of that encouragement.

The Chancellour will inform you of all the Particulars.

THe King is not content, you see, to leave you to your selves, to make a state of this War, and the suc­cess that hath attended it, by your own Observations, and the general Communication of all that hath fallen out; which, in truth, hath 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 Councel upon the clearest Evi­dence.

In order to this, it will not, I hope, be unseasonable or ingrateful to you, to refresh your memory, by looking some years backwards, even to the time of His Maje­sties happy Restauration, that we may take the better prospect of the Posture we are now in, and how we have [Page 5] come into it. What inclinations His Majesty brought home with Him, to live in Amity with His Neighbors of Holland, though He had received Indignities enough from them; and, in truth, had been little less proscribed there, then He had been in England, needs no other ma­nifestation, then that He chose that place to imbark Him­self in, when He was pressed by the two Neighbor Kings, (from whom He had received more Civilities) to have made use of their Ports: It cannot be denyed, 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 Honor His Majesty 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 Ambassa­dours 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 Neighbor Kings, and many other Princes, had finished their Ambassies of Congratulation, before we had heard any more from the Vnited Provinces.

You all remember, how long it was before the Armies were disbanded, and the Fleets paid off; during which time His Majesty lived upon His credit, and easily con­tracted a great Debt for the meer support of Himself and His houshold, 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 it Self terrible to Christendom, by having fought more Battles then all the Neighbor Kingdoms and States to­gether had ever done in so few Years, and seemed to be in a posture ready to fight them over again: That had so long reigned over the Ocean in formidable Fleets, should at the time of His Majesties happy return, as if [Page 6] on the suddain all their Arms had been turned into Plough-Shares, and their swords into Pruning hooks, not have in all the Magazins, in all the Stores, Armes enough to put into the hands of five thousand men, nor Provisions enough to set out ten new ships to sea; which his Majesty 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 Magazins 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 want only affect to interrupt the happy calme 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 dis­bursments: 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 the narrow Seas never ought to be without, in the Spring he sent a strong Fleet against the Pyrats of Argiers and Tripoly (who had grown to that strength and boldness, that they interrupted the whole trade of Christendome) as the only Enemies He would choose to have.

It was a designe 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 Flagg, and as great security to all his Majesties Subjects, in their Trade, as the engagement and honour of Infidels could give; and this Agreement ratified with [Page 7] all formality (the like whereof had never been before) by the Great Turke himselfe.

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 lesse interruption in their Trade, then 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 forraigne persons taken by his Subjects into their protection, and which the Turks pretended they might doe, without violation of the Trea­ty; but his Majesty resolving to admit none of those elucidations, lost no time in sending a new strong Fleet into the Mediterranean, to chastise those perfidious Py­rates; and after a chargeable war made upon them, for nere, or full twelve months; & after having taken seve­ral of their Ships from them, and upon the matter block­ing them up in their harbours, he received a second submission from them, with better and more advanta­geous conditions then the former.

I must not omit one circumstance, that about this time, the Dutch, who received much more prejudice and dammage from the Turks, then the English had done, besought his Majesty, that he would once more send a Fleet into those Seas against those Pyrats, and that it might upon all occasions joine with one they were like­wise ready to send out to the same Christian end, and for the utter 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 chased any Argier-men neare them, they never offered to obstruct their flight, but quickly [Page 8] made it manifest, that they rather brought mony with them to buy a dishonourable and disadvantageous Peace, then to make a war upon them.

Matters standing thus, the Kings Fleet being gone into the Straights against the Turkish Pyrats, and there remaining few ships in the narrow Seas, we began eve­ry day to heare of depredations by the Dutch upon our Merchants in all parts; instead of delivering up the Island of Poleroon in the East Indies, as by the Treaty they ought to have done, they by their Naval power in those parts hindred us from trading there, and would not suffer our ships to take in their lading of such mer­chandize as the Factors had provided and made ready for their fraight, upon pretence that those Ports, where the Merchandize was ready to be imbarked, were in the dominions of some Princes whom they had declared to be their Enemies, and so they would not suffer any traffique to be maintained with them; and they published the like Declaration, and challenged the same soveraignty in Affrica; and by virtue thereof would not suffer our Ships to trade upon that Coast, where we had a Tradelong before the Dutch had any footing in those parts.

These insolencies made that noise in the world, that the English Merchants felt the effects of it in all places, till it reached the eares of the Parliament, which in April last was twelve months presented the same to his Majesty, and besought him that he would take some speedy and effectual course for the redress of those wrongs dishonours and indignities, which were the greatest ob­structions of our Trade, and declared, that in the prosecu­tion thereof, they would with their Lives and Fortunes assist his Majesty against all oppositions whatsoever.

My Lords and Gentlemen, You very well remember, that though his Majestie was very well pleased with the great Zeal you shewed for the advancements of Trade, [Page 9] He was far from Resolving to make a War upon the warmt'h of that Declaration, but told you, that He would examine and peruse the Particular Complaints which had been Represented to His Parliament, and would thereupon Demand Justice and Reparation from the States General, which Demand He Appointed His Mini­ster residing there to make in a short Time after; What effect that Candid Way of Proceeding found, is enough known to the World; instead of other application, They de­clared Themselves wonderfully offended with the Decla­ration of the Parliament, with many Insolent Expressions suitable to the Manners of a Common-wealth; They gave present Orders for Equipping a very Great Fleet, and the Raising many Land-Soldiers, making Greater Pre­parations for War then they had done in many Yeares before; They had made a Complaint to His Majestie, that a Captain of one of the Ships which his Majestie had lent to the Royal Company, had in his Voyage thi­ther taken a Fort belonging to them, neer Cape Verte, for which they demanded Satisfaction; the King As­sured them, That he had not the least Commission or Authority from him for so doing; That He expected him home very speedily, and then he should be sure to undergo that Punishment which the nature of his Offence required, when the matter should be ex­amined, and they should be sure to Receive Full Re­paration; This satisfied them not, but in Great Fu­ry, they Resolved to send forthwith a Strong Fleet to Guinney, and granted a Commission (which they took care to publish) to the Commander in Chief, to make War upon the English in those parts, and to doe them all the mischief they could. The King found Himselfe now Obliged, in what Straight soever, to provide for the Pro­tection of his Subjects in those parts, and for the Support of that Trade, which I doubt is not enough [Page 10] taken to heart, and the value thereof not enough under­stood; And in order thereunto, with great speed, cau­sed a Fleet to be made ready for that expedition, under the Command of His Highness Prince Rupert, who was under Sail for the Voyage, when his Majesty found it necessary to stop the Prince his further prosecution of it, upon good intelligence that the Dutch had ap­pointed their Admiral with a Fleet of fifty Sail to convoy the other Fleet designed for Guinney, through the Channel, in contempt of his Majesty, who had a very small Fleet in readiness; and that De Ruyter was likewise sent out of the Straights from prosecuting the Turks, to make War upon the English in Guinney; When at the same time they had earnestly pressed the King upon many professions of desire to prevent a War, that Prince Rupert's Fleet might stay in Harbour, as theirs should doe, till some means might be found for an Accommodation of all Differences; and in Truth, this very difficult Stratagem of pretending one thing, and intending another; of promising with all solem­nity, and never resolving to performe; of swearing this day not to doe a thing, when they had served their turne by having done it Yesterday, that no body could know, is the Highest Pinacle of their Wisdome of State; by which they Governe their Affaires, and De­lude their Neighbours.

The winds were not favourable to this Triumphant Designe, and now the King found the Value of the Vote and Declaration of his Parliament, it was a Rich and a Massy Vote, which in a short time he coyned into 200000 ready money in the Chamber of the City of London, with which he gave Order forthwith to make ready more Ships, and the Duke going himselfe to the Fleet, by his Indefatigable Industry, with in­credible Expedition, added so many good Ships to those [Page 11] under the Command of Prince Rupert, that in No­vember he put Himselfe on board the Fleet, Resolving to stop the Dutch, if the wind gave them leave to persue their former Resolution; which, from the Time the Duke was known to be at Sea, they fairly declined, and were content rather to be safe in their own Harbours, then to look to the Security of their Mer­chants; it was High Time now to seize upon as ma­ny of their Ships as came in our way, to Satisfie the Dammages We had Reason to believe We should sustain from De Ruyters expedition into Guinney, with the Commission mentioned before; but there was not the lading of one Ship sold, or disposed of, till His Maje­stie received Full Information of De Ruyters having begun the War upon the Coast of Africa, by Seizing upon our Ships, taking our Forts, and Committing all the Acts of Hostility which his Commission directed him unto; His Majestie likewise at the same Time, receiving new Advertisement of their Refusal to deli­liver up the Island of Poleroon to Him, which they were Bound to by their Treaty; And will you not won­der, after all this, at the Confidence of these Men; and more, that any Neighbour-Prince should have that Confidence in them, as to declare, that the King Our Master is the Aggressor, that He first began the War.

From this time the War began to be more in Earnest, and to be carried on at another Expence; though His Royal-Highness ventured Himselfe in November in a Fleet consisting of little more then fifty Ships, to stop the Dutch from passing through the Channel; Yet, in April (which was within few daies after Your Prorogation at the end of your last Session) He went again to Sea with a much stronger Fleet, and more Proportionate to the Great Preparations the Enemy had made; and even after He was gone to Sea, upon great additions of strength [Page 12] every day made by the Dutch, more good Ships were sent to reinforce the Fleet; insomuch, as upon that glo­rious third of June, when they had the Courage to visit our Coast, after the Duke had, in vain, called upon them at their own Doors, and took many of their Mer­chants Ships in their sight, the English Fleet consisted of very few less then 100 Sail.

The Action, and the Blessing of that day, hath been celebrated in all the Churches in England, and in the hearty Devotions of all true English-men; and there­fore, I shall say no more of it here, save onely, That whether the Publick Joy then, even upon the Solemn Thanksgiving Day, was superior to the universal Con­sternation that spread it self over the Nation before, I appeal to the Breasts of all here present: We, who had the Honor to be near the King at that time, observed Him to be in that Agony, that cannot be expressed; an Agony Himself could not have long endured, even when by all the Intelligence He received hourly from the Coast, He had reason to assure Himself of the Victory. In that great Action, we sunk, burned and took, Eighteen good Ships of War, whereof half were the best they had, with the loss of one single smal Ship of ours, but of many noble and gallant Persons, of too much va­lue to be ventured (if there had not been a greater ven­ture) against such Trash; and whose Memories ought ever to be preserved and extolled, and made pretious to Posterity.

No diligence was omitted, but all imaginable Expe­dition used in refreshing, repairing, and setting out the Fleet again; in order to which, the King Himself made a Journey thither, and stayed till He saw all ready and fit to sail; but then, no intreaty, no importunity could prevail with Him to venture His Brother again, though His Family, and all Preparations for the Voyage were [Page 13] still on Board: His Majestie too well Remembred, and still felt the Impressions he had undergone the Third of June, and having got his Brother in­to his Armes again, He would not returne without Him, committing the Charge of the Fleet to the Earle of Sandwich, who had acted so Good a Part in it.

Within few days after the beginning of Ju­ly, the Earle of Sandwich went again to the Coast of Holland, with a Fleet in no Degree, In­ferior to the Former, and Rode before the Texel to Envite the Dutch to a New Engagement, They having used all the Arts at Home to Conceal the Losse and Dishonour they had undergone; and Pretended to be Very Ready and Solicitous for another Battail, When there was no ap­pearance of their Purpose to Come Out; And upon Sure Intelligence that the East-India Fleet was comming about by the North, He recei­ved Orders to go for Norway, upon such Encou­ragement as was not made Good, so that he was disappointed of the Expectation he had very rea­sonably carried with him thither, and at a Sea­son when that Climate gives little Encourage­ment to abide in those Seas; I am not yet to In­large upon that Matter, till We heare a Be [...]ter Account from some of our Freinds; however, though he could not meet with their whole Fleet, as he Endeavoured to doe, yet he hath had the Good Fortune in two Encounters to take Eight of their Great Ships of War, two of their Best East India Ships, and about Twenty of their Merchants Ships, all under the protection of their Fleet, or ought to have been; and was then by tempest, [Page 14] and other Reasons, which no Wisdome of his could prevent, obliged to put into our own Harbours.

I doe not mention the Great Numbers of the Pri­soners we have taken, an Army of Prisoners, who intruth do us more harme at Land, then ever they did at Sea, and are a Charge that never fell under our Estimate and Computation; I would not be under­stood, that We had entred upon a War and never thought of Prisoners, and Sick and Wounded men; but that the Prisoners and Wounded men should bring upon us so Prodigious an Expence, and of which we can yet see no bottome; insomuch, as in one Place, I think Colchester, that Charge comes to Twelve hundred pound the Week: I say, such an Expence never came into our Computa­tion.

The King tels you, he hath enabled the Prince and Bishop of Munster to demand Justice from those who have so notoriously Oppressed him, with such outragious circumstances of Insolence and Scorne, as are enough known to the World; and He hath de­manded it Bravely, in such an Equipage, as hath not been made for little Money, in which he can take, as well ask satisfaction.

After all this, since there is a justice due to the worst Enemies, we must doe them this right, that they doe not at all seem weary of the War; they doe not discover the least inclination to Peace. It is true, the French King hath offered his Mediation, and truly if he intends no more then a Mediation, it is an office very worthy the most Christian King; I wish with all my heart, that (as a Mediator) he would make equall Propositions, or that he would not so importunately press His Majesty to consent to those he makes, upon an Instance and Argument, [Page 15] that he holds himself engaged by a former Treaty (of which we never heard till since the beginning of this War, and had some Reason to have pre­sumed the contrary) to assist the Dutch with Men and Money, if His Majesty doth not consent.

His Majesty, tels you, that he hath not an Appetite to make War for Wars-sake, but will be alwayes 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, in Conjunction with his Enemies; Yet even the Apprehension of such a War, will not Terrifie him to purchase a peace by such Concessions as he would be Ashamed to make You Aquainted with; of which Nature you will easily Believe the Proposi­tions hitherto made to be, when you know that the release of Poleroon in the East-Indies, and the demo­lishing the Fort of Cabo Corso upon the Coast of Guinney, are two; which would be upon the matter to be content with a very vile Trade in the East-Indies, under their Controule, and with none in Guinney; and yet those are not Propositions unrea­sonable enough to please the Dutch, who reproach France for interposing for Peace, instead of assisting them in the War; boldly insisting 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; & as if God Almigh­ty had sent this Heavy Visitation upon the Kingdome on their behalfe, 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 [Page 16] 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 Correspondence or Commerce with them.

My Lords and Gentlemen, You see in what posture we stand with reference to our Neighbours abroad, who are our declared Enemies, their Malice & Activity to make others declare themselves so too; the great Pre­parations they make, & even Declarations, that they will have another Battail, towards which, they have in readiness an equal number of new, greater, and better Ships, to those they have lost, furnished with larger and greater Artillery; so that if they were to be manned with any other Nation but 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, un­paralel'd Supply You have already given Him, is, upon the Matter 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; then that the same Noble Indignation; for the honor of the King and the Nation, that first pro­voked you to inflame the King Himself, will continue the same Passion still boyling 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, joynt, inseparable Honor, as their onely sure infallible [Page 17] expedient to preserve their distinct several Interest.

My Lords and Gentlemen, Having yet onely pre­sented you a short view of your forraign 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 dependance, then upon their own Fleets. I must appeal to every one of your Observations, whether the Countenances of these Men have not appeared to you more erected, more insolent in all Places since the beginning of this War, then they were before: In what readiness they were, if any misfortune had befallen the Kings Fleet (which they promised them­selves) to have brought the Calamity into your Fields, and into your Houses, is notoriously known: The horrid Murtherers of Our late Royal Master, have been received into the most secret Councels 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 liberal Allowances and Pensions: Too many of His Majesties Subjects, who were lent by this Crown to assist and defend this ingrateful State against their Enemies, have been miserably wrought upon, for the keeping a vile, mean subsistance, rather then lively­hood, to renounce their Allegiance, and become Ene­mies to their native Countrey; some of whom, have wantonly put themselves on Board the Enemies Fleet without Command or Office, purely out of appetite and delight to rebel against their King, and to worry their Countrey; it is great pity these Men should not be taught by some exemplary Brand, that their Allege­ance is not circumscribed within the four Seas, but that they have obligations upon them of Duty and [Page 18] Loyalty towards the King, in what part soever of the World they shall inhabit.

Their Freinds at home Impatient of Longer De­lays for the Successes they have promised themselves, and for the Succours which others had promised to send to them, made no doubt of doing the business them­selves, if they could but appoint a lucky day to begin the work, and you had heard of them in all places up­on the third of the last month (their so much celebra­ted Third of September) if the Great Vigilance and in­defatigable Industry of the Good General, who is al­ways awake for the Kings Safety, and the Peace of the kingdom, had not two days before Apprehended the Seditious Leaders, and given Advertisements for the Securing of others in most parts of the King­dome; by the Confessions of Many of Whom, their Wicked Designe is enough Manifested and ready for Justice; Yet some of the Principal Persons are not yet taken, and some others got themselves rescu'd af­ter they were apprehended.

My Lords and Gentlemen, 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 then We have done, Excellen­tibus ingeniis citiùs defuit ars, quâ civem regant, quàm quâ hostem perdant. Let not those Scorpions be Kept Warme in our Bosoms till they Sting us to Death; let not those who Hate the Government, would Destroy the Government, be sheltred under the Shadow and Protection of the Goverment. It is pos­ssible, and God knows it is but possible, that some men who are not Friends to this or that part of the Government (for you are not to Believe that they always discover, what in Truth they are Most angry [Page 19] with) who would not buy those Alterations they Most Desire at the Price of a Civil War; they would bring it fairly about, wait for a Godly Parliament, and do all by their Consent; yet those Persons must not take it ill that we cannot desire they should ever have it in their Power to bring those Alterations to pass, by those means they now seem to abhor; and I do heartily wish, I am sure they will not be the worse Men, nor the wore Subjects for it, that they would a little reflect upon what is past, remember how much they have once done, more then they intended to have done; nay, what they heartily abhorr'd the thought of doing; and they will then finde the onely way to preserve themselves innocent, is to keep their Minds from being vitiated by the first Impressions, by Jealousies, Murmurings, and Repinings, and above all, by their Conversations with those Men, or In­dulgence toward them, who would Sacrifice the Peace of the Kingdome to their own Ambition, Pride, and even to their Humour; If you carefully provide for the suppressing Your Enemies at home, which will put You to little other Expence, then of Courage, Con­stancy and Circumspection, you will find your Ene­mies abroad less exalted, and in a short time more enclined to live in amity with You, then to make War upon you, especially when they see you doe In bello pacis gerere negotium; and that you take the carrying on the War to Heart, as the Best, and the only Expedient to Produce a Happy and an Honest Peace.