GENTLEMEN, and you the Knights, and Burgesses of each COVNTY of this KINGDOME: wee are here Assembled to doe GODS businesse, and the Kings: in which our owne is included, and we are Christians, as wee are Subjects. Let us first feare God, then shall wee honour the King the more: I am a­fraid wee have beene the lesse prosperous in our affaires; because we have preferred other things before him.

[Page 4] The Kingdome is likewise reduced to great Strait, for being locked up from the free course of Trade, betweene England and us, wherein it were undutifulnesse beyond Inhumanity, in the taking of advantage against them.

I have often thought, and said, that it must be some extremity that would rectifie this Kingdome: and when that extremity did come, it would bee a[?] great hazard, whether it would prove a remedy or aruine; wee are sure that the greatest part of our Country is undone for the want of free Trade, and the priviledges which formerly wee had therein, by Trading betweene England and us, & for a better Com­merce and Enter-course betweene this King­dome and England, and that it may bee lawfull to Trade and transport Goods and Commo­dities from this Kingdome into England, as formerly we have done, and they to use with­out any let or hinderance by each Kingdome, which is our desires.

I confesse he is no good Subject, that will willingly take up Armes against his King, and will nor willingly and freely lay downe his life, when the end may better the service of his Majesty, and the good of the Common-wealth.

But let us further reflect upon the ill effects, what those courses have wrought, what by a dissension from us on the one side, and a sepa­tation on the other, some imagining what was [Page 5] intended, and made haste to turne before hand the better to be accepted of, and a great Mul­titude of them, seeing how farre they were gone, and fearing how much further they should goe, have bin forced to fly the Land.

When Foundations are shaken, it is high time to looke to the Building: hee hath no heart, no head, no soule, that is not moved in his whole man to look upon the distresses, and the miseries of the Common-wealth, that is not for­ward in all that hee hath to redresse them in a right way. But rather let us make it an advan­tage for them to doe them best service, when they have most need, not to speake our owne good, but in them, and with them, else we shall commit the same Crimes our selves, which we must condemne in others.

Now we see what the Sores are in generall, and when more particulars shall happen to ap­peare, let us bee very carefull to draw out the koares of them, and not skimme them over with a slight suppurating fester cure, lest they should presently breake out againe into grea­ter mischiefes, consider of that Counsels, and speake your minds.

[Page 6] The which I humbly beseech this House, that it may be done with as much moderation, as the publique safety of the Kingdome can pos­sible admit.