THE SPEECH OF FRANCIS LOVELACE, Esquire, Recorder of the City of CANTERBVRY, To His Majestie, King CHARLES THE SECOND.
Upon his Arrivall to KENT, And coming to CANTERBƲRY that day he landed, being the 25th day of May, 1660. and in the twelfth year of his Reign over England, &c.
Printed and Licenc'd according to Order.
LONDON: Printed by S. Griffin, for Matthew Walbancke at Grays-Inne Gate, 1660.
THE SPEECH OF Francis Lovelace, Esq Recorder of the City of CANTERBƲRY, to his Majestie King CHARLES the Second, &c.
Your loyal Subjects, the Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty of this your City of Canterbury, by me present their hearty & sincere gratulations and Thanks to God for your Majesties happy Arrivall to this your Kingdom of England, and in that for your access to this Citie. This Citie of Canterbury (though much decayed) was sometimes the Metropolitan City of this Kingdom, and had in it one of the fairest and most resplendent Cathedrall [Page 4] Churches, that for its beauty and structure might have been compared to any Church in Europe: It was endowed with great and plentifull Revenues; It was supplyed with Grave, Learned, Orthodox Divines; but all are gone and taken from her, and her Fabrick ruined and almost demolished, and the City impoverished, wasted, and defaced, and her Gates of late torn from her Walls, and cut in pieces. This your Kingdome of England is, and alwayes was a Monarchy successive by inherent Birth-right, governed by Ancient known Lawes that have been refined and perfected by the wisest of men in all former Successions of Ages, and proved and approved by continuall experience to be good and profitable for this Nation; wherein Kings and Queens, your Majesties Royall Progenitors, and their Subjects have flourished in peace and plenty: But in these later times, during your Majesties unhappy Absence, her Lawes have been over-grown and choaked up with weeds, and her government usurped by bold ambitious self-seeking men, who like Beasts have made a prey of your most [Page 5] Loyal Subjects, and trodden down and trampled our Lawes, Liberties, and Properties under foot, and exercised Tyranny, Oppressions, and all manner of Cruelties, Things that our Lawes never knew, never owned: And what hath been worse to us, and came neerest our hearts, have too too long debarred us of the enjoyment of your most Sacred Majestie.
But Magna est veritas & praevalens; Truth though she may be impugned, yet will she of her self ever prevail in the end, & flourish like a Palm Tree. She may for a time be trodden down, but she can never be trodden out. The Laws of England are Iura Coronae, Iura Regiae and though they have of late been trodden down, they are not trodden out. Your Majesties just rights hath been prevalent to restore you to your own who like the sun in the Firmament, with those glorious Starts your now Parliament and his Excellencie the Lord General Monck, have dispersed and dissipated all those black Clouds, and will cause our Laws again to bud out, spring up, and flourish more then ever. And now most gracious Soveraign [Page 6] that it hath pleased the great God of Heaven & Earth, the King of Kings, out of his great goodness to preserve your Majestie, and out of his infinite Wisdom & providence to restore you to the actual possession of your most undoubted Birth-Right & Inheritance, & to vouchsafe to us your Subjects this, the greatest blessing this World can afford, to enjoy your Majestie, and to see your face here, which like the Sun arising in the East hath enlightned & enlarged our Hearts with Joy and gladness: May your Matie enjoy all your Rights and prerogatives: May all the people of this Land render to your Majestie all loyaltie, faithfulness, love, and allegiance, and may the Scepter and the sword never depart from your Majestie and your Royal familie; that Common peace may once more be settled and stated in all your Kingdoms and Dominions in a calm and quiet order, like harmony in Musick where all the strings of an Instrument give severall sounds and yet are all in one Tune. This peace, this tranquillity of Order, this harmony of hearts and minds, may they ever be and continue under your Majestie. And may your Majestie [Page 7] long live and raign over us in all Felicity, Health and Tranquillity. These good wishes together with this small present of Gold (their Mite) are all the offerings this poor City is able to present; which bare essays of love and duty, may your Majestie be graciously pleased to honour with acceptance, and in the largeness of your royal brest to conceive and be assured, that this City and her inhabitants do bear a great deale more of loyal duty, faithfulness, love, and affection towards your Majestie in their hearts and minds then they are able to express, or I in words to declare.
God bless and preserve King CHARLES the Second.