IN this place, (the great Receipt of Grievances) give me leave to say, 'tis not the least of mine, that Wisemen being believ'd to admire no­thing: I see, there's as great a necessity of my appearing sufficiently remov'd from that rank of men, as there is, of my avowing, that, there is nothing here done, which I do not admire. I have yet this of Felicity, that since I must want the advan­tage of being by you reputed wise, now, when I de­sire, [Page 2] and need it most, to enforce what I have to say: the Truths I am to discourse of are yet of themselvs so palpable, that an esteem of the Speaker needs contri­bute but little to the procuring them a Belief. My Wonder, how great soever, equals not my shame, that I see my self One of those Many, have sate so long in so great an Exigency, and done so little. I look not up­on the late Extravagancies and Disorders, this Nati­on has laboured under, so worthy my Dislike, or Admiration, as our present Lethargy, and unactive­nesse in not redressing those Distempers, which, if sooner remov'd, must yet have been confest, to have had too long a continuance. That we came hither for this only end, will be sooner granted me by all, then a reason given me by any, why 't is not done. If the difficulty be too great for us, we did ill in re-assu­ming our Seats at all; and do yet worse, in not leaving them now, to more enabled Persons. We have not the Plea of being opprest with Plenty. I cannot see such varietie of wayes apted for a Composure, as need en­gage us to the delay of considering which is best: Providence, and wise Fate having afforded us but one, least in a Liberty we should choose for our selves a Blessing, far lesse, than kind Necessity intends us.

That the recalling of our King is this only way, is already grown almost as visible as true: and were it but confest by all of whom 'tis believ'd, I should hear from the greatest part of this House, what now it hears alone from me.

Had we as little reason to fear, as we have too much, that if we bring not in the King, he either already is, or shortly may be in a Capacity of comming in unsent for: Methinks the knowledge of his Right, were alone enough to keep just Persons (such as we would be conceiv'd) from being accessary to his longer ab­sence. Had we but the Bravery of some Heathens Story gives us names of, we should scorn there should [Page 3] be any could object to us, they wanted the Right and Justice we had a Power to do them. We are already, and but too justly, reputed to have been the occasion of our Prince's exile, we may with reason and equal Truth, (for ought I know) be thought to have been the Contrivers of it too, unlesse we evidence the con­trary, by not suffering the Mischief to continue lon­ger, which is now in our power to remove.

Besides his right, inducement enough to engage his Subjects to his restauration, there's eminent in him so great, and so confess'd a worth, that had he been born where he has been forc'd too long to re­side, and had been alwayes as much a stranger, as he has been these late years to England, yet his virtues singly considered, abstracted from any pretence, speak him the person most worthy of our choice: and were he as destitute, as he is bless'd with a title, we could not pretermit him, without publishing our ignorance, or disrespect, of the most noted, and most coveted perfection this day has a being.

To Omit (since 'tis impossible to enumerate all) the Excellencies whith are least his, I mean his gifts of Nature, give me leave to remarque (what we have most reason to know) some few of those many ac­quirements he is oblig'd to our ill usage for. He has made his notices of all the Governments in Eu­rope, and knows the affairs of each State in Christen­dom, as well, nay perhaps (through our faults) bet­ter than those of his own Countrie. He understands so perfectly forein Dialects, that in all Audiences, his Grandeur, not He, will require the impertinencie of an interpreter. He has not altered his mind, in the varietie of climes, nor could be ever tempted, so much as to exchange his Religion, to be re-estab­lished in that throne, his adversaries quite lost theirs, to dispossesses him of. And after all, his ene­mies [Page 4] malice (by a most wise contrivance) instead of rendring him (as they wisht) absolutely incapable, has but the more adapted, and fitted him for Em­pire.

This is so true, and so well understood, that we all believe, whatsoever our's are, these will be the thoughts of the succeeding Parliament. These Nati­ons, and with good reason, do so much long for their Prince, and dread their being by the next (as alrea­dy by this Parliament) disappointed, that we must rationally conceive, that to be ascertain'd of suc­ceeding, they will make Election of such persons, whose concerns, as well as affections, shall make them active for his Introduction.

And, I appeal then to your own judgements, whe­ther 'tis likely those Persons, as to their particular Interest more unconcern'd, and probably lesse know­ing in the affairs of the Nation, can or would obtain for any those terms, we are yet in a Capacitie of procuring both for them and us.

I must professe sincerely, 't would be as strange to me, as a miracle, did I not know, that God infatuates whom he designs to destroy, that we can see the King's return to be unavoidable, and yet be no waies Studious of serving him, or at least our selves, in the managerie of his recall.

The people, though sensible enough, were the House of Lords re-admitted with how little reason then, we could pretend to be a Parliament, and therefore with how much lesse, now they are exclu­ded; would yet contentedly allow, we have Autho­rity enough, to act the things they wish, and without questioning by what hand their felicitie was con­veighed to them, Enjoy it with a content uncapa­ble of being allayed, even by a discoverie of it's ir­regular procurement.

The General, that noble Personage, to whom, un­der [Page 5] God, we doe and must owe all the advantages of our past, and future changes, will be as far from op­posing us in this design, as the design is remov'd from the disadvantage of the Nation. He himself is, I'm confident of the same opinion: and if he has given already no notice of it to the House, 'tis not, that he does not look upon it as the greatest expedi­ent, but he only forbears to propose it, that he might not seem to necessitate us, and by an over­early discovery of his own judgement, be thought to take from us, the freedom of ours. Besides, we all see how much 'tis his proper interest, and though he has honour enough, to endeavour the happinesse of his Prince without any other recompence than that of the satisfaction he will receive from the sense of so brave an action, yet has he no reason to believe he shall want any of the respects and honours, his relation and deservings can oblige a just Prince to make him a return of.

Though I hope, now we have seen how much eve­ry thing advances the necessity and facility of our So­veraigns return: there needs no new motives to en­gage our powers and ministeries into a complyance with fate: give me leave yet to say, that if there did, the very consideration, that we can thus onely save our sinking honour, and rescue the name of Parlia­ments from an inauspiciouness, should i [...] prove us in these thoughts, and presse us to a resolvednesse. How fair shall we appear in storie? when from every pen, that amongst other ills mentions our seclusion, there drops this observation, That we and villany were so inconsiste [...], that it was indispensably necessary that we should be removed, when that was to take place, and that the succeeding mischiefs (acted whi­lest a force often varied, never discontinued opprest, the Parliament) vanished as soon as Providence blest [Page 6] us with an opportunity of evidencing by our remo­ving them, how far we had alwayes been from ha­ving i [...]troc [...]ed them.

But to say no more in a businesse wherein I ought to hope, I have said already more then needed: I shall onely beg, that a concern of this moment may have your first considerations, and that those Gentlemen (if there be any such) whose Caprice and Petulan­cy shall against all reason engage them to an opposi­tion, would take care to be preassur'd, they may not be expos'd, by posting up their names, to the fury of the abused people. I wish their apprehension of this dan­ger may make them studious to prevent it; If it does not, they run the hazard of this course (a trick alrea­dy tried) which though I do not approve, yet I must confesse is abundantly apt to work a change, and to render those persons sufficiently averse before, dis­pos'd, to tender the peoples safety, as they do their own.