FOrtune has at last gratified me in that earnest Desire I have always had to serve You; And tho I despair of making due Acknowledgments, yet you may believe, that I am very sensible of the Favour you have done me, in so unanimously chusing me to be your Servant; for such a one your Recorder is: 'tis a place of Honour, and of Trust, and if I discharge it not as I ought, or at least as I am able, I am the worst of Men: I value my self much upon it, but more upon your Friendship. Perhaps few Recorders for many ages have been so freely Elected. Therefore Grati­tude as well as Oath obliges me to be faithful to you, Inte­rest also, (a mighty Motive) prompts me to the same. I am your Neighbour as well as fellow Citizen. The little For­tune that I have lies near you, if Oxford flourish, Elsfield will not fare the worse. Gentlemen, I hope you'l have a favou­rable opinion of him you have made yours. 'Its no incon­siderable disadvantage to succeed a man of such great abi­lities as your last Recorder was: A Person who liv'd long amongst you, and knew the secrets of your Corporation; yet this I vow, I'le pray the aid of all the Inns of Court rather then you shall suffer; And indeed why should you in any thing? Have you not opportunities enough to be hap­py? Does not the Great and Good Earl of Abingdon offer his assistance, ready at all times upon his knee to begg his Ma­jesties Favour in your behalf? When he appears, Make room for Oxford, cries the Guards, the Town is Loyal grown; when at another time (if I may speak it) A modest Oxford man dare hardly peep in Court. Why then don't we by his vast Interest let in the Beames of Majesty upon us? Who can live without the Sun? Have we not a famous University for our Example? Let her great Loyalty (if it be possible) be out done by us. Can we be poison'd at the Fountain head? Where is Learning, Piety, and Obedience practis'd, if not in this our English Athens? Who so ignorant that does not know how eminent this Place has been for Loialty? How proud it was when Charles the first, that Glorious King, [Page] shut himself up within our walls? Did not our Citizens fol­low Bellona's Call, to defend his Sacred Person from Rebels fury? Was not this the Seat of warr? With what bravery and gallantry did this City assert its Monarch's Right? Sure­ly the stock of Loyalty is not worn out. How many are there in this place now that liv'd in those days, and play'd the Souldiers part, therefore I'le not think there's an ill man amongst us, however it happens that for some misca­riages of ours we stand not right in Caesars favour. We pro­mise largely, perform poorly, and that with grudging too. The widow's mite, what was it? yet being all, and freely given, had the largest thanks. Gentlemen, let me advise you to redeem your selves again: His Majesty, whom the Law stiles Head of the Kingdom, Father of the Country, Master of the whole family of the Nation, Cheif Justice of all England, and a kind of petty God on earth, who for the excellency of his Person, by way of resemblance, has Divine Attributes, as Immortality, for as King he never dies, So­veraignty, Majesty, Power, Verity, Justice, and the like: He is merciful, of a God-like temper, as ready to forgive as we to ask: let us think nothing but good of him and his Go­vernment; for fears and jealousies have been of fatal con­sequence to this Nation, and still are the greatest enemies to the peace and tranquility of it. Sometimes they cry Popery is a breaking in upon us, when God knows (as it is lately prov'd) the eight hundredth man is not Papist, unless all are such that are not Dissenters from the Church, for so indeed they call us. Did not his Majesty for several years live in Popish soil, yet came over to us as well in Heart as Title, De­fender of the Faith. His Royal Highness, Great Brittans Mars, its Heir, and Glory, has upon all occasions exprest himself highly in favour of our Church, has settled the Pro­testant Religion upon such sure foundations in Scotland, that it's not to be shaken. Are not his Daughters, (after him the present Heirs to the Imperial Crown,) Protestants, and married two such Princes, on design purely for to se­cure our Religion, when France it self courted that alliance for its Heir? Are not the Lords of the Romish Faith excluded the House of Peers? the Laws strictly put in execution against the Papists? Besides, what alteration can there be in Church [Page] or State, without a National consent? If these are signes of Popery then indeed we are in danger. What think ye Gen­tlemen? You are men of reason, live among the Muses, where Learning is at the Hight; Though I must confess if a Papist must not breath Common Air, or tread his Native Earth because he is so, 'tis hard. Who does not think his own opinion best? Sometimes again, how does the fears of Ar­bitrary Power, of loss of Liberty and Property call Crowds together to consult, who shake the Head, look down, cry we are lost, sad times are coming? when that's the only way to have them come, for if a People grow Rebell-ripe, why should not we believe that Kings who set at stern, that pick and cull the Nation for the wisest Heads, should not endea­vour to preserve their Empire, and Dominion, as well as we quit shops and stalls and fly to Coffee-Houses to examine every Letter, to see how things are like to goe with us. Gen­tlemen, be not seduc'd by men of Seditious Spirits; The first sin of Men and Angels was Rebellion, Heaven and Paradise were lost by it, beleive it is the Kings Interest, as well as Royal Inclination to Preserve us in our Rights and Liber­ties; For take away Property, and industry is quickly at an end: Where is the Crowns safety then? The empty Tra­vailer laughs at the Thief; who values his Countries defence that hath nothing in it which he can call his own? In some of the Eastern Parts, (the Garden of the World by Nature) a man may Ride some scores of Miles, and scarcely see a Hut; because no man has any thing but at the Princes will; With us the Prosperity of the People is the Monarchs joy: He alwaies esteems himself Rich if they are so.

Gentlemen, I am not altogether a stranger to History, can give a reasonable account of most Countries, amongst which England has not an equal. Let us see how matters stood with the Jews in Righteous David's days? Thou and Ziba divide the Land was David's judgment: against his Masters Son before his offence was prov'd. A Semeter or a Bow-string leaves breathless in a minute the greatest subject in three parts of the world, without a Judge and Jury. In our Neighbouring Countries, Racks and Wheeles are thought gentle easy waies to find out truth. The French Kings sword is his subjects Charter, The Spanish Inquisition [Page] this worlds Hell. In Holland it self, that fam'd Common-wealth, a Herring is Excis'd nine times before it's eat, yet in these places all hush, and still: No Plots to murder Kings, or Magistrates. Gentlemen, you must pardon me, if I tell ye, that many times the too great indulgence of a Prince brings speedy ruin to a Nation. Plutarch in the life of Lycur­gus gives us a Relation of one Eurytion a Spartan King, who took a course never practis'd by his wise Predecessors, which was to cajole his own Subjects by slacking the Reins of the Royal Authority; but see what follow'd, instead of gaining upon them, they grew so insolent that at last they brought the Government into contempt, and soon after the whole Kingdom into Anarchy and confusion, and were never sa­tisfied, till one of their best Princes was barbarously mur­der'd in the streets by the Rabble, as he was appeasing a Tumult; How near a paralel is this to his late Majesty who I'le boldly say has done more, except the Present King, to endear the subject then all the Kings from the Norman to this time besides; but what come on't? That's a Melan­cholly consideration. Mercy and Goodness in Princes are too often mistaken, and call'd necessity and easiness of Nature: An yeilding King shall alwaies find a craving Subject. We are like the Israelites never satisfi'd, desire to return back in­to Egypt into our old Bondage. I have heard, that in the late Rebellion, a Captain and his Company has made Lon­don that haughty Mistris of our Isle, whom we so much de­light to imitate, all in teares, her Citizens Crouching like Spaniels at the frown of a Traytor, when at the same time they bid defiance to their King.

Are not we turn'd Mad-men, and the Devil fool, His in­vention is lost. Must a Nation be destroy'd, 'twice in halfe an age by the very same methods; A juglers tricks if shown more then once or twice becomes Childrens sport. Popery was the Topick amongst the zealous e're since I remember, and is now the only idol that supports the Brethrens cause: if the word were but forgotten they were Dumb, its the holding twig. Who would not have sworn three years since that the Popes Bull was not broaken in among us: no Popery no Papist were the Oxford Cryes when, on my consci­ence the promoters of the Noise are nearer that perswasion [Page] then my self; the man they aim'd at. Do they not say that Kings are the peoples Creatures, made by them, and when the Spirit moves may be lay'd aside again. Our Church abhors such Doctrine, lets hold to that. Julian that cuning arch Enemy of our Religion encourag'd all Opinions and Sects amongst the Christians that tended to the rooting out of our Faith. For shame let's grow wiser, we are in safety (if there be such a thing on this side Heaven:) Let the most factious fellow of e'm all tell me what's not done to secure the subject? He is fenc'd in on every side, the Star Chamber, Court of Wards, High Commission Court, and every thing which the people had the least colour to call greiveous, are willingly laid aside. What a noise has quartering of Soul­diers made? How are the Law-Books fil'd with Cases of imprisonments. To ease us of these fears too, there's not a Souldier looks into a private house, or enters any Inn, but as a Traveller: the Landlord makes the Bill: what Offen­der is not bail'd out of Prison in such a time, if not pro­secuted, though Treason threw him in? If such acts of Grace as these will not give us grateful souls, or at least keep us in quiet, nothing but a rod of iron will. Will there be no peace till Shebah's head is thrown over the wall. Gentlemen, I could wast a day upon this subject, and challenge all the world to shew me such another Government; therefore if these be signs of Arbitrary Power, of loss of Liberty and Property, speak, Gentlemen, be not silent. Good men will be convinc'd by reason, and bless their Maker for their happiness; Ill men must be watch'd by those that are in Power. He that grumbles at this Government, with Luci­fer would quarrel Heaven, therefore with him deserves his punishment. But suppose the worst, that our fears were true, that Religion and Allegiance did no ways oblige us, that his Majesty had as many vices as he has vertues, would Rebellion mend the matter? No, that a Nation's Ruin is ready to attest. Has not that happen'd to us and much more, which foolish Rehoboam threatned the ten Tribes with, that his little finger should be heavier upon them than his Father's Loyns, that if his Father whip'd them with rods, he would beat them with Scorpions. Gentlemen, a civil war is like a gaming house, where none gets at last but the [Page] Box-keeper. Not long after his Majesties return I was at such a place at a time when a great Lord had lost no little sum, to chear his Heart, he call's for a glass of Wine, and drinks a health to him that had gain'd by play; amongst fifty Gen­tlemen there was not one would lay any title to it, at last in comes a little creeping fellow, and claims the health, protesting that he had never brought into the house more then half a Crown at any one time, seldome so much, yet by his cunning and advantages had heap'd up many a hun­dred pounds; so in a Civil Warr the beggar mounts a horseback, and all above him goes a foot, Coblers and Tinkers turn Lords, and Lords turn nothing. If Rebellion has success, which to the discouragement of all Treason (it has had but once this six hundred years in England) to change it's Government, yet the leading Rebels very rarely dye in peace. If the Prince be victorious, which certainly he is, unless when the Almighty intends to call the Nation to a reckoning for her sins, then the People are at mercy. Which of us would willingly call an Equal or an Inferiour, Lord? Where were our English Liberty then? Therefore since all cannot be Kings, let's be obedient to him that is the best of Kings, think Loialty our greatest interest as well as Duty. Gentlemen, consider, we have watchful eyes over us: Esteem not them good Citizens who advise us to wrastle too much with Majesty, for we shall have the fall. Why then all say with me, Long live the King, we'le grant him any thing that he will have, because we are sufficiently assur'd, he will ask nothing but what we may freely, and safely give.