Parleament. To the Kings most Exelent majestie/

June.22. .1614. Accept I humblie beseech you (most gratious Souer= aigne) the true and plaine discouerie of a soule affl= icted, and greeved in all extremitie, for your majesties disp= leasure sure occasioned, by some Conferrences conce= rninge your Late Parleament./.

I haue no purpose to stand vpon the Iusteficacion of the forme of my proceedinges but doe most humblie sub= mitt them, and prostrate my selfe before your majesties royall feete, beseechinge your gratious pardon, if th= erin I haue in any sort offended you. But for the ma= tter conceaued and prouected by me to be said and mo= ved in the Parleament: Soe cleere are my though= tes and soe zealous, and ardent my will, that your maties desires might haue bene offected, and my deare country cared for, and contented, as I first desired for my better servinge you, to haue bene of the howse my selfe, and went for that purpose as fare as Ipswich in my way toward Aye in Suffolk. where I hoped where I hoped to haue ben elected a Burgesse, but failinge of my hope, by reason the ellection had passed one daye before my goinge out of London./.

In confidence to haue ben prouided in that corporacion I haue formorlie bestowed vpon two gentl= lemen recomended vnto me, by doctor Sharpes lettres recomendatory from the Earle of northampton for two burgishippes. The one gentlemen were both vnknowne to myselfe, who Confided onlie to him that they were men of abillitie and fitnes for the servi= ce./.

In my way toward Ipeswich, I conceived and pro= iected in that Corporacion what I would said in Par= leament, I heard Continvallie in London, and out of the Country what dissonante voices, and dist= racted Conceiptes there were of greevances intended to be prefferred, aswell concerning imposicons as the greate nomber of Scottes that are said to recide within this kingdome. To reduce these in to some certaine pointes, for your majesties better service, I bestowed my Studies, Conferringe and discoueringe the same after my returne to london to doctor Sharpe (who as I remember) named mr Hichco Hitchcocke, one of the gentlemen for whome I had obtained, (by my lord of Southamptons meanes a burgeshippe) to bee a Fitt man for deliuery of it, to the Howse by waye of motion of motion. The effecte of the same to my remembr= ance was in breefe as followeth viz:/.

That the eyes and acciones of all wise men are ever to be directed and Levelled at theire endes, that we should doe well to addrese all our thoughtes and spee= ches to the purpose for which his majestie hath called vs to this parleament, that we should not spend tyme in wordes and disputes as in the tyme of the last Se= ssion of Parleament precedent, but enter present= lie into Consideracion, howe his majesties necesseties might be reliued for the present and the like pre= vented in tyme to come: That I held it not fitte wee should marchant with our Soueraigne, or that we should vse the termes of the formor parleame= nt viz: of Contribucion and retribucion./.

That we should not seeke to deprive him of any of the gemes or flowers of his Crowne, nor make him soe dearer an earner of our moneys as by de= privinge him of the rightes or privelidges of his diadem left vnto him by his Roiall progenetoures and predecessores, that to soe wise and vnderstanding an assemblie it should be vnnecessary to remember the obligation of dutie and Loue that we owe to oure Soueraigne, or what care or consideracion we are bounde to haue of our deare Country, for which wee haue the honore to bee in that howse soe absolut Fid= uciaries as to haue comitted vnto vs theire Landes and theire and theire lives and all other their fortunes. That there is betweene kinges and theire Subiectes soe naturall a relacion as the one cannot subsist without the other, and therefore prouiding for the one, the other is to be cared for in a due proporcion, that the greatest vnhappines, and miserie wherevnto the for= tunes of kinges and others of Supreame Authori= tie are subiecte, is, that in the Crowde of flattery that invirones theire Thrones, they cannot discer= ne the faces of true freindes from those of false and feigned, and that they see and heare by the eyes and eares of others, who more often speake vnto them Placentia then Vtilia , that for this cause is monarchies: where Parleamentes were instituted wherein that generall assemblie and greate Cou= ncell of the kingedome men might freelie deliuer theire thoughtes and advices in whatsoeuer they shall should finde Errore of gouernement in the comon welth, as those that are not to be thought to speake theire owne wordes, but those of theire Country neither to be possessed with any passion or private interest, but with what concernes the Countrie and kingdom, and the particuler Countries and Cor= poracons that they are put in trust for, That it is trulie said, That all men neuer deceived one, nor one man all, and therefore that generall voice both of more credite and more force then those of any particuler who perticuler, who doe comonlie either want hardines to speake or operative powere to worke with their Souer= aigne what theire selues and the Common welth de= sireth, my humble mocion there fore is should be that wee might all vnitelie with one harte and voice cast our selues at his majesties feete offering vnto him what soeuer this kingdom cane possiblie yeild for the reli= eve of his necesseties and reparacion of his Estate, & with all our humble desires that he would be pleased to take into Consideracion some thinges of greate Consequ= ence vnto him selfe, and of most Contentement to his Svbiectes,./.

To begine first with the cause of god, which of all other de= serves the primacie and princepall respecte; we are to expose vnto his majestie the greate greefe generallie con= ceaved for the inexpected increase of Papistes and recusantes since the tyme of the Gonpouder Treason, in detestacion whereof all men were moued to thinke that they would rather vtterlie extinguished: The oc= casions are supposed to be the silencinge of soemany watchefull and dilligent ministers, the ordinarie co= vrse of Composicions for theire disobediences, and the diverse treaties, that his majestie hath beene said to have entertayned for the marriage of the late Prince deceased and of this that Liveth, (whome god almightie blesse) with daughters of Princes of Romish Religeon which is thought to be a much incouragment to those of that affection. of that affection, and as great dishartening to those of true religeon ./.

Concerninge this perticuler which is now said to be in treatie with Fraunce, it is true, there is no place left in Evrope (that and Spaine excepted) where his majestie Cane make allyance, suitable with his Royall dignetie, howbeit I am of opinion, that although for some dissig= nes of Estate, which it becometh not vs his humble sub= iectes to dive into, his majestie hath bene pleased to en= tertayne those ouertures of Princes of the Romish rel= igeon, yet such is his owne pious and Christian hearte as he leaveth not vnconsidered, that to marr= ie with a Child of god, and for god his greater honor and gives hope of a greater blessinge, then to marrie with a Childe of man, be the dignetie, place and or Procion neuer so greate in the eies of men. Hereof to his owne imortall honour and the perpetuall obligacion of his sub= iectes, his majestie hath bene pleased, to make a good demonstracion in the marryage of his onlie daughter where he founde a soundnes and conformetie in Relig= eon, whome had he measured by the yeard wand of the world, he might haue perhappes bestowed her vpon one of the greatest monarches in the w Christendome/.

Besides such is the nearenes of Fraunce vnto vs, as he should a daughter of that kingdome be brought hi= ther, such and so many would be the visittes and wee should euery should euery moneth, be enforced to entertayne a new mounseiur, which to a prince of soe magnificent and liberall disposition, as is his majestie would breed noe litle trouble, and a greate deale of Expence and Charge./.

In the seconde place, we are to become most humble Peticioners that he would be pleased to his Cham= ber, and other places of retreate, to graunte vnto vs (as it were) mediatem lingua viz. that those of our nacion might haue a motive in them, as this Comiserative kingdome hath alwaies given to Alie= ns in Case of triall in Causes Crimenall, by the Iudgment of our Savioure himselfe, The breade properlie belongeth vnto the Children of the kingdome And therefore wee are to beseech his majestie to be grati= ouslie pleased to stoppe the Currant of future Com= mers of the Scottish nacion to reside within this kingdome other then such as shalbe necessarie for his majesties especiall service, for theire his majestie him selfe shalbe lesse troubled, charged, and importuned, his estate more enabled to reward those of that Country that are here alreadie in his service and those that shall soe offer or desire to come to theire owne good forewarned, that through vncertaine hopes of getting, here they spend not what they are alreadie possessed of in certainty in theire owne Country as is reported that many haue alreadie done to the great detrement of theire owne of their owne estates, and infeeblinge the Auntient No= billitie and gentry of that kingdome./.

This was deare Soueraigne, to my remembrance the effecte, and substance of what I had conceaved to Speake in Parleament, wherein if any thinge shall appeare vnto you your majestie distastefull, pardon it. I most Humblie vpon my knees beseech you, and consider that to worke vpon a bodie that had formor= lie shewed soe litle disposicion were necessary drug= ges both of strength and different temperature, esp= eciallie my purpose beinge to drawe from it matter of soe great consequence as the payment of your debttes, the prouidinge of you a Treasure in omnes euentus , and the estableshinge the estate of your Reven= ewe, fitt to supporte you, in that royall luster that hitherto you haue lived in./.

This beinge Commvnicated to doctor Sharpe (and mr Hit= checocke failinge to performe the mocion) it seemes that he gate by some meanes Corespondency with mr Hoskins who made (as I haue heard) a speech in Parleam= ent concerninge the Scottes, but such as neither a= greed with myne in forme or matter. Yet is the doc= tore content (one of his owne apprehentions) soe farre to forgett him selfe as to affirme that I should promise in regarde of mr Hoskines Losse of his practise in the Terme to give him .20.li which I proteste vnto your majestie before almightie God I neuer did nor intended: He moued me moued me (I confesse) and perswaded with example of others, that he said would give, but did neither name nor in any such sort pointe at any, as either in honest= ie or Christianitie I cane Iustlie name nay one with= out perrill to charge an Innocent, which I knowe your owne royall and pious hearte would Condemne then allowe in mee./.

For Manifestacion of the truth of all other thinges which it pleased your majestie I should be examyned of, I haue plainelie Answered before mr Secretary and mr Solice= tore, and doe eftsoons cast my selfe at your majesties feete, Protestinge even as I shall answere at the dreadfull daye of Godes Iudgment, that in noe conference held by me concerninge your parleament, there was any other thinge propounded or intended, but what my hearte and sowle thought to haue bene for your majesties speciall vtillitie and service, for the securetie of your estate, and the setlinge and Contentment of these your kingdomes and gouernement, which God lett me noe longer live, then I shall desire as much as any man that Lyves vpon the Earth, as hee that soe longe with all the affectes of his soule hath served you, and not in paper onlie, but in hearte and will, desires not ten dayes to be added to his Lyfe, If your majestie: shall not be gratiouslie pleased to restore him to your favour and to recken and receive him in the nvmber of./.

Your most humble faithfull affectionat Servant./.

Ch: Cornewallis./