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Show ------:----:-:-:------::---:-:-;--:-:-~~~ -·- -- ' · 6 A Speech to King James.,_.at hi1 prefen~~g tbe P ~tit ion fL: . Andtheodier fo high a C:mfc of Efbte; Ttat, as the ~ · aw' [; ith of the \~ifet1 I(ing; That his Heart was as tf;e Sands "crhipstur~ ~"h·1'ch thoufh it be o~e oft he largdr_, and vatl:efr Bo- 0rt e ea, vv , . d p · s dies, yet it confifieth, o the fina}lefr ~1oates,~an 01 tiOn~. o ' I fa ) it appeareth unto us, w t~1c fe two examples, th~t God bathygiven your Maj efiy a rare fufficten~y, both to com paffe, and c. h e thegreatefi matters ~md to dJ(cern the leart. And for Lmata totemr o' fPraife and Com me' n d att.o .J, w h. h } . fl b 1 ed IC c ue y e ong .• t Goodnefs ~e cannot but with great thankfulDefs prof~ Is; ;hat your Majefty,within_the Circle of one Year, of you~· Ra1gp~ (infra orbem Amti Yertcntu) hath endtavoured, to un t ~e yout c burch which was divided; To fupply your Nobility, whlch was di.m1nifhed ; And to eafeyo~r People, in Cafes, where they were burthened and oppre.fied. In the lafl:'of thc:fe,your high Merits; That is the Eafe,and C omfort, of your People ; ~oth fallout to b~ c~mprehende~, the l'vlejj:1ge which I now bnng unto·your Ma;ejite ; concerning t he great Grievance, ari!dng, by th~ manifold Abu_fes, of rurv~yors:, Differing, in fome Dega-~e,. from mofl: of the t?mg~, ~~erem Wt: . deale, and confult; For It ts true., that the .Kmgbts, ~1t1'Lens, and Burgeff"es in Parliament affembled, are~ R.eprdentatrve Body, ot your comnJons, and Third Fjiate: And 1n many matters, although · we apply our (elves, to perform the truft) of thofe that choo k, us; yet, it may be., we ~o [f~eak much, _?Ut of our own Senfes,a d Difcourfes. Eut tn this Gnevance, bewg of that ~atur~,. whereuntothepoorPeopleismofi: exppfed, and Men of ~l ~ htylefs ; we fhall mofi humbly defire your Majefly, toconceive,That your ~Jajcfty, doth not hea~, our Opinions, or Senfes, but the very Groanes, ;trrd Complaints themfelves, of ~our Commons, ~ore truly and vively then by Reprefentltton~· For th;re IS no Gric. ;ance, in you; Kingdome, fo genera11, fo cont~nualJ, fo fenfible and fo bitter unto the common subjdJ, as thts whereof we now' fpeak. Wherein, it may pleafe your Maje.fty, to vouch~afe me leave; Firfr, to fet forthunto y~u,the dutifull)and refpctt:v:e Carriage, of our proceeding; Next the fubfi~nce of o~r P:uuon; And Thirdly, fame Reafons and Mot1ves, whtch, 1~ all Humblenefs~ we do offer to your Majiflies,Royall C~nfideratl~n, , or Commiferation: we affuring our felves, that never Kmg raigned th:tt had better Notions ofHead,and Motions ofHeart, for 1 he Good, and Comfort) of his lovio_g subjel!J. For the firfr; In the Courfe of Remedy, which we defire, we pretead not, nor !ntend not, in any fo~t, .t~ deroF:ate fr.om your Majefties Prerogauv~ ;_Nor to ~ouch) dtmmifh, or quefit_?n, any :your JUajefties Regaht1es ,or Rtghts. For we feek nothmg, but the Reformation of Abufes, and the Execution of former Laws, whereunto we are born. And although, it be no {£range Thing in Parliament, for new Abufei, 'to crave new Remedies; yer neve~thelefs in thefe Abufes, (which) if not in Nature, yet in extreun-tv~ of the HoufeJ concerning Pur'VeyorJ." ty-,-a-nd-H-~ e-ig_t_h-of them, are ~oil: of them nt w-) _w_e_co_n~t-ent 0 - u- r felves With the old Laws: Ondy we defire a Confirmation an{!. Q!Jickening of them, in their Execution; So far are we frodt any Humour ot Innovation, or Incroachment. ~ As to the Court, of the Green-C/o, h, ordained for the P rovifion of your 1!1ajejiiu mofi Honourable Houlliold we h.old it Aaci~ ent, we hold it Reverc:nt. Other courts refpect your· Politick P~rfon, ~ut that refpefrs your ~aturall P erfon. But yet notwtthfiandJng,( mofi: Excellent Kmg,)to ufe that Freedom which ~o Subjecrs,that poure out their Griefs before fo gracious~ King, u al.lowable,~~ may very well alledge unto your Majefly,a Com. panfon, orStmnude, ufed by one of the Fathers in another Mat! e~ ; ~nd not unfitly reprefenting, our C<1 fe, id this point: And It IS of the Leaves, and Roots, u fNe.ttles. The Leaves are venomous, and fiinging, where they touch: The Root is ~ot fo but is without Venome~ or M.tligriity :And yet it is that Roo:, that bear~, and !up ports, all the Lec1ves. To come now, to the fubfiance, of our Petition . .It is no other, then by the Benefit of your Maj e{lies Laws, to be relieved of the Abufes? ofPurveyors; Whk h Abufes,do naturally divid:themfel ves, m to three forts. The firfi, they take in Kind, that they ought not to take. The fecond, t~ey take in QuJntity, a fdlr greater proportion, then commeth to your 111aj ejties Ufe. The Third, they take in an unlawfull manner: In a manner (I fay) di.~;ectly, and exprefly, prohibited, by diven Laws. ' For the Firft of thefe; I am a little to alt~r their Name. For in~:ad ofTak_e~s, ~hey b~come Taxers: Infread of taking Provifion ior your Ma_.7e.fttes fervtce, they tax your people~ad redimendam vexationem: lmpofing upon t.hem,_ and extorting from them, divers fums of Money, fomettmes In grofs, fometimes in the nature ot Stipends annually paid, Ne nocettnt, to be freed and eafed of their opprefiion. Again, they take Tree.r, which b; Law the; cannot do; Tim ~er- Trees, which are the Beauty, Countenance, an~ Shelter) of Mens Houfes; That Men have long fpared, from thetre>wn purfe, and profit; That Men efreem, (for their ufe and delight,) above ten times the value : That are a Lofs which Men cannot repair) or recover. Thefe do they take toJt 1e Defacing, and Spoyling, of your Subject£ Manlions:~and Dwellings; Except they may be compounded with, to their own Ar petites. And if a Gentleman, be too h:ud for them1 while he is 2t home, They will watch their time, when there is but a B y litfe, or a Servant)remaining,And put the Axe to the Root of the Tree, ere ever the Mafier can fiop it. Again they ufe a firange,and mofi u n j?fr, Ex:~ Ct:ion; In 'caufing the Subj ect:~, to pay Poundage, of thetr own Debts, due from your Majeflyunto them: So2s a poor Man_, when he ha h had his Hay, or his Wood, or his Poultry, ( wh1ch, I?erchanc~, he was full loath to part with, and had, for the P rov1fion3 ofh1s own Family, and not, to put to Sale,) taken from 7 |