given no lesse content to all good men, then they wished or expected.

For, I was resolved to hear reason in all things, and to consent to it so farre as I could comprehend it: but as swine are to gardens and orderly plantations, so are tumults to Parliaments, and plebeian concourses to publique councels, turning all into disorders and sordid confusions.

I am prone sometimes to think, that had I called this Parliament to any other place in England (as I might opportunely enough have done) the sad consequences in all likelyhood, with Gods blessing, might have been prevented. A Parliament would have been welcome in any place; no place afforded such confluence of various and vitious humours, as that where it was unhappily convened. But we must leave all to God, who orders our disorders, and magnifies his wisdome most, when our follies and miseries are most discovered.

But thou, O Lord, art My refuge and defence, to thee I may safely flie, who rulest the raging of the sea, and the madnesse of the people.

The flouds, O Lord, the flouds are come in upon Me, and are ready to overwhelme Me.

I look upon My sins, and the sins of My people, (which are the tumults of our soules against thee, O Lord) as the just cause of these popular inundations which thou permittest to overbeare all the banks of loyalty, modesty, lawes, justice, and religion.

But thou that gatheredst the waters into one place, and madest the dry land to appeare, and after didst asswage the floud which drowned the world, by the word of thy power; rebuke those beasts of the people, and deliver Me from the rudenesse and strivings of the multitude.

Restore, we beseech thee, unto us, the freedomes of our councels and Parliaments, make us unpassionately to see the light of reason, and religion, and with all order, and gravity to follow it, as it becomes men and Christians, so shall we praise thy name, who art the God of order and counsell.

What man cannot, or will not represse, thy omnipotent justice can and will.

O Lord, give them that are yet living, a timely sense and sorrow for their great sin, whom thou knowest guilty of raising or not suppressing those disorders: let shame here, and not suffering hereafter be their punishment.

Set bounds to our passions by reason, to our er

rours by truth, to our seditions by lawes duely executed, and to our schismes by charity, that we may be, as thy Jerusalem, a city at unity in it selfe.

This grant, O My God, in thy good time for Jesus Christ sake, Amen.

V. UPON HIS MAJESTIES PASSING THE BILL FOR THE TRIENNIALL PARLIAMENTS: AND AFTER SETLING THIS, DURING THE PLEASURE OF THE TWO HOUSES.

THAT the world might be fully confirmed in My purposes at first, to contribute, what in justice, reason, honour, and conscience, I could, to the happy successe of this Parliament, (which had in Me no other designe but the generall good of My kingdomes) I willingly passed the BILL for Trienniall Parliaments: which, as gentle and seasonable physick, might (if well applied) prevent any distempers from getting any head of prevailing; especially, if the remedy proved not a disease beyond all remedy.

I conceived, this Parliament would find work with convenient recesses for the first three yeares; but I did not imagine that some men would thereby have occasioned more work then they found to doe, by undoing so much as they found well done to their hands. Such is some mens activity that they wil needs make work rather then want it; and chuse to be doing amisse, rather then doe nothing.

When that first act seemed too scanty to satisfie some mens feares, and compasse publique

affaires; I was perswaded to grant that BILL of sitting during the pleasure of the Houses, which amounted in some mens sense to as much as the perpetuating this Parliament. By this act of highest confidence, I hoped for ever to shut out, and lock the dore upon all present jealousies, and future mistakes: I confesse I did not thereby intend to shut My selfe out of dores, as some men have now requited Me.

True, it was an act unparalell'd by any of My predecessours; yet cannot in reason admit of any worse interpretation then this, of an extreame confidence I had, that My subjects would not make ill use of an act, by which I declared somuch to trust them, as to deny My selfe in so high a point of My prerogative.

For, good subjects will never think it just or fit that My condition should be worse by My bettering theirs: nor indeed would it have been so in the events, if some men had known as well with moderation to use, as with earnestnesse to desire advantages of doing good, or evill.

A continuall Parliament (I thought) would but keep the Common-weale in tune, by preserving lawes in their due execution and vigour, wherein My interest lies more than any mans, since by