Long live KING CHARLES The SECOND: Or the Order of the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, for taking down the•tates Arms, and ſetting up of His Royal Majeſties.
IN the dayes of Queen Elizabeth and King James, this Kingdom was in a peaceable poſture both in Church and State, being then ſound within her ſelf, ſo that ſhe was able, by the Powerful Hand of God, to goe out in Battel and foyle all her enemies; the ſecret practices that then were on foot againſt her, returned on the Heads of the Contrivers; ſo that then ſhe was a terror to all the Nations round about her, no one daring to lift up his hand to diſturb her peace and ſettlement: Thus did ſhe continue till the Martyr Charles was cut off by the Butchering hand of his own Subjects, but by the Papiſtical inſtigation, that was the laſt night of Englands luſtre, ever ſince which time, ſhe hath been covered with a black and thick dark Cloud, nothing4 but gloomy Chances, Changes, Revolutions, and Turnings, which have tormented her like a Weather-beaten Shipwrackt Veſſel, hurried and toſſed upon the Regions of Neptune by the enmity and competion between him and the Porcan puffs; firſt here, then there, never grounded upon any firm Baſſes! How many Rivers of innocent Blood within theſe 20 years have been ſpii•in the Fields? Whom think you muſt anſwer for theſe things? The Father hath riſen up in rage againſt the Son of his Loynes, and the Son againſt thoſe who gave him light. The Daughters and Wives that have been raviſhed and defloured by the cruel en•m•es, your Brethren that have periſhed with bitter Oathes in their mouths, the loſs you have ſuffered by Plunders, Rapes, Murthers, Goods, Eſtates, Wives, and Selves, is of great concernment; the Oaths upon Oaths, Leagues, Vows, Covenants, Proteſtations, Remonſtrances, and Engagements you have made both to Nobles and Commons, to defend the Kings, Queens, Princes, and Royal Families Perſons in their Rights and Priviledges, Honour and Dignities: And that yet you ſhould murther your King! — Nay, Baniſh his vertuous Wife and Children; not onely Princes, but Engliſh Free-born Princes from their Lawfull and Undoub•ed Birth-rights, ſpoil his houſes, and put to ſale his goods, and part the ſpoil of their Lands, Properties, and Revenues, &c.
Where is now the Government that Peace hath Crowned our Nations under? We had a King as a Legacy, and that the beſt our Fore fathers could leave us of Temporal things; but we have plaid the Prodigal Son with him; and how many now would be glad to feed with the Swine for a contenting ſuſtentation. We had then a full enjoyment of all the mercies that could be in a Kingdom, We had a Government in the Church, Religion was countenanced, we had pious and able Divines, Juſtice ran down our ſtreets like a mighty ſtream and friends and neighbours would ſay one to another, Whether goe you, Why5 to Church (ſaid they preſently) then we were happy then we made good the Old Proverb, Content with Godlineſs is happy gain. The Nurſeries of learning from whence hath ſprung all the Pillars of the Goſpel, in thoſe dayes, we countenanced, cheriſhed, upheld, and incouraged; then was Youth Trained up in the fear of God, evil doers were diſcouraged, and well doers countenanced, honeſty and plain dealing was uſed much then among us. What equity was therein Courts of Judicature, the King himſelf not being exempted from the Comencement of a ſuit againſt him by the meaneſt of his Subjects. When there was one lawfull ſingle perſon and a King ruled theſe Nations, then we were filled with Trade, and the Kingdom richly flouriſhed, and we were the terror of all the Nations round about us, no one daring to diſturb our peace.
Now let us enter upon a ſerious r•flection of the other part of our miſeries in the Kingdom of England.
FIrſt, here ſits your Headleſs King Beheaded, with Blood all over! Are theſe the garments you array your Princes in? Next, behold his Children turned out of Doors, and left to the mercy of ſtrangers; the Children of your Martyred King, the Children of your Innocent ſuffering King, your Lawfull King and his Brethren; not onely Princes, but Engliſh Free born Princes: In another place lyes his Houſes and Palaces turned to a heap of ruines! His Furnitures and Houſhold ſtuff conſumed and deſtroyed, the Crown rent by Wild Bores amongſt themſelves, whileſt you ſtand gazing upon them. You may ſee now what all their fair pretences are come too: Let me aſk you one Queſtion; What was your reaſon in ſhedding ſo much blood? For what end did you do it? To ſet up Uſurping Beggars to Tyrannize over you! They pretended to Peace, the Lord knowes what Liberty for you, and I think they have done it; but how6 have they done it? They have taken and Uſurped liberties to make you their Bondmen. Firſt, they Voted Kingly Office to be heavy and burdenſome to the Commonwealth; and good reaſon too, for had they not done ſo, their cauſe, their glorious cauſe had been quite ſlipt and laid as low as the Duſt of the Earth. It is now eleven years ſince you lived in Peace, in hope of this Idea, Ʋtopian, or Farie Commonwealth, that they have flam'd and fool d you withal, and will as many years more, if you will ſuffer them; but I hope ſuffering has taught you wiſdom.
OUr long-ſuffering Prince, and gracious Majeſty, in conſideration of the many miſeries which theſe poor Nations have bin ſo long exerciſed with, cannot think of a more natural and proper remedy, then to reſort to thoſe for advice, who are entruſted to repair the breaches that have been made. Upon which, ground, his majeſty ſent a Letter and Declaration to the Houſe of Lords another to the Houſe of Commons; and his gratious letter with a declaration incloſed to his Excellency, and his gracious letter and declaration to the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common council, who out of their reſpects they owe to his excellent Majeſty while it was reading ſtood all bare.
The Common-council upon reading his majeſties gracious letter, ordered that the right honourable the Lord mayor do acquaint the Lord Viſcount Mordant and Sir John Greenvile, who7 brought the ſaid letter and declaration, That this Court do return moſt humble and hearty thanks for his gracious owning of this court and city, and declare their readineſs to be under His majeſties government; in teſtimony whereof, they have taken down the Commonwealths Arms, and ordered the Kings Arms to be ſet up. And further that this Court do beg the favour of the Lord Mordant to return with an Anſwer in Writing to his Majeſty from this Court: And alſo, that this Court do intend very ſpeedily to ſend members of their own to wait on his Majeſty.
Since which time, the Honourable Court have ordered, That Alderman Adams, Alderman Robinſon, Alderman Bateman, and William Wild Eſq Recorder of London, together with col. Broomfield Major Chamberlain, Alderman Vincent, Mr. Bloudworth, Mr. Ford, and Mr. Bateman Eſquires, are to attend his Majeſty with a Letter from the City of London, with their Preſent of ten thouſand pounds.
The Houſe of Peers have made choice of the Earls of Oxford, Warwick, and Middleſex, with the Lords Berkley Brooks, and Hereford, to carry their Anſwer to his Majeſty. The Houſe of Commons have alſo agreed upon their Anſwer, and have appointed a proportionable number of their members likewiſe to attend his Majeſty.
The Lord General and his Officers having agreed upon a•etter in anſwer to the Meſſage which they received from the King, Dr. Clergies was ordered to attend his Majeſty with the ſaid Letter, and began his journey for Breda, Friday May the 4th.
Mr Speakers Speech to Sir John Greenvile, upon preſenting of his Majesties Letter and Declaration.
I Need not tell you with what grateful and hearty thanks the Commons now Aſſembled in Parliament have received His majeſties8 gracious letter, res ipſa loquitur: You your ſelf have been Auricularis & occularis teſtis de rei veritate. Our Bells and our Bonfires have already begun the Proclamation of His majeſties goodneſs, and of our Joyes. We have told the People that the King is coming home again; and they have reſounded it back again to us, that they are ready, and th ir hearts are open to receive him. Both Parliament and People have cried aloud in their prayers to God above, long live King Charles the Second. And I am to tell you, that this Houſe doth not think it fit that you ſhould return to Our Soveraign, without ſome testimony of their reſpects to your ſelf. They have ordered that 500 l. ſhall be delivered unto you, to buy a Jewel, as a badge of honour which is due to a perſon whom the King hath honoured to be the meſſenger of ſo gracious a meſſage: And I am commanded in the name of the Houſe to return you their very hearty thanks.
The Parliament have Ordered, That a Committee do conſider of the Court of Wards and Liveries, and all Tenures thereunto belonging, and to prepare ſomething for the conſideration of the Houſe, for the ſettlement of 100000 l by the year, upon his Majeſty in lieu thereof.
The day of the Kings Coronation is ſuppoſed will be celebrated on the 29th of this inſtant, his Majeſties Birth-day; the Kings Arms are to be ſet up forthwith in all Churches, market-towns, and other uſuaal places, throughout England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, and all the Territories and Dominions thereunto belonging, and the States Arms are to be taken down: This glorious Work is already begun in ſeveral parts of the city of London; and the Princely Statue of Charles the firſt, of ever bleſſed and never dying memory, and the Statue of our Soveraign Lord K. Charles the ſecond, are to be ſet up in the Royal Exchange London. The Crown and Scepter is alſo preparing in a moſt magnificent manner; and the People begin with voices of loyalty, and allegeance to ſing.
God ſave Charles our lawfull KING.