HIS
MAJESTIES
GRACIOUS
SPEECH
To
both
HOUSES
of
PARLIAMENT
.
My
Lords
and
Gentlemen
,
I
Am
confident
you
all
believe
,
that
if
it
had
not
been
absolutely
necessary
to
consult
with
you
,
I
would
not
have
called
you
together
at
this
time
,
when
the
Contagion
hath
so
spread
it self
over
so
many
parts
of
the
Kingdom
.
I
take
it
for
a
good
Omen
to
see
so
good
an
appearance
this
day
,
and
I
doubt
not
,
every
day
will
add
to
your
number
;
and
I
give
you
all
My
thanks
for
your
compliance
so
far
with
My
desires
.
The
truth
is
,
as
I
entred
upon
this
War
by
your
advice
and
encouragement
;
so
I
do
desire
,
that
you
may
as
frequently
as
is
possible
,
receive
information
of
the
Conduct
and
Effects
of
it
,
and
that
I
may
have
the
continuance
of
your
cheerful
Supply
for
the
carrying
it
on
.
I
will
not
deny
to
you
,
that
it
hath
proved
more
chargeable
then
I
could
imagine
it
would
have
been
:
The
addition
they
still
made
to
their
Fleets
,
beyond
their
first
purpose
,
made
it
unavoidably
necessary
for
Me
to
make
proportionable
Preparations
,
which
God
hath
hitherto
blessed
with
success
in
all
Encounters
.
And
as
the
Enemy
have
used
their
utmost
endeavours
by
C●lumnies
and
false
Suggestions
,
to
make
themselves
Friends
,
and
to
perswade
others
to
assist
them
against
Vs
;
so
I
have
not
been
wanting
to
encourage
t●ose
Princes
who
have
been
wronged
by
the
Dutch
,
to
recover
their
own
by
force
;
and
in
order
thereunto
,
have
assisted
the
Bishop
of
Munster
with
a
very
great
sum
of
ready
Money
,
and
am
to
continue
a
supply
to
him
,
who
is
now
in
the
bowels
of
their
Countrey
with
a
Powerful
Army
.
These
Issues
,
which
I
may
tell
you
,
have
been
made
with
very
good
Conduct
and
Husbandry
,
(
nor
indeed
do
I
know
that
any
thing
hath
been
spent
,
that
could
have
been
well
and
safely
saved
)
I
say
,
this
expence
will
not
suffer
you
to
wonder
,
that
the
great
Supply
which
you
gave
Me
for
this
War
,
in
so
bountiful
a
proportion
,
is
upon
the
matter
already
spent
:
So
that
I
must
not
only
expect
an
assistance
from
you
,
to
carry
on
this
War
;
but
such
an
assistance
,
as
may
inable
Me
to
defend
My Self
and
you
,
against
a
more
Powerful
Neighbour
,
if
he
shall
prefer
the
Friendship
of
the
Dutch
before
Mine
.
I
told
you
,
when
I
entred
upon
this
War
,
That
I
had
not
such
a
Brutal
appetite
,
as
to
make
War
for
War
sake
.
I
am
still
of
the
same
mind
:
I
have
been
ready
to
receive
any
Propositions
that
France
hath
thought
fit
to
offer
to
that
end
;
but
hitherto
nothing
hath
been
offered
worthy
My
acceptance
;
nor
is
the
Dutch
less
insolent
,
though
I
know
no
advantage
they
have
had
,
but
the
continuance
of
the
Contagion
:
God
Almighty
,
I
hope
,
will
shortly
deprive
them
of
that
encouragement
.
The
Chancellor
will
inform
you
of
all
the
Particulars
.