THE
SPEECH
Of
the
Right
Honourable
Sir
THOMAS
LANE
,
Kt
Lord-Mayor
Elect
For
the
CITY
of
LONDON
,
At
Guild-Hall
,
upon
Michaelmas-day
.
1694.
GENTLEMEN
,
I
Acknowledge
your
extraordinary
Respects
in
Chusing
Me
to
Serve
You
in
the
Highest
Station
of
your
Government
.
I
am
very
sensible
of
my
own
Unfitness
for
so
great
an
Employment
,
and
could
have
much
rather
chose
a
Retirement
;
but
since
you
will
have
it
so
,
I
shall
,
by
God's
Assistance
,
apply
My self
to
the
Work
you
have
called
Me.
And
for
the
carrying
of
it
on
,
I
will
take
the
best
Advice
and
Direction
of
my
Honoured
Brethren
of
the
Court
of
Aldermen
;
and
,
on
every
emergent
Occasion
,
call
in
the
Assistance
of
your
Representatives
,
the
Common-Councel
.
And
,
Gentlemen
,
I
desire
your
most
Free
Access
unto
me
at
all
times
:
For
what
By-Laws
you
will
have
Made
,
or
Repeal'd
,
I
will
readily
call
a
Common-Council
,
as
oft
as
you
shall
desire
.
One
thing
I
must
beg
of
you
,
That
as
I
shall
always
Design
and
Endeavour
nothing
but
the
Publick
Good
,
so
let
my
Actions
receive
a
Favourable
Construction
;
and
think
me
not
so
unworthy
as
to
employ
the
Power
and
Trust
you
have
invested
in
me
,
to
your
Prejudice
.
I
shall
be
ambitious
to
follow
my
Worthy
Predecessor
in
all
the
Good
Ends
of
Government
,
though
I
despair
of
coming
up
to
his
Great
Example
.
If
Emulation
be
Commendable
upon
any
Account
,
it
must
certainly
be
upon
so
good
a
one
,
as
doing
the
Best
Service
for
the
Greatest
City
in
Europe
,
and
for
such
Fellow-Citizens
as
have
in
the
Worst
of
Times
exposed
Themselves
to
the
Greatest
Dangers
for
the
Defence
of
their
Religion
and
Liberties
.
May
the
same
Noble
Principles
still
inspire
you
with
a
True
Zeal
for
God
,
your
King
,
and
Country
;
and
may
the
Glorious
King
William
and
Queen
Mary
always
be
Happy
in
the
utmost
of
your
Affections
and
Assistances
,
that
the
Tranquility
of
this
City
,
and
of
the
Nation
in
general
may
Flourish
.