WEE perceiue your comming is to present thankes vnto vs ; Know I accept them with no lesse ioy then your loues can haue desire to offer such a Present , and doe more esteeme it then any Treasure or Riches , for those Wee know how to prize , but Loyaltie , Loue , and Thankes , I account them invaluable ; and though God hath raysed Mee high , yet this I account the glorie of my Crowne , that I haue reigned with your Loues . This makes that I doe not so much reioyce that God hath made Mee to bee a Queene , as to bee a Queene ouer so thankefull a People , and to bee the meane vnder God to conserue you in safety , and preserue you from danger , yea to bee the Instrument to deliuer you from dishonour , from shame , and from infamie ; to keepe you from out of seruitude , and from slauerie vnder our Enemies , and cruell tyranny , and vilde oppression intended against vs : for the better withstanding wherof , Wee take very acceptably your intended helpes , and chiefely in that it manifesteth your loues and largenesse of heart to your Soveraigne . Of My selfe I must say this , I neuer was any greedy scraping grasper , nor a strict fast-holding Prince , nor yet a waster , My heart was neuer set vpon any worldly goods , but onely for my Subiects good . What you doe bestow on Me , I will not hoard vp , but receiue it to bestow on you againe ; yea Mine owne Properties I account yours to bee expended for your good , and your eyes shall see the bestowing of it for your wellfare .

Mr. Speaker , I would wish you and the rest to stand vp , for I feare I shall yet trouble you with longer speech .

Mr. Speaker , you giue me thankes , but I am more to thanke you , and I charge you , thanke them of the Lower-House from Me , for had I not received knowledge from you , I might a fallen into the lapse of an Error , onely for want of true information .

Since I was Queene yet did I neuer put My Pen to any Grant but vpon pretext and semblance made Me , that it was for the good and availe of my Subiects generally , though a private profit to some of my ancie●t Servants who haue deserved well : But that my Grants shall bee made Grievances to my People , and Oppressions , to bee priviledged vnder colour of Our Pattents , Our Princely Dignitie shall not suffer it .

When I heard it , I could giue no rest vnto my thoughts vntill I had reformed it , & those Varlets , lewd persons , abusers of my bountie , shall know I wil not suffer it . And Mr. Speaker , tell the House from mee , I take it exceeding gratefull , that the knowledge of these things are come vnto mee from them . And though amongst , them the principall Members are such as are not touched in private , and therefore need not speake from any feeling of the griefe , yet We haue heard that other Gentlemen also of the House , who stand as free , haue spoken as freely in it ; which giues vs to know that no respects or intrests haue moved them other then the mindes they beare to suffer no diminution of our Honour , and our Subiects loue vnto Vs. The zeale of which affection tending to ease my People , & knit their hearts vnto vs , I embrace with a Princely care farre aboue all earthly Treasures . I esteeme my Peoples loue , more then which I desire not to merit : And God that gaue me here to sit , and placed mee ouer you , knowes that I neuer respected my selfe , but as your good was conserued in mee ; yet what dangers , what practises , and what perills I haue passed , some , if not all of you know : but none of these things doe mooue mee , or euer made mee feare , but it is God that hath delivered me .

And in my gouerning this Land , I haue euer set the last Iudgement day before mine eyes , and so to rule , as I shall be Iudged and answer before a higher Iudge , to whose Iudgement Seat I doe appeale in that neuer thought was cherished in my heart that tended not to my Peoples good .

And if my Princely bountie haue beene abused , and my Grants turned to the hurt of my People contrary to my will and meaning , or if any in Authoritie vnder mee haue neglected , or converted what I haue committed vnto them , I hope God will not lay their culps to my charge .

To be a King , and weare a Crown , is a thing more glorious to them that see it , then it is pleasant to them that beare it : for my selfe , I neuer was so much inticed with the glorious name of a King , or the royall authoritie of a Queene , as delighted that God hath made me His Instrument to maintaine His Truth and Glorie , and to defend this Kingdome from dishonour , dammage , tyrannie , and oppression . But should I ascribe any of these things vnto my selfe , or my sexly weakenesse , I were not worthy to liue , and of all most vnworthy of the mercies I haue receiued at Gods hands , but to God onely and wholly all is giuen and ascribed .

The cares and trouble of a Crowne I cannot more fitly resemble then to the Drugges of a learned Physitian , perfumed with some Aromaticall sauour , or to bitter Pils guilded ouer , by which they are made more exceptable or lesse offensiue , which indeed are bitter and vnpleasant to take ; and for my owne part , were it not for Conscience sake to discharge the duetie that God hath layd vpon me , and to maintaine his glorie , and keepe you in safetie , in mine owne disposition I should be willing to resigne the place I hold to any other , and glad to be freed of the Glory with the Labors , for it is not my desire to liue nor to reign longer then my life and reigne shall bee for your good . And though you haue had and may haue many mightier and wiser Princes sitting in this Seat , yet you neuer had nor shall haue any that will loue you better .

Thus Mr. Speaker , I commend mee to your loyall Loues , and yours to my best care and your further Councels , & I pray you Mr. Controuller , & Mr. Secretary , and you of my Councell , that before these Gentlemen depart into their Countreys you bring them all to kisse my Hand .