His
Maiesties
Speech
to
the
Knights
,
Gentlemen
,
and
Freeholders
of
the
County
of
Lincoln
,
At
LINCOLN
.
Gentlemen
,
IF
I
could
have
suspected
your
affections
,
or
have
censured
the
duty
of
this
County
by
some
late
Actions
in
it
,
I
should
not
have
taken
this
pains
to
have
given
you
a
Testimony
of
my
Affection
to
you
,
and
to
remove
those
Objections
,
which
being
raised
by
a
Malignant
Party
,
may
,
by
their
cunning
and
industry
,
get
credit
even
with
honest
minds
.
The
truth
is
,
I
come
to
you
to
assure
you
of
my
purposes
and
resolutions
,
for
the
Defence
of
what
ever
is
or
should
be
dear
unto
you
,
your
Religion
,
your
Liberty
,
your
common
Interest
,
and
the
Law
of
the
Land
:
and
to
undeceive
you
of
that
Opinion
,
which
I
hear
hath
mis-led
many
of
you
,
That
the
pretended
Ordinance
of
the
Militia
is
warranted
by
my
Consent
and
Authority
.
As
I
have
already
Informed
you
,
by
my
severall
Declarations
and
Messages
,
that
the
same
is
against
the
known
Law
,
and
an
Invasion
of
my
unquestionable
Right
,
and
of
your
Liberty
and
Property
,
so
I
doe
now
declare
unto
you
,
that
the
same
is
imposed
upon
you
against
my
Expresse
Consent
,
and
in
Contempt
of
my
Regall
Authority
;
And
therefore
whosoever
shall
henceforth
presume
to
Execute
or
Obey
the
same
,
I
shall
proceed
against
them
,
as
against
such
who
promote
Rebellion
,
and
actually
levie
War
against
me
:
And
I
doubt
not
,
but
you
will
sadly
consider
,
That
if
any
Authority
without
and
against
my
Consent
may
lawfully
impose
such
Burthens
upon
you
,
it
may
likewise
take
away
all
that
you
have
from
you
,
and
subject
you
to
their
Lawlesse
,
Arbitrary
Power
and
Government
:
And
how
farre
they
are
like
to
exercise
that
Iurisdiction
towards
you
,
you
may
guesse
by
the
Insolence
of
Sir
Iohn
Hotham
at
Hull
,
who
(
being
a
Subject
)
not
only
presumes
to
keep
His
Soveraign
,
by
force
of
Arms
,
out
of
His
Town
,
but
murthers
his
Fellow-Subjects
,
imprisons
them
,
burns
their
Houses
,
drowns
their
Land
,
takes
them
Captives
,
and
commits
such
Outrages
,
and
Acts
of
Hostilitie
,
as
the
most
equall
and
outragious
Enemies
practise
in
any
Countrey
;
That
you
may
see
how
impossible
't
is
for
your
Liberties
and
Properties
to
be
preserved
,
when
your
King
〈…〉
,
and
His
just
Rights
taken
from
Him
:
Who
hath
brought
these
Calamities
upon
your
Neighbour●
〈◇〉
,
every
Man
sees
;
and
they
onely
can
bring
the
same
upon
you
.
I
will
not
beleeve
you
to
be
so
insensi●…
e
of
the
benefits
you
have
received
from
me
,
that
I
need
put
you
in
mind
of
the
Gracious
Acts
passed
by
me
t●…
s
Parliament
on
your
behalfs
;
And
if
there
be
any
thing
wanting
,
to
the
making
you
the
happiest
Subjects
in
the
world
,
I
am
sure
't
is
not
my
fault
,
that
you
have
not
that
too
:
Be
not
deceived
with
words
,
and
Generall
Expressions
;
't
is
not
in
your
Power
to
name
one
Particular
,
which
might
make
you
happy
,
that
I
have
refused
to
Grant
:
Be
not
Frighted
with
Apprehensions
,
That
this
Countrey
is
like
to
be
the
Seat
of
a
war
;
the
Seat
of
a
war
will
be
onely
where
persons
rise
in
Rebellion
against
me
;
that
will
not
,
I
hope
,
be
here
,
and
then
you
shall
be
sure
of
my
Protection
;
I
will
live
and
die
in
your
Defence
.
And
that
you
may
be
in
a
Readinesse
,
and
a
Posture
to
defend
yourselves
and
me
,
against
any
Invasion
or
Rebellion
,
I
have
Armed
severall
persons
of
Honour
,
Quality
,
and
Reputation
amongst
you
,
and
of
your
own
Countrey
,
with
a
Commission
of
Array
to
that
purpose
:
There
is
no
honest
end
declared
in
that
Ordinance
,
which
is
not
provided
for
by
this
Commission
,
which
being
according
to
the
old
known
Law
,
is
fit
for
your
Obedience
,
and
I
doubt
not
will
finde
it
.
In
a
word
,
I
assure
you
,
upon
the
Faith
and
Honour
of
a
Christian
King
,
I
will
be
alwayes
as
tender
of
any
thing
which
may
advance
the
true
Protestant
Religion
,
protect
and
preserve
the
Laws
of
the
Land
,
and
defend
the
just
Priviledge
and
Freedom
of
Parliament
,
as
of
my
Life
,
or
my
Crown
:
and
when
I
faile
in
either
of
these
,
I
will
not
looke
for
your
assistance
;
till
then
you
are
concerned
not
to
see
me
suffer
.