Eikon Basilike Part 2

For, I was resolved to hear reason in all things, and to consent to it so far as I could comprehend it: but as Swine are to Gardens and orderly Plantations, so are Tumults to Parliaments, and Plebeian concourses to publick Councels, turning all into disorders and sordid confusions.

I am p.r.o.ne sometimes to think, That had I called this Parliament to any other place in _England_, (as I might opportunely enough have done) the sad consequences, in all likelihood, with G.o.ds blessing, might have been prevented. A Parliament would have been welcom in any place; no place afforded such confluence of various and vitious humors, as that where it was unhappily convened. But we must leave all to G.o.d, who orders our disorders, and magnifies his wisdom most, when our follies and miseries are most discovered.

_But thou O Lord art My refuge and defence_: _to thee I may safely flie, who rulest the raging of the Sea, and the madnesse of the People._

_The flouds, O Lord, the flouds are come in upon Me, and are ready to overwhelm Me._

_I look upon My sinnes and the sinnes of My people, (which are the tumults of our Souls against thee O Lord) as the just cause of these popular inundations which thou permittest to overbear all the banks of Loyalty, Modesty, Laws, Justice, and Religion._

_But thou that gatheredst the Waters into one place, and madest the dry land to appear, and after did'st a.s.swage the floud which drowned the world, by the word of thy power; Rebuke those beasts of the people, and deliver Me from the rudenesse and strivings of the mult.i.tude._

_Restore, We beseech thee, unto Us, the freedoms of Our Councels and Parliaments, make Us unpa.s.sionately to see the light of Reason, and Religion, and with all order and gravity to follow it, as becomes Men and Christians; so shall We praise thy Name, who art the G.o.d of order and counsel._

_What man cannot, or will not represse, thy Omnipotent Justice can and will._

_O Lord, give them that are yet living, a timely sense and sorrow for their great sinne, whom thou knowest guilty of raising or not suppressing those disorders: Let shame here and not suffering hereafter be their punishment._

_Set bounds to our pa.s.sions by Reason, to our errors by Truth, to our seditions by Laws duely executed, to our schismes by Charitie, that we may be, as thy_ Jerusalem, _a Citie at unity in it self._

_This grant, O My G.o.d, in thy good time, for Jesus Christs sake._ Amen.

5. _Upon His Majesties pa.s.sing the_ BILL _for the Trienniall Parliaments: And after, setling this, during the pleasure of the two Houses_.

That the world might be fully confirmed in my purposes at first, to contribute what in Justice, Reason, Honour and Conscience I could, to the happy success of this Parliament, (which had in Me no other Designe, but the generall good of My Kingdoms) I willingly pa.s.sed the BILL for Trienniall Parliaments: which, as gentle and seasonable Physick, might (if well applied) prevent any distempers from getting any head, or prevailing; especially, if the remedy proved not a remedy beyond all remedy.

I conceived, this Parliament would finde work with convenient Recesses for the first three years: But I did not imagine, that some men would thereby have occasioned more work then they found to do, by undoing so much as they found well done to their hands. Such is some mens activity, that they will needs make work rather then want it; and chuse to be doing amiss, rather then do nothing.

When that first Act seemed too scanty to satisfie some mens fears, and compa.s.s publick Affairs; I was perswaded to grant that BILL of sitting during the pleasure of the Houses; which amounted, in some mens sense, to as much as the perpetuating of this Parliament. By this Act of highest confidence, I hoped for ever to shut out, and lock the door upon all present jealousies, and future mistakes: I confess, I did not thereby intend to shut my Self out of doors, as some men have now requited me.

True, it was an Act unparallell'd by any of my Predecessors; yet cannot in reason admit of any worse interpretation then this, of an extreme confidence I had, That my Subjects would not make ill use of an Act, by which I declared so much to trust them, as to deny my Self in so high a point of my Prerogative.

For good Subjects will never think it just or fit, that my Condition should be worse, by my bettering theirs; Nor indeed would it have been so in the events, if some men had known as well with moderation to use, as with earnestness to desire advantages of doing good or evill.

A continuall Parliament (I thought) would but keep the Common-weale in tune, by preserving Laws in their due execution and vigour: wherein My interest lies more then any mans, since by those Laws My Rights as a KING, would be preserved no less then My Subjects; which is all I desired. More then the Law gives Me I would not have, and less the meanest Subject should not.

Some (as _I_ have heard) gave it out, that I soon repented me of that setling Act: and many would needs perswade Me, _I_ had cause so to do: But I could not easily nor suddenly suspect such ingrat.i.tude in men of Honour, That the more I granted them, the less _I_ should have and enjoy with them. _I_ still counted my self undiminished by my largest Concessions, if by them _I_ might gain and confirm the love of My people.

Of which I do not yet despair, but that G.o.d will still bless Me with increase of it, when men shall have more leisure and less prejudice; that so with unpa.s.sionate representations they may reflect upon those (as I think) not more Princely then friendly contributions, which I granted toward the perpetuating of their happiness: who are now only miserable in this, That some mens ambition will not give them leave to enjoy what I intended for their good.

Nor do I doubt, but that in G.o.ds due time, the Loyal and cleared affections of My people will strive to return such retributions of Honour and love to Me or My Posteritie, as may fully compensate both the Acts of my confidence, and my Sufferings for them; which (G.o.d knows) have been neither few; nor small, nor short; occasioned chiefly by a perswasion I had, that I could not grant too much, or distrust too little, to men, that being professedly my Subjects, pretended singular piety, and religious strictness.

The injurie of all Injuries is, That which some men will needs load Me withall; as if I were a wilfull and resolved Occasioner of my Own, and my Subjects Miseries; while (as they confidently, but (G.o.d knows) falsly divulge) I repining at the establishment of this Parliament, endeavoured by force and open hostility, to undoe what by my Royall a.s.sent I had done. Sure, it had argued a very short sight of things, and extreme fatuity of minde in Me, so far to binde my Own hands at their request, if I had shortly meant to have used a sword against them. G.o.d knows, though I had then a sense of Injuries; yet not such as to think them worth vindicating by a War: I was not then compelled, as since, to injure my Self by their not using favours with the same candour wherewith they were conferred. The Tumults indeed threatned to abuse all Acts of Grace, and turne them into wantonnesse; but I thought at length their own fears, whose black arts first raised up those turbulent spirits, would force them to conjure them down again.

Nor if I had justly resented any indignities put upon me, or others, was I then in any capacitie to have taken just revenge in an hostile and warlike way, upon those, whom I knew so well fortified in the love of the meaner sort of the people, that I could not have given my Enemies greater and more desired advantages against Me, then by so unprincely inconstancie, to have a.s.saulted them with Armies, thereby to scatter them, whom but lately I had solemnly setled by an Act of Parliament.

G.o.d knows, I longed for nothing more, then that my Self, and my Subjects might quietly enjoy the fruits of my many Condescendings.

It had been a Course full of sin, as well as of Hazard and Dishonor; for Me to go about the cutting up of that by the Sword, which I had so lately planted, so much (as I thought) to my Subjects content, and mine Own too, in all probability, if some men had not feared where no fear was, whose security consisted in fearing others.

I thank G.o.d, I know so well the sincerity and uprightness of my own Heart in pa.s.sing that great BILL, which exceeded the very thoughts of former times; That although I may seem less a Polit.i.tian to men, yet I need no secret distinctions or evasions before G.o.d, nor had I any reservations in my own Soul when I pa.s.sed it: nor repenting after, till I saw that my letting some men go up to the pinnacle of the Temple, was a temptation to them to cast me down headlong.

Concluding, That without a miracle, Monarchie it self, together with Me, could not but be dashed in pieces by such a precipitous fall as they intended: whom G.o.d in mercy forgive, and make them see at length, That as many Kingdoms as the Divell shewed our Saviour, and the Glory of them (if they could be at once enjoyed by them) are not worth the gaining, by ways of sinfull ingrat.i.tude and dishonour, which hazards a soul, worth more Worlds then this hath Kingdoms.

But G.o.d hath hitherto preserved Me, and made Me to see, That it is no strange thing for men, left to their own pa.s.sions, either to do much evill themselves, or abuse the overmuch goodness of others, whereof an ungratefull surfet is the most desperate and incurable disease.

I cannot say properly that I repent of that Act, since _I_ have no reflections upon it as a sin of my Wil, though an errour of too charitable a judgment: Only I am sorry other mens eys should be evill, because mine were good.

_To Thee (O my G.o.d) do I still appeale, whose All-discerning Justice sees through all the disguises of mens pretensions, and deceitfull darknesse of their hearts._

_Thou gavest Me a heart to grant much to My Subjects; and now I need a Heart fitter to suffer much for some of them._

_They will be done, though never so much to the crossing of ours, even when we hope to doe what might be most comfortable to thine and theirs too; who pretended they aymed at nothing else._

_Let thy grace teach me wisely to enjoy as well the frustratings, as the fulfilling of My best hopes, and most specious desires._

_I see while I thought to allay others fears, I have raised My owne; and by setling them, have unsetled My self._

_Thus have they requited Me evill for good, and hatred for My good will towards them._

_O Lord be thou My Pilot in this darke and dangerous storme, which never admits My returne to the Port whence I set out, nor My making any other, with that safety and honour which I designed._

_Tis easie for Thee to keep Me safe in the love and confidence of My people; nor is it hard for Thee to preserve Me amidst the unjust hatred and jealousies of too many, which thou hast suffered so far to prevaile upon Me, as to be able to pervert and abuse my acts of greatest Indulgence to them, and a.s.surance of them._

_But no favours from Me can make others more guiltie then My self may be of misusing those many and great ones, which Thou, O Lord, hast conferred on Me._

_I beseech thee, give Me and them such Repentance as thou wilt accept, and such Grace as we may not abuse._

_Make me so far happy, as to make right use of others abuses; and by their failings of Me, to reflect with a reforming displeasure upon My offences against Thee._

_So, although for My sins I am by other mens sins deprived of thy temporall blessings, yet I may be happie to enjoy the comfort of thy Mercies, which often raise the greatest Sufferers to be the most glorious Saints._

6. _Upon His Majesties retirement from_ Westminster.

With what unwillingness I withdrew from _Westminster_, let them judg, who, unprovided of tackling and victual, are forced to Sea by a Storm; yet better do so, then venture splitting or sinking on a Lee-sh.o.r.e.