who
can speak very well, and to good purpose, who shelter themselves
under the shameful cloak of silence, from a fear of the frowns of
great men and parties. I have observed, my lord, by my experience,
the greatest number of speakers in the most trivial affairs; and it
will always prove so, while we come not to the right understanding
of the oath _de_ _fideli_, whereby we are bound not only to give our
vote, but our faithful advice in Parliament, as we should answer to
God; and in our ancient laws, the representatives of the honorable
barons and the royal boroughs are termed spokesmen. It lies upon
your lordships, therefore, particularly to take notice of such whose
modesty makes them bashful to speak. Therefore, I shall leave it
upon you, and conclude this point with a very memorable saying of an
honest private gentleman to a great queen, upon occasion of a State
project, contrived by an able statesman, and the favorite to a great
king, against a peaceable, obedient people, because of the diversity
of their laws and constitutions: "If at this time thou hold thy
peace, salvation shall come to the people from another place, but
thou and thy house shall perish." I leave the application to each
particular member of this house.

My lord, I come now to consider our divisions. We are under the
happy reign (blessed be God) of the best of queens, who has no evil
design against the meanest of her subjects, who loves all her
people, and is equally beloved by them again; and yet that under the
happy influence of our most excellent Queen there should be such
divisions and factions more dangerous and threatening to her
dominions than if we were under an arbitrary government, is most
strange and unaccountable. Under an arbitrary prince all are willing
to serve because all are under a necessity to obey, whether they
will or not. He chooses therefore whom he will, without respect to
either parties or factions; and if he think fit to take the advices
of his councils or parliaments, every man speaks his mind freely,
and the prince receives the faithful advice of his people without
the mixture of self-designs. If he prove a good prince, the
government is easy; if bad, either death or a revolution brings a
deliverance. Whereas here, my lord, there appears no end of our
misery, if not prevented in time; factions are now become
independent, and have got footing in councils, in parliaments, in
treaties, armies, in incorporations, i