us, and putting an end to our fatal divisions; upon honor, I have no
other design, and I am content to beg the favor upon my bended
knees. (No answer.) My lord chancellor, I am sorry that I must
pursue the thread of my sad and melancholy story. What remains, I
am afraid may prove as afflicting as what I have said; I shall
therefore consider the motives which have engaged the two nations to
enter upon a treaty of union at this time. In general, my lord, I
think both of them had in their view to better themselves by the
treaty; but before I enter upon the particular motives of each
nation, I must inform this honorable house that since I can
remember, the two nations have altered their sentiments upon that
affair, even almost to downright contradiction--they have changed
headbands, as we say; for the English, till of late, never thought
it worth their pains of treating with us; the good bargain they made
at the beginning they resolve to keep, and that which we call an
incorporating union was not so much as in their thoughts. The first
notice they seemed to take of us was in our affair of Caledonia,
when they had most effectually broken off that design in a manner
very well known to the world, and unnecessary to be repeated here;
they kept themselves quiet during the time of our complaints upon
that head. In which time our sovereign, to satisfy the nation, and
allay their heats, did condescend to give us some good laws, and
amongst others that of personal liberties; but they having declared
their succession, and extended their entail, without ever taking
notice of us, our gracious sovereign Queen Anne was graciously
pleased to give the royal assent to our act of security, to that of
peace and war after the decease of her Majesty, and the heirs of her
body, and to give us a hedge to all our sacred and civil interests,
by declaring it high treason to endeavor the alteration of them, as
they were then established. Thereupon did follow the threatening
and minatory laws against us by the Parliament of England, and the
unjust and unequal character of what her Majesty had so graciously
condescended to in our favors. Now, my lord, whether the desire
they had to have us engaged in the same succession with them, or
whether they found us like a free and independent people, breathing
after more liberty than what formerly was looked after, or whether
they were afraid of our act of security, in case of her Majesty's
decease; whi