leasing to James, after the assurances he had given of his regard for
the Church of England. Upon this occasion his majesty made the following
speech:--

"My lords and gentlemen,--I thank you very heartily for the bill you
have presented me this day; and I assure you, the readiness and
cheerfulness that has attended the despatch of it is as acceptable to
me as the bill itself.

"After so happy a beginning, you may believe I would not call upon you
unnecessarily for an extraordinary supply; but when I tell you that
the stores of the navy and ordnance are extremely exhausted, that the
anticipations upon several branches of the revenue are great and
burthensome; that the debts of the king, my brother, to his servants
and family, are such as deserve compassion; that the rebellion in
Scotland, without putting more weight upon it than it really deserves,
must oblige me to a considerable expense extraordinary: I am sure,
such considerations will move you to give me an aid to provide for
those things, wherein the security, the ease, and the happiness of my
government are so much concerned. But above all, I must recommend you
to the care of the navy, the strength and glory of this nation; that
you will put it into such a condition as may make us considered and
respected abroad. I cannot express my concern upon this occasion more
suitable to my own thoughts of it than by assuring you I have a true
English heart, as jealous of the honour of the nation as you can be;
and I please myself with the hopes that by God's blessing and your
assistance, I may carry the reputation of it yet higher in the world
than ever it has been in the time of any of my ancestors; and as I
will not call upon you for supplies but when they are of public use
and advantage, so I promise you, that what you give me upon such
occasions shall be managed with good husbandry; and I will take care
it shall be employed to the uses for which I ask them."

Rapin, Hume, and Ralph observe upon this speech, that neither the
generosity of the Commons' grant, nor the confidence they expressed upon
religious matters, could extort a kind word in favour of their religion.
But this observation, whether meant as a reproach to him for his want of
gracious feeling to a generous parliament, or as an oblique compliment to
his sincerity, has no force in it. His majesty's speech was spoken
immediat