82 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2nd s. No 31., Aug. 2. '56. 



the other translations ; but it is therefore more of 

 a paraphrase, and less of a translation. 



Perhaps others may be able to give information 

 of some things of the same kind with which I am 

 unacquainted. A. De Mobgan. 



ILLUSTRATIONS OF MACAXILAT. 



The Country Party and a Standing Army. — 

 Mr. Macaulay, vol. ii. p. 23., represents the coun- 

 try party as strongly opposing the demand made 

 in the Speech from the Throne, Nov. 9, 1685, for 

 a supply to maintain a standing army. 



" He tells us that Sir William Twysden, member 

 for the county of Kent, spoke on the same side 

 with great keenness and loud applause." 



This Sir William was son and heir of the learned 

 Sir Roger, and was himself no mean scholar. 

 Among the papers from Roydon Hall, now in my 

 possession, is his autograph note of two speeches 

 which he made on this occasion. The first was in 

 the debate on 12th November, in a Committee of 

 the whole House to consider the Speech from the 

 Throne, as follows : 



" The case seems to mee to bee of great weight ; 

 wee may call it what we will, it is the settling a 

 standing army by law, and charging the kingdome 

 with a taxe for the maintaining it, things quite 

 contrary to all the maximes our ancestors have 

 gone by, who have alwayes endeavoured the sub- 

 ject should stand in awe of officers of justice, but 

 not of ofKcers of warr. I am as much as any man 

 for tlie king's having good guards ; I think it 

 agreeable to the majesty of a king, to the security 

 of his person ; but I think the kingdome best 

 guarded by lawe. I remember in the one-and- 

 twentyeth of Edward the Third {Hot. Par.,21 E. 3. 

 n. 70.), the king asked advice of his parliament, 

 how the peace of his kingdome should best bee 

 kept ; they did not advise him to a standing army 

 for the keeping it ; they advised him to send com- 

 missioners into the several countyes to punish the 

 breakers of it. Wee are now in a perfaict quiet 

 peace ; all heads of partyes and of factions taken of; 

 there seemes now to bee as little need of an army 

 as can bee at any time ; and truly, when it is not 

 wanted, I think the kingdome as safe without it 

 as it can bee by it. The truth is, armyes have so 

 often done more hurt to governments then good, 

 and do so generally, where they are, take a most 

 uncontrouleable authority in the managing of it, 

 that men are justly afraid of them. It is said the 

 case of the late Duke of Monmouth seemes to 

 shew the necessity of a standing army ; and it is 

 pressed, truely with great force, not onely by the 

 king in his speech, but by those noble lords there 

 at the barr. To my apprehension, the argument 

 will hardly beare the weight is layd on it. Wee 



all know how much that man was the favourite of 

 a faction ; that hee landed in a part of England of 

 all other the most inclined to him. Yet, with all 

 this, no one gentleman, no one man of any quality, 

 joyned themselves to him ; nay, quite contrary, 

 did their duty in opposing him : and that rabble 

 that he had gathered together, though headed by 

 officers that himselfe brought with him, were in 

 plaine fighting beaten by eighteen hundred men. 

 Sir, if the consequence of this bee the necessity of 

 a standing army, it is a strange thing wee have 

 lived so long without one ; for most certain it is, 

 there have been very few raignes since the Con- 

 quest, in which there have not been more consider- 

 able disturbances than this can amount to. I will 

 not disturbe you long ; that therefore which I 

 shall humbly move is, that wee may first consider 

 whether a standing army bee necessary, before 

 wee do of a supply for the maintaining it." 



" This was spoken by mee November 12, 

 1685, as neer as I can remember it." 



The other speech was in a Committee of Supply, 

 16th Nov., as follows : 



" It hath generally been the prudence of this 

 house, that in cases that are new and are of great 

 importance, to make their first acts temporary, 

 and of probation onely. This that is before us, is 

 perfaictly new. An establishment for the main- 

 taining a standing force (I do not say a standing 

 army, for that wee have all declared ourselves 

 against) is what our ancestors were never ac- 

 quainted with. Let us, therefore, see how the 

 subject will like it ; whether it will sitt easy upon 

 him, before wee conclude him for too long a time. 

 It is of mighty importance ; wee cannot foresee 

 the consequences of it. Let us not, therefore, 

 conclude ourselves neither, so as to leave no 

 roome for a succeeding parliament, or Sessions of 

 Parliament, to alter or amend what by experience 

 may bee found necessary. That, therefore, which 

 I shall humbly move is, that wee may proportion 

 our gift, so as that the establishment may not 

 exceed two yeers, which foure hundred thousand 

 pounds will fully do." 



" This was spoken by mee November 16, 

 1685, as near as I can recollect it." 



The substance of the first of these speeches is 

 given correctly (though condensed into eight 

 lines) in The several Delates of the House of 

 Commons, pro et contra, relating to the Establish- 

 ment of a Militia, ^c, Sfc; begining 9th No- 

 vember, 1685, and ending the 20th day of the same 

 Month, SfC. S)-c. SfC. London. 8vo. 1689. 



In the debate in the Committee of Supply, Nov. 

 16, Sir William's speech is in that work totally 

 misrepresented. L. B. L. 



