UNDERTAKERS. clxi 



the King, had entered into a confederacy, and had under 

 taken to secure a majority to enable him to control the 

 house. To pacify the heat, Bacon made a powerful 

 speech, {a} in which he ridicules the supposition that any 

 man can have embarked in such a wild undertaking as to 

 control the Commons of England : to make a policy of 

 insurance as to what ship shall come safe home into the 



He concludes by calling upon the lords, &quot; for justice 

 and true honour s sake, honour of religion, law, and the 

 King, to co-operate with him against this fond and false 

 disguise or puppetry of honour.&quot; 



() The speech itself may be found in vol. vi. p. 13. 

 The following is a short outline of it : &quot; Mr. Speaker,&quot; 

 he says, &quot; I have been hitherto silent in this matter of 

 Undertaking, wherein, as I perceive, the house is much 

 enwrapped. 



&quot; First, because to be plain with you, I did not well 

 understand what it meant, or what it was; and I do not 

 love to offer at that I do not thoroughly conceive. That 

 private men should undertake for the Commons of Eng 

 land : why ? a man might as well undertake for the four 

 elements: it is a thing, so giddy, and so vast: it is so 

 wild for any man to think that he can make a policy of 

 insurance as to what ship shall come safe home into the 

 harbour in these troubled seas,&quot; &c. as in the text. 



&quot; The ,second reason that made me silent was, because 

 this suspicion and rumour of undertaking settles upon no 

 person certain. It is like the birds of paradise,&quot; &c. as in 

 the text. 



&quot; And lastly, since I perceive that this cloud still hangs 

 over the house, and that it may do hurt, as well in fame 

 abroad as in the King s ear, I resolved with myself to do 

 the part of an honest voice in this house, to counsel you 

 what I think to be for the best.&quot; 



VOL. xv. m 



