A SPEECH 



DELIVERED BY THE KING S ATTORNEY, 



SIR FRANCIS BACON, 



IN THE LOWER HOUSE, 



WHEN THE HOUSE WAS IN GREAT HEAT, AND MUCH TROUBLED ABOUT 



THE UNDERTAKERS ; 



TTHICH WERE THOUGHT TO BE SOME ABLE AND FORWARD GENTLEMEN; WHO, TO 

 INGRATIATE THEMSELVES WITH THE KING, WERE SAID TO HAVE UNDER 

 TAKEN, THAT THE KING S BUSINESS SHOULD PASS IN THAT HOUSE 

 AS HIS MAJESTY COULD WISH. 



[In the Parliament 12 JACOBI.] 



MR. SPEAKER, 



I HAVE been hitherto silent in this matter of under 

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

 enwrapped. 



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, that I do not throughly 

 conceive. That private men should undertake for 

 the commons of England ! why, a man might as well 

 undertake for the four elements. It is a thing so 

 giddy, and so vast, as cannot enter into the brain of 

 a sober man : and especially in a new parliament ; 

 when it was impossible to know who should be of 

 the parliament : and when all men, that know never 

 so little the constitution of this house, do know it to 

 be so open to reason, as men do not know when they 



