A SPEECH ABOUT UNDERTAKERS. 15 



The second reason that made me silent was, be 

 cause this suspicion and rumour of undertaking 

 settles upon no person certain. It is like the birds 

 of Paradise that they have in the Indies, that have 

 no feet ; and therefore they never light upon any 

 place, but the wind carries them away : and such a 

 thing do I take this rumour to be. 



And lastly, when that the king had in his two 

 several speeches freed us from the main of our fears, 

 in affirming directly that there was no undertaking 

 to him ; and that he would have taken it to be no 

 less derogation to his own majesty than to our merits, 

 to have the acts of his people transferred to particu 

 lar persons ; that did quiet me thus far, that these 

 vapours were not gone up to the head, howsoever 

 they might glow and estuate in the body. 



Nevertheless, 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. 



Wherein first, I will speak plainly of the per 

 nicious effects of the accident of this bruit and 

 opinion of undertaking, towards particulars, towards 

 the house, towards the king, and towards the peo 

 ple. 



Secondly, I will tell you, in mine opinion, what 

 undertaking is tolerable, and how far it may be jus 

 tified with a good mind ; and on the other side, this 

 same ripping up of the question of undertakers, how 



