THE SPEAKER S EXCUSE. 69 



and outward peace. Insomuch, as the time of Queen 

 Elizabeth, of happy memory, and always magnified 

 for a peaceable reign, was nevertheless interrupted 

 the first twenty years with a rebellion in England ; 

 and both first and last twenty years with rebellions 

 in Ireland. And yet I know, that his majesty will 

 make good both his words, as well that of &quot; Ne- 

 &quot; mo me lacessit impune,&quot; as that other of &quot; Beati 

 &quot; pacifici.&quot; 



Sixthly, That true and primitive office of kings, 

 which is, to sit in the gate and to judge the people, 

 was never performed in like perfection by any of the 

 king s progenitors : whereby his majesty hath shewed 

 himself to be &quot; lex loquens,&quot; and to sit upon the 

 throne, not as a dumb statue, but as a speaking 

 oracle. 



Seventhly, For his majesty s mercy, as you noted 

 it well, shew me a time wherein a king of this realm 

 hath reigned almost twenty years, as I said, in his 

 white robes without the blood of any peer of this 

 kingdom : the axe turned once or twice towards a 

 peer, but never struck. 



Lastly, The flourishing of arts and sciences re 

 created by his majesty s countenance and bounty, 

 was never in that height, especially that art of arts, 

 divinity ; for that we may truly to God s great glory 

 confess, that since the primitive times, there were 

 never so many stars, for so the Scripture calleth 

 them, in that firmament. 



These things, Mr. Speaker, I have partly chosen 

 out of your heap, and are so far from being vulgar, 



