72 CHANCELLOR S SPEECH TO 



the people. I wish rather, that ye should either 

 revive good laws that are fallen and discontinued, or 

 provide against the slack execution of laws which 

 are already in force ; or meet with the subtile eva 

 sions from laws which time and craft hath under 

 mined, than to make &quot; novas creaturas legum,&quot; laws 

 upon a new mould. 



The other point, touching laws, is, that ye busy not 

 yourselves too much in private bills, except it be in 

 cases wherein the help and arm of ordinary justice 

 is too short. 



For grievances, his majesty hath with great grace 

 and benignity opened himself. Nevertheless, the li 

 mitations, which may make up your grievances not to 

 beat the air only, but to sort to a desired effect, are 

 principally two. The one, to use his majesty s term, 

 that ye do not hunt after grievances, such as may 

 seem rather to be stirred here when ye are met, 

 than to have sprung from the desires of the country : 

 ye are to represent the people ; ye are not to perso 

 nate them. 



The other, that ye do not heap up grievances, as 

 if numbers should make a shew where the weight is 

 small ; or, as if all things amiss, like Plato s common 

 wealth, should be remedied at once. It is certain, 

 that the best governments, yea, and the best men, 

 are like the best precious stones, wherein every flaw 

 or icicle or grain are seen and noted more than in 

 those that are generally foul and corrupted. 



Therefore contain yourselves within that mode 

 ration as may appear to bend rather to the effectual 



