Ordered, That the Commissioners of the Admiralty and Navy, and Committee
of the Army do meet together this after-noon, and consider how the Moneys
in arrear upon the Assessment, and the moneys to come in by the Assessment, may
be proportioned and distributed between the Navy and the Army, and report their
opinion therein to the Parliament.
Mr. Speaker, according to former order, after the rising of the House, Delivered
out Commissions to several Officers of the Army.
Mr. Scot Reports, That General Monck was come to the Court of Wards in
order to attend the pleasure of the Parliament in obedience to their Order, whereupon
the Serjeant at Arms was sent with his Mace to attend General Monck to the
House, and he went with his Mace accordingly, And General Monck, (the
Serjeant at Armes coming before him with his Mace on his shoulder, being accompanied
with M. Scot and Mr. Robinson) came into the Parliament unto a place
on the left hand within the Bar, where was a Chair faced with Velvet, set for
General Monck to sit in; whether being come, and having made obeysance,
Mr. Speaker desired him to sit down but out of his great respects to the Parliament he
craved leave to be excused, and stood behind the Chair. Mr. Speaker made an
Eloquent O[unr]ation, agreeable to his own great prudence, and the Authority of
that supream Assembly. Whereof this following is a true Copy.
The Speech of Mr. Speaker to General Monck, in Parliament.
IT hath been a common observation, that the slighter passions have had a loud voite,
but such as are of a greater magnitude are alwayes silent: As it is in passions,
so in actions also; those of a lesser Dimension are often m[unr]gnified above their
measure. But your Hi[unr]orians do commonly fail in the expressions of noble and
great actions, and such are frequently lessened, and so it may well be in those of
this dayes remembrance. The infallible Author tells us, That in Judai, God
known, and his name is great in Israel. That knowledg and greatness of God is
verified in the instance of Martial Affairs, that the stout-hearted are spoyled, they
have slept,their sterp, and none of the men of might have found their Hands.
This is verified this day amongst us here present, that both we and you might
acknowledge, that it is God, nor man, that hath performed this great work, that
we his Creatures here may neither ascribe it to our wisdome, or your valours, but
that it was God alone, and none else. But yet I have alwayes observed, that albeit
the Glory appertains to the Lord, yet the influence of that glory extends it self to
the Instruments in his hand, and thereby those beams enlighten your honour and
valour, as an especial Instrument; not as a me it, but as a reward upon your
prudence and wise conduct. The knowledg of what hath been done in this our
restitution, is not unknown in these Nations, I believe to this part of the world,
how our Friends (as we conceived) left us, and what defection hath been in duty
and trust. The face of this Land was covered with a gloomy and black cloud, and
the whole Nation left in the judgment of man to the utmost of ruine: But in
the condition we did as the Prophet in the greatest misery of Israel, espy a little
cloud no broader then an hand, which is infinitely in an instant become the refreshment
of the whole Nation: That little Cloud was discerned as far off in
your hand, and by the prudence of your Conduct it dispersed the miseries of the [unr]
Nations, and became a glorious mercy to them all.