BEETON'S PUBLIC SPEAKER. -:0: SIR JOHN ELIOT. SIR JOHN ELIOT, one of the greatest statesmen of the Commonwealth, was 1590, at Eliot, in Cornwall. He was educated Oxford, and, after some time spent in foreign travel, entered Parliament in 1614. About 1618 he was appointed Vice-Admiral for Devon. He sat in the first, second, and third Parliaments of Charles I., and was the recognized leader of the "opposition." In the impeachment of Buckingham in the opposition to forced loans, and in the procuring of the Petition of Right, he specially distinguished himself. For speaking too vehemently against the chief minister in the second Parliament, he was sent to the Tower, but was released because the House firmly refused to do anything till he was free. He was again imprisoned upon refusing to pay the forced loan, and, lastly, for his part in the memorable scene of March, 1629, when the speaker was held down in his chair, and all persons were voted enemies to their country who should join in the measures of the court. He lay in the Tower till his death, which took place in November, 1632. Mr. John Forster has written an admirable biography of this great patriot and far-seeing politician. The speech from which the following is taken was delivered in the House of Commons, June 3, 1628, during the discussion of the Petition of Right. This document provided that no loan or tax might be levied but by consent of Parliament; that no man might be imprisoned but by legal process; that soldiers might not be quartered on people contrary to their wills; and that no commissions should be granted for executing martial law. The King found that he could not resist the demands of the Commons, and gave his public assent to the Petition on the 7th of June, 1628. On the State of the Nation, 1628. MR. SPEAKER,-We sit here as the great Council of the King, and, in that capacity, it is our duty to take into consideration the state and affairs of the kingdom, and when there is occasion to give a true representation of them, by way of counsel and advice, with what we conceive necessary or expedient to be done. In this consideration, I confess many a sad thought hath affrighted me, and that, not only in respect of our dangers from abroad (which yet I know are great, as they have been often prest and dilated to us), but in respect of our disorders here at home, which do enforce hose dangers, and by which they are occasioned. For I believe I shall make it clear to you, that both at first the cause of these dangers were our disorders, and our disorders now are yet our greatest dangers-that not so much the potency of our enemies, as the weakness of ourselves, doth threaten us; so that the saying of one of the Fathers may be assumed by us, non tam potentiâ suâ quam negligentiâ nostrâ,” “not so much by their power as by our neglect." Our want of true devotion to heaven, our insincerity and doubting in religion, our want of councils, our precipitate actions, the insufficiency or unfaithfulness of our generals abroad, ignorance and corruption of our ministers at home, the impoverishing of the sovereign, the oppression and depression of the subject, the exhausting of our treasures, the waste of our provisions, consumption of our ships, destruction of our men,—these make the advantage of our enemies, not the reputation of their arms; and if in these there be not reformation, we need no foes abroad. Time itself will ruin us. To show this more fully the speaker proceeds to examine the various shortcomings of the nation just enumerated. Having discussed four separate heads, he goes on : Fifthly. Mr. Speaker, I fear I have been too long in these particulars that are past, and am unwilling to offend you: therefore in the rest I shall be shorter; and as to that which concerns the impoverishing of the king, no other arguments will I use than such as all men grant. The exchequer, you know, is empty, and the reputation thereof gone; the ancient lands are sold; the jewels pawned; the plate engaged; the debts still great; almost all charges, both ordinary and extraordinary, borne up by projects! What poverty can be greater? What necessity so great? What perfect English heart is not almost dissolved into sorrow for this truth? Sixthly. For the oppression of the subject, which, as I remember, is the next particular I proposed, it needs no demonstration. The whole kingdom is a proof; and for the exhausting of our treasures, that very oppression speaks it. What waste of our provisions, what consumption of our ships, what destruction of our men there hath been; witness that expedition to Algiers†-witness that with Mansfeldt-witness that to Cadiz-witness the next-witness that to Rhé * Buckingham had taken the crown jewels and plate to Holland, and pawned them for £300,000. + Buckingham, some years before, had sent out an expedition for the capture of Algiers. It totally failed, and so incensed the Algerines that the commerce of England suffered tenfold loss in consequence; thirty-five ships, engaged in the Mediterranean trade, having been captured within a few months, and their crews sold for slaves.-Goodrich. 1628.1 SIR JOHN ELIOT. -witness the last (I pray God we may never have more such witnesses)-witness, likewise, the Palatinate-witness Denmark-witness the Turks-witness the Dunkirkers-witness all! What losses we have sustained! How we are impaired in munitions, in ships, in men ! It is beyond contradiction that we were never so much weakened, nor ever had less hope how to be restored. These, Mr. Speaker, are our dangers, these are they who do threaten us; and these are, like the Trojan horse, brought in cunningly to surprise us. In these do lurk the strongest of our enemies, ready to issue on us; and if we do not speedily expel them, these are the signs, these are the invitations to others! These will so prepare their entrance, that we shall have no means left of refuge or defence. If we have these enemies at home, how can we strive with those that are abroad? If we be free from these, no other can impeach us. Our ancient English virtue (like the old Spartan valour) cleared from these disorders-our being in sincerity of religion and once made friends with heaven; having maturity of councils, sufficiency of generals, incorruption of officers, opulency in the king, liberty in the people, repletion in treasure, plenty of provisions, reparation of ships, preservation of men-our ancient English virtue, I say, thus rectified, will secure us; and unless there be a speedy reformation in these, I know not what hopes or expectations we can have. These are the things, sir, I shall desire to have taken into consideration; that as we are the great council of the kingdom, and have the apprehension of these dangers, we may truly represent them unto the King; which I conceive we are bound to do by a triple obligation—of duty to God, of duty to his Majesty, and of duty to our country. And, therefore, I wish it may so stand with the wisdom and judgment of the House, that these things may be drawn into the body of a Remonstrance, and in all humility expressed, with a prayer to his Majesty that for the safety of himself, for the safety of the kingdom, and for the safety of religion, he will be pleased to give us time to make perfect inquisition thereof, or to take them into his own wisdom, and there give them such timely reformation as the necessity and justice of the case doth import. And thus, sir, with a large affection and loyalty to his Majesty, and with a firm duty and service to my country, I have suddenly (and it may be with some disorder) expressed the weak apprehensions I have; wherein, if I have erred, I humbly crave your pardon, and so submit myself to the censure of the House. To the student of history a collection of oratory such as this cannot fail to be of value. Here he will find vivid illustrations of many of the most interesting and exciting passages in the annals of the world. And to the student of oratory-to him who wishes to learn how to address a public audience with effect-it will be still more useful. Eloquence, it has been often said, must be taught by means of examples. Turning over this book, then, perhaps the reader may catch something of the spirit of enthusiasm which glows on every page, and may be stirred up to greater exertions in a field in which such noble triumphs are to be won. |