"time; for well-being fuppofes a being; and the first "impediment which men naturally endeavour to re"move, is the want of thofe things without which "they cannot fubfift. God firft affigned unto Adam "maintenance of life, and gave him a title to the rest "of the creatures before he appointed a law to ob"" ferve."

"God firft affigned Adam," fays Hooker, "maintenance of life, and then appointed him a law to "obferve.-True it is, that the kingdom of God muft "be the first thing in our purpofe and defires; but ❝inafmuch as a righteous life prefuppofeth life, in- ' "afmuch as to live virtuously it is impoffible, except "we live; therefore the firft impediment which na"turally we endeavour to remove is penury, and "want of things without which we cannot live."

The fpeech is vehement; but the great pofition, that grievances ought to be redreffed before fupplies are granted, is agreeable enough to law and reafon : nor was Waller, if his biographer may be credited, fuch an enemy to the King, as not to wish his diftreffes lightened; for he relates, "that the King fent "particularly to Waller, to fecond his demand of "fome fubfidies to pay off the army; and Sir Henry

Vane objecting against first voting a fupply, because "the King would not accept unless it came up to his

proportion, Mr. Waller fpoke earneftly to Sir Thomas "Jermyn, comptroller of the household, to fave his mafter from the effects of fo bold a falfity; for, he faid, I am but a country gentleman, and cannot "pretend to know the King's mind:' but Sir Thomas durft not contradict the fecretary; and his fon, the Earl of St. Albans, afterwards told Mr. Waller, that his father's cowardice ruined the King."

In the Long Parliament, which, unhappily for the nation, met Nov. 3, 1640, Waller reprefented Agmondesham the third time; and was confidered by the difcontented party as a man fufficiently trufty and acrimonious to be employed in managing the profecution of Judge Crawley, for his opinion in favour of ship-money; and his fpeech fhews that he did not difappoint their expectations. He was probably the more ardent, as his uncle Hampden had been particularly engaged in the difpute, and by a fentence which feems generally to be thought unconftitutional, particularly injured.

He was not however a bigot to his party, nor adopted all their opinions. When the great queftion, whether Epifcopacy ought to be abolithed, was debated, he spoke against the innovation fo coolly, fo reasonably, and fo firmly, that it is not without great injury to his name that his fpeech, which was as follows, has been hitherto omitted in his works:

"There is no doubt but the fenfe of what this nation hath fuffered from the prefent Bifhops, hath "produced thefe complaints; and the apprehenfions "men have of fuffering the like, in time to come, "make fo many defire the taking away of Epifcopacy : "but I conceive it is poffible that we may not, now, "take a right measure of the minds of the people by "their petitions; for, when they fubfcribed them, "the Bishops were armed with a dangerous commiffion "of making new canons, impofing new oaths, and "the like; but now we have difarmed them of that 66 power. These petitioners lately did look upon

*This fpeech has been retrieved, from a paper printed at that time, by the writers of the Parliamentary History. Orig. Edit. Q 4

66

Epif

"Epifcopacy as a beaft armed with horns and claws; "but now that we have cut and pared them, (and may, "if we fee caufe, yet reduce it into narrower bounds) "it may, perhaps, be more agreeable. Howfoever, "if they be fill in paffion, it becomes us foberly to "confider the right ufe and antiquity thereof; and not "to comply further with a general defire, than may "ftand with a general good.

"We have already fhewed, that epifcopacy and "the evils thereof are mingled like water and oil; "we have alfo, in part, fevered them; but I believe 66 you will find, that our laws and the prefent govern"ment of the church are mingled like wine and water; "fo infeparable, that the abrogation of, at least, a "hundred of our laws is defired in thefe petitions. I "have often heard a noble answer of the Lords, com"mended in this houfe, to a proposition of like na"ture, but of lefs confequence; they gave no other "reafon of their refufal but this, Nolumus mutare Leges "Anglia: it was the bifhops who fo anfwered then; " and it would become the dignity and wifdom of this houfe to anfwer the people, now, with a Nolumus 66 mutare.

"I fee fome are moved with a number of hands "against the Bifhops; which, I confefs, rather in"clines me to their defence; for I look upon epifco

66

pacy as a counterfcarp, or out-work; which, if it be taken by this affault of the people, and, withall, "this mystery once revealed, That we must deny them nothing when they afk it thus in troops, we may, in "the next place, have as hard a task to defend our property, as we have lately had to recover it from "the Prerogative. If, by multiplying hands and petitions, they prevail for an equality in things eccle

66

6.6

Gaftical,

"fiaftical, the next demand perhaps may be Lex "Agraria, the like equality in things temporal.

"The Roman ftory tells us, That when the people "began to flock about the fenate, and were more "curious to direct and know what was done, than to obey, that Common-wealth foon came to ruin: their Legem rogare grew quickly to be a Legem ferre ; "and after, when their legions had found that they "could make a Dictator, they never fuffered the se"nate to have a voice any more in fuch election.

"If these great innovations proceed, I fhall expect "a flat and level in learning too, as well as in church"preferments: Honos alit Artes. And though it be "true, that grave and pious men do ftudy for learn

ing-fake, and embrace virtue for itself; yet it is "true, that youth, which is the season when learning is gotten, is not without ambition; nor will ever take pains to excel in any thing, when there is not "fome hope of excelling others in reward and dignity. "There are two reafons chiefly alleged against our "church-government.

66

First, Scripture, which, as fome men think, "points out another form.

Second, The abufes of the prefent fuperiors. "For Scripture, I will not difpute it in this place; "but I am confident that, whenever an equal divifion "of lands and goods fhall be defired, there will be as 66 many places in Scripture found out, which feem to fa"vour that, as there are now alleged against the prelacy "or preferment in the church. And, as for abuses, "where you are now, in the Remonftrance told, what this "and that poor man hath fuffered by the bishops, you be prefented with a thoufand inftances of poor

may

"men that have received hard measure from their "landlords; and of worldly goods abufed, to the injury of others, and difadvantage of the owners.

"And therefore, Mr. Speaker, my humble motion is, That we may fettle men's minds herein; and, by "a queftion, declare our refolution, to reform, that is, "not to abolish, Epifcopacy."

It cannot but be wished that he, who could fpeak in this manner, had been able to act with fpirit and uniformity.

When the Commons began to fet the royal authority at open defiance, Waller is faid to have withdrawn from the house, and to have returned with the king's permiffion; and, when the king fet up his ftandard, he fent him a thoufand broad-pieces. He continued, however, to fit in the rebellious conventicle; but "fpoke," fays Clarendon, "with great fharpness and freedom, which, now there was no

66

danger of being out voted, was not reftrained; and "therefore used as an argument against those who "were gone upon pretence that they were not fuffered "to deliver their opinion freely in the houfe, which "could not be believed, when all men knew what li

66

berty Mr. Waller took, and fpoke every day with impunity against the fenfe and proceedings of the

houfe."

Waller, as he continued to fit, was one of the commiffioners nominated by the parliament to treat with the king at Oxford; and when they were prefented, the King faid to him, Though you are the laft, you are not the loweft nor the leaft in my favour." Whitlock, who, being another of the commiffioners, was witnefs of this kindnefs, imputes it to the king's

know