guidance and undaunted Wisdome, Lords and Commons of England. Neither is it in GOD's efteeme the diminution of his glory, when honourable things are spoken of good men and worthy Magiftrates; which if I now first should begin to doe, after fo fair a progreffe of your laudable deeds, and fuch a long obligement upon the whole Realme to your indefatigable vertues, I might be justly reckn'd among the tardieft, and unwillingest of them that praise yee. Nevertheleffe there being three principall things, without which all praifing is but courtship and flattery, Firft, when that only is prais'd which is folidly worth praise next when greatest likelihoods are brought that fuch things are truly

and

and really in those persons to whom they are afcrib'd, the other, when he who praifes, by fhewing that such his actuall perfwafion is of whom he writes, can demonftrate that he flatters not; the former two of these I have heretofore endeavour'd, refcuing the employment from him who went about to impaire your merits with a triviall and malignant Encomium; the latter as belonging chiefly to mine owne acquittall, that whom I fo extoll'd I did not flatter, hath been referv'd opportunely to this occafion. For he who freely magnifies what hath been. nobly done, and fears not to declare as freely what might be done better, gives ye the best cov'nant of his fidelity; and that his loyaleft affection and his hope

waits on your proceedings. His higheft praifing is not flattery, and his plaineft advice is a kinde of praifing; for though I fhould affirme and hold by argument, that it would fare better with truth, with learning, and the Commonwealth, if one of your publifht Orders which I fhould naine, were call'd in, yet at the fame time it could not but much redound to the luftre of your milde and equall Government, when as private perfons are hereby animated to thinke ye better pleas'd with publick advice, then other statists have been delighted heretofore with publicke flattery. And men will then fee what difference there is between

the magnanimity of a trienniall Parlament, and that jealous hautineffe of Pre

I

lates

lates and cabin Counsellours that ufurpt of late, when as they fhall obferve yee in the midd'ft of your Victories and fucceffes more gently brooking writt❜n exceptions against a voted Order, then other Courts, which had produc't nothing. worth memory but the weake oftentation of wealth, would have endur'd the leaft fignifi'd dislike at any fudden Proclamation. If I fhould thus farre prefume upon the meek demeanour of

your civill and gentle greatneffe, Lords and Com-mons, as what your publifht Order hath directly faid, that to gainfay, I might defend my felfe with cafe, if any fhould accufe me of being new or infolent, did they but know how much better I find ye efteem it to imitate the old and cle

gant humanity of Greece, then the barbarick pride of a Hunnish and Norwegian ftatelines. And out of thofe ages, to whofe polite wifdom and letters we ow that we are not yet Gothes and Fut landers, I could name him who from his private house wrote that discourse to the Parlament of Athens, that perfwades them to change the forme of Democraty which was then eftablifht. Such honour was done in thofe dayes to men who profeft the study of wifdome and eloquence, not only in their own Country, but in other Lands, that Cities and Siniories heard them gladly, and with great refpect, if they had ought in publick to admonifh the State. Thus did Dion Prufæus a ftranger and a privat Ora

tor