XXVII. To the Lords and Commons, at His Passing the Bill for Triennial Parliaments, at WESTMINSTER, Feb. 15. MDCXL. XLI.
MY Lords, and you the Knights, Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons: You may remember, when both Houses were with Me at the Banquetting-House at White-Hall, I did declare unto you two Rocks I wished you to eschew: This is one of them, and of that consequence, that I think never Bill passed here in this House of more favour to the Subject than this is. And if the other Rock be as happily passed over as this shall be at this time, I do not know what you can ask, for ought I can see, at this time, that I can make any question to yield unto.
Therefore I mention this, to shew unto you the sense that I have of this Bill, and the Obligation, as I may say, that you have to Me for it. For hitherto, to speak freely, I had no great incouragement to do it; if I should look to the outward face of your Actions or Proceedings, and not to the inward Intentions of your hearts, I might make question of doing it.
Hitherto you have gone on in that which concerns your selves to amend, and not in those things that nearly concern the strength of this Kingdom, neither for the State, nor My Own particular.
This I mention, not to reproach you, but to shew you the state of things as they are. You have taken the Government all in pieces, and I may say it is almost off the Hinges: A skilful Watch-maker, to make clean his Watch, will take it asunder, and when it is put together it will go the better; so that he leave not out one pin of it.
Now as I have done all this on My part, you know what to do on yours: And I hope you shall see clearly, that I have performed really what I expressed to you at the begin∣ning of this Parliament, of the great trust I have of your affections to Me. And this is the great expression of trust, that before you do any thing for Me, I do put such a Confi∣dence in you.