Orations of divers sorts accommodated to divers places written by the Lady Marchioness of Newcastle.

An Oration concerning Disorders, Rebellion, and Change of Governments.

Dear Country-men,

YOu know well, without my Repeating, that Monarchy is a Government of One, Ari∣stocraty of Some, and a Republick of Most, or rather All; also you have found by Wofull Experience, that this Kingdome hath been Toss'd from One Sort of Government to an O∣ther, that it is now so Exhausted, as to be almost Expir'd: It was at first Monarchical, where in a Long Peace Flattery, Vanity, and Prodigality, got into the Monarchical Court, all which cau∣sed Poverty, and so Injustice, (for Poverty and Necessity is all times a Page to Prodigality,) which Caused the Selling of all Offices and Places of Judicature, for those that Buy Dear, are forced to Sell Dear, and this Caused Ex∣actions and Extorsions, besides, Bribes given and Bribes taken, insomuch, that no Justice was

done for Justice Sake, but Bribes Sake, and they, who gave the greatest Bribes, had their Sute or Cause Judged of their side, whether Right or Wrong; Nay, many Judges and Officers were so Ignorant, as they Knew not how to Judge Rightly, or Execute any Publick Affairs, as they should have done, had they a Will to do Ho∣nestly; but how should they do either Wisely, Knowingly, or Honestly, being not Chosen for Parts, Abilities, Understanding, or Merit, but by Paying so much Money? this Fault in Go∣vernment was a great Grievance; Also Mono∣polizers Ingross'd several and almost all Com∣modities in the Kingdome, hightning their Price as they pleased, which hindred the Gene∣ral Trade and Traffick, and this was an other great Grievance; Also there were great Taxes laid upon the People and Kingdome, which was an other Grievance; Moreover, needy Poor Courtiers would Beg that which ought not to be Granted, or Accuse some Rich men to Get some of their Estates, at least to get a Bribe to be Freed; all which begot such Dislike and Ha∣tred, that the whole Kingdome Rebell'd with such a Fury, as they Pull'd down Monarchy, and after much Blood was Spilt in the VVarr, they Set up a Repulick, in which Government the Commons Chose the Magistrate and Of∣ficers of State, for which the Commons were grossly Flattered by the Nobler Sort, which Vice of Flattery became a Studied and Practised Art, by which the Chief men became most Ele∣gant

and Eloquent Orators, every Man striving to Out-Speak each other; but this Practice and Strife begat Ambition and Envy in the Better Sort, and Pride in the Commons, which Pride was hightned by their Power, to make Peace or Warr, to Choose Magistrates and Officers, to Pull down or Advance, to give Life or Death, to Banish or Recall, to Condemn or Reprieve; and all this Power lay in their Voices. O Powerfull Voice of a Headless Monster! this Power caused the Brainless People to be so Proud, and withall so Envious, as also Maliti∣ous to those Men that had Merit and Worth, having None Themselves, as they would often Banish, if not Put to Death their Generous No∣bles, Valiant Commanders, and Wise Magi∣strates, as also those that were more Rich than their Neighbours; besides, they would Ad∣vance Mean and Worthiless men, such as were of their own Degree and Quality, to Places and Offices of Dignity, which Discontented the No∣bles, and that Discontent bred a Faction betwixt the Commons and Nobles, which Faction being Increas'd by the Friends of the Banished or Exe∣cuted Persons, brought forth a Civil Warr, long was the Strife, but at last the Nobles got the Better, and then the State or Government became Aristocraty, in which Government for some time they Liv'd Agreeable, and Govern'd Justly and Orderly, but by Reason Aristocraty is a Government of Some of the Nobles, and not of One, they could not Long agree, Every

one Striving to be Chief and most Powerfull, insomuch that through Envy and Ambition they would Cross and Oppose each other; for some would keep Peace with their Neighbours, others would make Warr, and some would have such or such Laws made, others would not, some would have some Old Laws Abolish∣ed or Dissolved, others would Oppose them; neither was Justice Executed as it ought, for some would Punish those, that others would Save, some would Reward those, that others would Disgrace: Thus every one was Striving for Supreme Power, although they did hinder One an Other, and by the means of Doing and Undoing, Decreeing and Opposing, the People could not Tell whom to Address their Sutes, Causes, and Grievances to, for what one Spake For, an other would Speak Against, till at last by their Pulling several wayes the Aristocratical Government broke in Pieces, and then those Nobles set up each One for Himself, and so there became another Civil Warr, Long was that Warr, for some times one had the Better, and then an Other, and some times two or three Sides would Joyn against the Rest, and then most against One, but now at last they being weary with Warr, yet know not how to Agree in a Peace, insomuch, as we have neither Warr, nor yet Peace, nor any Setled Government; the truth is, the Kingdome is like as the Chaos and Confused Substance, and there is no way to bring it to an Orderly Form, but to have a Native

King, to bring Light out of Darkness, that we may See our own Errors, and Reform our Faults and hereafter Live Happily under the Govern∣ment of a Good and Wise King, which I Prav the Gods to Send you.