The Lord Chancellor's speech upon the Lord Treasurer's taking his oath in the Exchequer, the 26th of June, 1673
About this Item
- Title
- The Lord Chancellor's speech upon the Lord Treasurer's taking his oath in the Exchequer, the 26th of June, 1673
- Author
- Shaftesbury, Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of, 1621-1683.
- Publication
- London :: [s.n.],
- 1673.
- Rights/Permissions
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- Subject terms
- Leeds, Thomas Osborne, -- Duke of, -- 1631-1712.
- Great Britain -- History -- Charles II, 1660-1685 -- Sources.
- Link to this Item
-
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A59483.0001.001
- Cite this Item
-
"The Lord Chancellor's speech upon the Lord Treasurer's taking his oath in the Exchequer, the 26th of June, 1673." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A59483.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 29, 2025.
Pages
Page 3
The Lord Chancellor's Speech, upon the Lord Treasurer's taking his Oath in the Exche∣quer the 26th. of June, 1673.
My Lord Treasurer,
THe King of His Grace and Favour hath made choice of you to be Lord High Treasurer of England, as also Treasurer of His Exche∣quer, which are two distinct Offices. The first you are al∣ready possessed of, by the Kings delivery of the White Staff, and have taken the Oath for that Office before me in another place. The other His Majesty hath conferred on you by His Letters Patents, under the Great Seal, which I am to deliver your Lordship, after you have been Sworn into that Office in this Court; of which, by this Patent, you are made a Chief Judge.
Kings are as Gods, and bestow Honour, Riches, and Power where they please; but in this They are as Men, that They can onely Choose, not Make a per∣son Adequate to their Imployment: For if Their Choise be meerly Favour, not Fitness, their Omni∣potency is quickly seen through. Our Great Master hath therefore chosen you, one He has had Experi∣ence of these many years, as a Member of this House of Commons, which hath been so fruitful a Nursery of our English Ministers and States-men. Besides, your Lordship was some years since joyned with another very able and worthy Person in the Treasury of the Navy, and after that managed it alone: So that you have before this been trusted
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with Three parts of Five of the Revenue of the Crown.
My Lord,
You are in a Place, the very best that any English Subject is capable of, therefore you are in another Position, not onely to the King our Master, but to us All, then you were ever before. He and we have all reason to look upon you as a Man at Ease, and that has nothing to wish, but the Prosperity of his Master and the Nation, that you may quietly and long enjoy so Great a Place, under so Good a Master. There is no more to be asked of you in this Condition, but that you know your own Interest, and that will secure you to the King's and the Nation's. I repeat them thus together, because none but Mountebanks in State-matters can think of them asunder. And let me say to your Lordship, That however happy you have been in arriving to this High Station, yet Parta tueri non minor est virtus. Many great men have proved unfor∣tunate, in not observing that the Address and Means to Attain great things, are oftentimes very different from those that are necessary to Maintain and Establish a sure and long Possession of them.
My Lord,
'Twill be no Civility to you, to hold you longer; The Visits you are to make to the several Offices of the Exchequer will take you up the rest of this Morn∣ing. I shall only add my good wishes, That your Lord∣ship may long enjoy the Honour of this Great Employ∣ment, and His Majesty the Satisfaction of His Choice.
FINIS.