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<DATE>2008-06-03</DATE>
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<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B080515.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B06618">
<STC T="W">W2413</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">52529105</BIBNO>
<VID>179259</VID>
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<TEXT>
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<DIV1 TYPE="speech">
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<HEAD>His Maje&s;ties MOST GRACIOUS SPEECH To both Hou&s;es of PARLIAMENT</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>My Lords and Gentlemen,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>THE War, which I Entred into by the Advice of My People, is, by the Ble&s;&s;ing of God, and their Zealous and Affectionate A&s;&s;i&s;tance, brought to the End We all Propo&s;ed, an Honourable Peace; which I was wil|ling to Conclude, not &s;o much to Ea&s;e My Self from any Trouble or Hazard, as to free the Kingdom from the Continuing Burden of an Expen&s;ive War.</P>
<P>I am heartily &s;orry My Subjects will not at fir&s;t find all that Relief from the Peace which I could wi&s;h, and they may expect; but the Fonds intended for the la&s;t years Service have fallen &s;hort of An&s;wering the Sums for which they were gi|ven, &s;o that there remain con&s;iderable Deficiencies to be Provided for.</P>
<P>There's a Debt upon the Account of the Fleet and the Army.</P>
<P>The Revenues of the Crown have been anticipated, by My Con&s;ent, for Pub|lick U&s;es, &s;o that I am wholly de&s;titute of means to &s;upport the Civil Li&s;t; and I am never di&s;tru&s;t you'l &s;uffer this to turn to My di&s;advantage, but will provide for Me during My Life, in &s;uch a manner as may be for My Honour, and for the Ho|nour of the Government.</P>
<P>Our Naval Force being increa&s;ed to near double what it was at My Acce&s;&s;ion to the Crown, the Charge of maintaining it will be proportionably augmented, and it is certainly nece&s;&s;ary for the Intere&s;t and Reputation of <HI>England,</HI> to have always a great &s;trength at Sea.</P>
<P>The Circum&s;tances of Affairs Abroad are &s;uch, that I think My Self obliged to tell on My Opinion, That for the pre&s;ent, <HI>England</HI> cannot be &s;afe without a Land force; and I hope We &s;hall not give tho&s;e who mean Us ill, the opportunity of Effecting that, under the Notion of a Peace, which they could not bring to pa&s;s by <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="in gutter" EXTENT="1 word"> War.</P>
<P>I doubt not but you, Gentlemen of the Hou&s;e of Commons, will take the&s;e Par|ticulars into your Con&s;ideration, in &s;uch a manner as to provide the nece&s;&s;ary Sup|plies, which I do very Earne&s;tly Recommend to you.</P>
<P><HI>My Lords and Gentlemen,</HI><LB>
That which I mo&s;t delight to think of, and am be&s;t plea&s;ed to own, is, That I have all the Proofs of My Peoples Affection that a Prince can de&s;ire; and I take this Occa&s;ion to give them the mo&s;t &s;olemn A&s;&s;urance, That as I never had, &s;o I never <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="in gutter" EXTENT="1 letter">ill nor can have any Intere&s;t &s;eparate from theirs.</P>
<P>I E&s;teem it one of the greate&s;t Advantages of the Peace, That I &s;hall now have <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="in gutter" EXTENT="1 letter">ei&s;ure to Rectifie &s;uch Corruptions or Abu&s;es, as may have crept into any Part of <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="in gutter" EXTENT="1 letter">he Admini&s;tration, during the War, and effectually to Di&s;courage Prophanene&s;s <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="in gutter" EXTENT="1 letter">nd Immorality; and I &s;hall Imploy my Thoughts in promoting Trade, and Ad|vancing the Happine&s;s and Flouri&s;hing E&s;tate of the Kingdom.</P>
<P>I &s;hall Conclude with telling you, That as I have, with the Hazard of every <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="in gutter" EXTENT="1 letter">hing, Re&s;cued your Religion, Laws and Liberties, when they were in the Ex|<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">eame&s;t Danger, &s;o I &s;hall Place the Glory of My Reign, in Pre&s;erving them En|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="in gutter" EXTENT="2 letters">re and Leaving them &s;o to Po&s;terity.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
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<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P>Printed at <HI>London,</HI> and Re-printed at <HI>Gla&s;gow,</HI> by <HI>Robert Sanders</HI> One of His <HI>Maje&s;ties</HI> Printers, Anno Dom. 1697.</P>
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