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<DATE>2013-01-14</DATE>
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<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B120715.apex.</ITEM>
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<STC T="W">E80C</STC>
<STC T="C">R13089</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99897341</BIBNO>
<VID>61889</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>THE E. of Shaftsbury's EXPEDIENT For Setling the NATION.</P>
<P>Di&s;cour&s;ed with His MAJESTY in the Hou&s;e of Peers, At <HI>OXFORD, Mar.</HI> 24th. 1680 / 1.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON:</HI> Printed, and are to be Sold by <HI>Langley Curtis,</HI> 1681.</P>
</DIV1>
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<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="3" REF="2" MS="y">
<HEAD>THE Earl of Shaftsbury's EXPEDIENT For Setling the NATION. Di&s;cour&s;ed with His MAJESTY In the Hou&s;e of PEERS at <HI>Oxford, M<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">r.</HI> the <HI>24th.</HI> 1680/1.</HEAD>
<P>_THE 24th. of <HI>March,</HI> the great Patriot, and next under God and Dr. <HI>Oates,</HI> the &s;u|preme Saviour and De|fender of the Nation, the Earl of <HI>Shafts|bury</HI> receiv'd, or pre|tended that he receiv'd a Letter written in
<PB N="4" REF="3"> an unknown Hand&punc; containing&punc; an Expedi|ent for the &s;etling and&punc; compo&s;ing the Dif|ferences between the <HI>King</HI> and <HI>Parliament.</HI> With this he made a great noi&s;e, and bu&s;t|ling about as fa&s;t as his leggs, and man, and &s;tick, could carry him. It was ask'd the Duke of <HI>Monmouth,</HI> by my Lord Chamber|lain, (that &s;uppos'd that his Grace might be privy to this grand Affair) what the great Concern was: His Grace&punc; (with &s;ome &s;hew of mode&s;ty and &s;elf-denial) made an&s;wer, that it was &s;omewhat concerning him&s;elf, wherein that Lord was (as in many other things relating to his Grace) much more for|ward than he de&s;ir'd he &s;hould be.</P>
<P>The little Lord very bu&s;y, and de&s;irous to &s;peak with the <HI>King,</HI> was told by the Earl of <HI>Fever&s;ham,</HI> that he heard he had &s;ome bu&s;ine&s;s of great Importance to communicate to the <HI>King,</HI> and that therefore if he pleas'd, he would conduct him to His Maje&s;ty. The bu|&s;ie Earl told him, he was willing to be con|ducted by &s;o hone&s;t a man as his Lord&s;hip, drolling and thinking him&s;elf guilty of a very &s;hrewd Irony.</P>
<PB N="5" REF="3">
<P>Well, he is brought to the <HI>King,</HI> and there broach'd. The Letter of Expedients is produc'd; and what do you think was this grand Secret of &s;ecuring our Peace and Re|ligion, but a Propo&s;al for the &s;ettling the Crown on the Duke of <HI>Monmouth?</HI> The <HI>K.</HI> &s;urpriz'd, told the Earl, that he wonder'd that after &s;o many Declarations to the contrary, he &s;hould pre&s;s him upon that Subject, that if either with Con&s;cience, or Ju&s;tice, or Na|ture, he could do &s;uch a thing, he would have done it before; it being rea&s;onable, that if he had had ever a Child of his own Legitimate, he would much rather have him reign, than his Brother, or any of his Brothers Children: That his Maje&s;ty was none of tho&s;e that grew more timorous with age, but that rather he grew the more re&s;olute the nearer he was to his grave.</P>
<P>At that word the Loyal Earl was mightily concern'd, and cry'd out that it chill'd his blood to hear of &s;uch an expre&s;&s;ion; Telling the <HI>King</HI> how earne&s;t the whole Nation was for His Pre&s;ervation: that in Him were Com|priz'd all their Safeties, Lives, Liberties; and Religion, and their All.</P>
<PB N="6" REF="4">
<P>Yes, an&s;wered his Maje&s;ty, and yet, my Lord, I am the only Arbitrary man in the Kingdom: But a&s;&s;ure your Selves I intend to take a greater care of my Own Pre&s;ervation, and in that of my Peoples, than any of You all that pretend to &s;o much concern for the Security of my Per&s;on&punc; And yet as careful as I am of my Own Pre&s;ervation: Yet I would much &s;ooner lo&s;e this Life, of which you pretend to be &s;o watchful Pre&s;ervers, than ever part with any of my Prerogative, or betray this Place, the Laws, or the Religion, or alter the true Succe&s;&s;ion of the Crown, it being repugnant both to Con&s;cience and Law.</P>
<P>For that matter, reply'd the Earl, let us alone, we will make a Law for it.</P>
<P>But the <HI>K.</HI> told him, my Lord, if this is your Con&s;cience, it is far from being mine: For this cannot be done without overthrow|ing all Religion, and all Law.</P>
<P>And in fine, a&s;&s;ure your &s;elves, that as I love my Life &s;o well, as to take all the care in the world to keep it with Honor, &s;o I don't think it of &s;o great Value neither, after Fifty, as to be pre&s;erv'd with the forfeiture
<PB N="7" REF="4"> of my Honor, Con&s;cience, and the Laws of the Land.</P>
<P>And much more to this purpo&s;e did his Maje&s;ty &s;ay upon this occa&s;ion; all &s;o full of Rea&s;on, Equity and Ju&s;tice, and with &s;o much Re&s;olution and Courage, as gave the greate&s;t a&s;&s;urance and encouragement to all the Loyal Lords in the Hou&s;e, and all ho|ne&s;t Subjects that could be; but to the Fa|ctious, the greate&s;t Confu&s;ion imaginable.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><DATE>This was done ye&s;terday in the Hou&s;e of Lords.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
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