Politics & government > Speech of Lord Belhaven, in the Scotch parliament, at the making of the union

10 Lord Belhavin's Speech,
men: It lies upon your Lord (hips therefore, parti®8
ticularly to take notice of fuch, whofe modeftw
makes them bathful to fpeak. Therefore 1 thaQ.'-
leave it upon you, aod conclude this point with a
very memorable faying of an honeft private gentleii:
man to a great Queen, upon occafion of a ftate pro-p-
jedf, contrived by an able Statefman, and the favou4: ‘
rite to a great King, againtf a peaceable obedienljp
people, becaufe of the diverlity of their laws andj
conttitmions : “ If at this time thou hold thy peace#;
4< falvation thall come to the people from anothen-
place, but thou and thy houfe lhall perifli.” I
leave the application to each particular member ol>
this houfe. jc:
My Lord, I am come now toconfider our
We are under the happy reign (blefled be God) oft1;
the beft of Qiteens, who has no evil defign againffli
the meaneft of her fubjedls; who loves all her peo4
pie, and is equally beloved by them again ; andiif:
yet, that under the happy influence of our mod ex-4fc
cellent Queen, there Ihouid be fuch divifious andic
fadfions, more dangerous and threatening to her 5
dominions, than if we were under an arbitrary gov. t
ernment, is rood ftrauge and unaccountable. Un- t
der an arbitrary Prince, all are willing to ferve, be- t
caufe all are under a neceflxty to obey, whether they t.
will or not. He chufes therefore whom he will, with- n
out refpedf to cither parties ot fadtions ; and, if he
think fit to take the advice of his councils or par- r
liaments, every man fpeaks his mind freely, and the it
Prince receives the faithful advice of his people, ::
without the mixture of felf defigns. If he prove
a good Prince, the government is eafy; if bad, ei-j r
ther death or a revolution brings a deliverance: i
whereas here, my Lord, there appears no end of our i
mifery, if not prevented in time. Fadtions are now ie
become independent, and have got footing in coun*