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

r 4 Lord Belhaven's Speech.
precarious; fo that I profefs, I do not think an' '
one poft of the kingdom worth the briguing for 5
fave that of being conamiffioner to a long fdfi >n oi -
a faffious Scots parliament, with an antedated com k
roiffion, and that ftill renders the reft of the minji:;
fters more miferable. What hinders us then, my
Lord, to lay afide our divrfions, to unite cordial!] it:
and heartily together in our prefent circumftances i
when our All is at the Stake? Hannibal, my Lord^s.;.
i> at our gates, Hannibal is come within our gates x;
Hannibal is come the length of this table, he is at if:
the foot of this throne, he will demolifti this throne jitii
if we take not notice, he will ieize upon thefe Re?
gait a ; he will take them as our Spo.'ia opima, and
whip us out of this houfe, never to return a-
gain.
For the love of God then, my Lord, for thefafe'S:
ty and welfare of our ancient kingdom, whofe fad is
circumftances, I hope, we fhall yet convert infoi
prolperity and happinefs! We want no means, if I;
we unite ; God blelfeth the peace makers ; we wannr
neither men nor fufficiency of all manner of thingsk
neceffary to make a nation happy: All depends oniit
management; Concordia res pirva erefcmt. I feacin
not ihefe articles, tho’ they were ten times worfek
than they are, if we once cordially forgive one an-t:
other, and that, according to our proverb, “ By-k
gones be bygones, and fair play to come ” For it
my part, in the f^ht of God, and in the prefencejc
of this honourable houfe, I heartily forgive everyr
man, and beg that they may do the fame to me.Ts
And I do moft humbly propofe, That his grace my jr
Lord commiffioner may appoint an Agape, may or-ljl
der a love feaft for this honourable houfe; that we!■
lay afide all felf-defigos ; and that, after our fadsji!
and humiliations, we have a day of rejoicing aad|;