Speech of Sir George Pudsey, serjeant at law, recorder of the city of Oxford, spoken in the Guild-Hall of the said city, at the swearing the new mayor, September 30. 1685

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the Amy their then Maflers ; fo that it t»cis lut the Rump of that Parliament which ailed that
Horrid Fillany upon the Sacred Perfon of the Royal Martyr, which was never out-done, hut ly the
Jews, the Oxford Parliament, ly inclination, toer&for breaking through all Bounds and Methods
of Government and Succefion: they aimd at Impofihi lities, by vainly attempting to divide th#
Vnrted Hearts of the two Royal Brothers ; the one mufl ntft faceted the other in his Dominions, ?ie-
caufe the JZnemies to both would facceed in jtfreir Treafons^ Hus far Tip, beeaufe Oxford eras
the Scene of this Mighty Change, when bot^pihurch and Sfttte fay under ffeat Convulfiom. We
had afadien andffeedy Deliverance ; ourfpears are vanijhfa\no Evil can come to us, if we aft
none: It has been obferv’d, that in timcs' tf greateft DifficttltyT brave Spirits ( as great Princes
have great Miniflers ) have been always rais’d to^eafe the Royal Head: Who they are, at prefent
to name them, is to leffen them, their Aflions being fo confpicuous; for which they now enjoy the high-
eft Places under the Wifaft of Princes, r f ,
I am fare herefavefls allfaoyfiky:. Methiykf / feefato your Hearts, and there find that
you woud more vmingjy have^fauffJt fk JAIMES the Juft, againft the Wefiern Rebels, than they
did for James the Jr ay tor* If it Jhatl be objected, That we have at any time made a ft and in our
Duty; 1 anfwer, The befl Man fins, and that often too: Ours was but a little too eager a Ideal for
our Privikdges: We faw ourfaffoik', \ and fion implor’d Mercy, and as foon had it: So that he’s a
Stranger to us, that doubts bur Loyalty; this City has been always eminent for it: It was for that
chiefly we can number fo many Charters ■: There’s hardly a Monarch ftnee the Conqueft, but we can
produce his Seal to fame new Grant or Confirmation. / could wifh that we had no occafion to remem¬
ber, that ’twaspotftong ago tha/^e were like jo have loft all i pfip ''fate • Majefties iQjjQ. WarfcaUf o
wou’d have made Whoftfali-pbr^, had it prpceed&di it fad left U4 a Town, without either- City, or
Corporation : But a Gracious Prikce,a Powerful Advocate for its with him, the Earl of Abbiogton,
( to whom you can never make fufficient Acknowledgment) and a Loyal prudent Magiftrate, preferv’d
us; otherwife we had met with the Fate <?/London, who has its Magiftrates now, but atpleafure.
It’s a great Vill, and that’s all, when Csefar fays the Word. What coud we hope far, when fhefall,
that was fo fapported by Parliaments and Charters ? Ton muft know her great Sin was Caballinga-'
gainft the Government; which is altogether Antipodes to the Inftitution of Corporations : Shops were
made for Trade and Commerce, . and not for ftating the Queflion about Politicks, and the Arcana cf
Government; they are matters above our Confideration. Our Poll is Obedience, and Submiftion to the
Soveraign Power. The Minifler need not inftrufl the Farmer what Grain to fow for his Tythe fake.
Woud not one of you Ridicule me far pretending to dir eft you inthe Cunning ofyourTrade i ’ Every
thing does be ft in’s own Element: Had London confidered that, fhe had not loti thofe Immunities
which fbe has enjoyed many Ages. Its vain to think his Majefty will fuffer fo many petty Common™
wealths within his Kingdoms, as Corporations feem to be ; when they, XJzzfclike, profanely (though
to a contrary end ) hold forth the hand to touch the Ark.: There is an implied Condition in all Cor¬
porations, That fo long as they keep within their Obedience to Majefty, they are fafe; but if once they
Rival Kings in their Royal Concerns, Adieu to all Priviledges and Tranchifes. It cannot be denied,
but that Corporations have been Once fatal to the Kingdom. What Armies did London fend out a-
gainft her Soveraign, in the Never-to-be-forgotten Rebellion l Moft Corporations did their parts.
But Oxford indeed was all White, all Innocent *, nat, let me do it more right,’twos a Retreat for In*
jur d Majefty; it flood not a Looker on, but heartily and loyally Efpaus’d the Royal Intereft.
I know ifs expelled that I (houdfay fame thing of the Government of this City for two years laft
pa ft,under the Loyal Sir William Walker, jw/r Mayor. ‘ lam very glad, for his fake, that his Merits
are fo eminent; otherwife he wou’d faffer much by the Char abler I were able to give him. His be¬
ing formerly in that Office, and your Choice of him again, is a fafficient demonftration of his great Inte¬
grity and Abilities in that Station. Hfe late Majefty {who, like Solomon, knew from the Cedar to
the Shrub) commended'your Choice fa well, that he made you happy in him a third time. And his
prefent Majelly '{ the Joy of all good men, and Temur of ill) for his mfhaken Fidelity to the Crown,
gave him a Mark of Honour^ •
At bis firft cominginto the Office the fecondtime,yburCondition was very crazy, and wantedfach a
Magiftrate : he has preferv’d your Priviledges, andfav’dyour Treafure. Such another you have new
wifely chofen ; Therefore what can hinder, but this muft be a flourifhing year to us ? He has your
Hearts, and he, in few words, has told you hist which, is firft toferve the Crown, and next the City.
To make this Harmony compleat,your Concurrence with Mm iri Loyalty and Duty to the Government,
under our woft Augutl Soveraign, and your Obedience to him, as your Mayor, will render this a great
City, and make us belov’d both of God and the King.
LICENSED, Ofleb. 13. i6^y. Rog. UEftrange
LON D 0 N: Printed for Timothy Goodwin^ at the Maiden-Head, 01
againft St. D unfa an s Church in Fleetjireet. 1685
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