In this oration he declared, that like as a good shéepheard, which not alonelie keepeth and attendeth well his shéepe, but also foreseeth and prouideth for all things which either may be hurtfull or noisome to his flocke, or maie preserue and defend the same against all perils that may chance to come: so the king which was the shéepheard, ruler and gouernour of his realme, vigilantlie foreséeing things to come, consi|dered how diuers laws before this time were made, now by long continuance of time and mutation of things, verie insufficient and vnperfect: and also by the fraile condition of man, diuerse new enormities were sproong amongest the people, for the which no law was yet made to reforme the same. Which was the verie cause whie at that time the king had sum|moned his high court of parlement. And hée re|sembled the king to a shéepheard or heardman for this cause: for if a prince be compared to his riches, he is but a rich man; if a prince be compared to his honour, he is but an honourable man: but compare him to the multitude of his people, and the number of his flocke, then he is a ruler,Wherein the person of the king is pro|perlie reputed a ruler. a gouernor of might & puissance, so that his people maketh him a prince, as of the multitude of shéepe commeth the name of a shéepheard. And as you sée that amongst a great sort of shepe some be rotten & faultie, which the good shéep|heard sendeth from the good sheepe: so the great wed|der which is of late fallen (as you all know) so crafti|lie, so scabbedlie, yea and so vntrulie iugled with the king, that all men must néedes ghesse and thinke, that he thought in himselfe that he had no wit to per|ceiue his craftie dooing; or else that he presumed that the king would not sée nor know his fraudulent iug|ling and attempts. But he was deceiued: for his graces sight was so quicke and penetrable, that hée saw him, yea and saw through him, both within and without, so that all things to him was open, and ac|cording to his desert he hath had a gentle correction.

Which small punishment the king will not to be an example to other offendors, but clearelie decla|reth, that whosoeuer hereafter shall make like at|tempt, or commit like offense, shall not escape with like punishment. And bicause you of the common house be a grosse multitude, and can not speake all at one time: therefore the kings pleasure is, that you shall resort to the nether house, & there amongst your selues, according to the old and ancient custome, to choose an able person to be your common mouth and speaker: and after your election so made, to aduertise his grace thereof, which will declare to you his plea|sure, what day he will haue him present in this place. After this doone, the commons resorted to the nether EEBO page image 911 house,Thomas [...]udleie cho|sen speaker. and they chose for their speaker Thomas Aud|leie esquier, and attourneie of the duchie of Lanca|ster: and the same daie was the parlement adiorned to Westminster.

On the sixt daie of the same moneth, the king came to the parlement chamber, and all the lords in their robes. And there the commons of the nether house presented their speaker, which there made an e|loquent oration,An oration made by the speaker of the parlement. which consisted in two points. The first point was, that he much praised the king for his equitie and iustice, mixed with mercie and pitie, so that none offense was forgotten and left vnpunish|ed, nor in the punishment the extremitie nor the ri|gor of the law cruellie extended: which should be a cause to bridle all men from doing like offenses, & also a comfort to offendors to confesse their crime and offense, and an occasion of amendment and re|conciliation. The second point was, that he disabled himselfe, both for lacke of wit, learning, and discreti|on to so high an office, beseeching the king to cause his commons to resort eftsoones to their common house, and there to choose an other speaker for that parlement.