The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-08-30 00:00:00

COMMON W 1... 1.771 PURITY.

The following spee:lies, delivered from the hustings ra
the election for a knight of the shire for the county of
Herks, on the 2d of April, 1619, exhibit not only sonie cu-
rious features in the political history of that period ; but
they serve to shew that bribery and treating are by no means
evils of a modern date, nu. peculiarly the offspring of a
monarchical system of things. The successful candidate
was the eccentne and profligate Philip Herbert, Lord Pem-
broke, who was thus stoutly opposed by a freeholder, of
whom nothing else is recorde:d than that he was " a well-
affected Myer, of the county of Berks."
HON EST Fe hs,-1 nu that are of the free-born people of
this latd ( I speak to none :Ire). and lovers of the army. at it the
true English interest ; all men else lure forfeited their fret:do:us.
I am full of anguish and trouble fur your sakes, when I behold
this day. I far you are in a way to ruin yourselves, unless the
Lord be macifti to yen. The thing you meet fur troubles me nct
a little. "Tins to choose a Knight. Truly 1 hoped, and I hope we
all hoped, to have done making Knights by this time. The thiNg
you meet to choose troubles me more. This flow that was •
I..x.l—this Pembroke—this 31ontgomery—this Herbert—this,
what shall I colt him? Vail him what you will. we were pro-
mised a Representative to begin on Juno next, and this Parliament
to end the last month ; if so, why should we send this fellow thither
to make mouths for three weeks, and talk of slogs and hawks? I
say, let us have the Representative, or we are cheated; but if we
must make one Knight more, let it not be Pembroke, he is l of tit
f r it. ronsitkr him as a Lord, anti none of the wisest Lordi
neither; and than consider bow many wiser and titter persons we
have fix Parliameitt men than'env a Lord of them all; arid what
a brand it will be to its and our country to choose a Lord—such a
Lord! and sorely, toilets you are fools and madmen, you• will
rot choose him. Again, consider him as a Lord; and so he le to
free-bons commoner. and so not capable of our election. Is there
not WI Act against Kings and Jaw& ? If there is, then La us have
no Lords, unless you intend to have a King too.
Let us be wise; toe may see a design in this Lord as plain as
the nose on Lis race. Ile was 1.1We3 3 false; false to the King that
loved hint ; false to the latrds that sat eight years with hint ; and
do you not think he will be false to the Cuntrons too? I warrant
you. Is not Aliehael Oldsaortit this Lard's man, a Parliament
man ? Are not his anti other lands' Win P.uliament men ? Ifhe
g.:t in too, the time will come when the !louse of Commots will be
all Lords, and Lord.' sons, and Lords' servants; and then Lords
will be voted up again ; and Kiog be in request again ; which, if
we live to see again, we have spun a fair thread !
If all this which 1 have said be true (as it is imporible it should
be otherwise), why should we not look of this turncoat Lord as •
cheat—as one that comes to betray and undo the freeborn people__
and switch bits, out of the country
I base done. If we must choose a Knight, let him not be •
Lord. We do not read in all the Statism of any Lord was ever
chosen Ksl,llst of the shhe Berk-hire. But rather let tie choose
none et all, and unanimously petition the Parliament to dissolee,
that the representative may succeed; and none hut ourselves have
any share in the rubel:nation and government of this commonwealth.
The reply of Pembroke to this harangue is managed
with no small address; and though overcharged with
quibbles and conceits, in highly amusing for the vein of
arch drollery which runs through it.
OE )1T rm x,—lt was No: the old fashion to makespeeehes be-
, fore you choose your Knights ; but I hope you like It the better
for not being old: I am sure I do. Hive us old fashions again,:
and we must have King and Lords, our old religion, and old laws,
t and a hundred things older than Adam. I hate any thing that's
old, except it be an AI man ; for Adam was au old man, and
so ant I, and I lute myself for being an old man; and th:relore
will love you if you'll make me a new Knight. The gentleman
that slake bef,,ra me, I know not where to hare hint. He is
I :di. Limnos yogurts. Ile is angry the Representative goes not on—
he is angry the Parliament goes not olti Ile is angry I am a Lord
—he is angry I would be none. lle is angry I seek to Le your
Knight—and he would Lava me of that sort of seekers which
neither se k nor find ; and lie concludes I am not to be chosen, be-
cause no free-horn commoner. I fear be is a Jesuit by his subtle
arguments; but though I have no logic, I hope I have reason to
answer him, and satisfy you. I answer. I am als et-b4rn
rimier. All these three words lit me. First—a

I am ••
Else how came I hiller lot,' the world?

I ant "tree."
My accounts for the het year's expense ram* to six and twenty
thousand pounds. That's for you'll say; and when you have
chosen lie your liM4ltt, I'll carry you, every Illatilar'S son, the
whole county. Mot Wilt3hire; an I we'll be merry, and hunt and
hawk, and I'll be as 11,e as an Empemr. So lam free born.
I am a "conim.trer."
Mare I been so often at Common Councils and Common Italia,
to be accounted no rommoner ? Are not the Lords all turned a
grazing P Wu not I a common swearer before I went to lectures,
col 3 common sleeper ever since ? And am not I Chancellor
of Oxford, where all arc cmumoaers ? So I ion a contrite:au.

I .:11 bo Lord.
If I am, why 'amnia I come hither to be the Knight of your sltire?
But though I ant a Lord, is not Fairfax so? and yet he is a Par-
liament man. And is not Bradshaw Lord President ? But lam
no Loyd ; for I ant fur the Parliament. I sin for voting down the
(louse of Lords. And to tell you the truth, I never loved the
Kirg sine he was i!...ed ; and those are Lords that go in black for
hint ; but I k:ep my old blue still, turd my diamond hat-hand,
th.righ the crown jewels are sold ; theref.•re you may choose me
well eranti,,h.
You must choose mei
Why conic 1 Miter else? Why did Croniwsll bid me come hither?
And I Lii my otewaid come hither, to lay in provision and gather
voices. It my steward's bill tie right, every throat that vines
Ire costs me twenty pounds.
Choose n.e. if you would have a tmresentatlye. I, that have
been Lord of Pembroke and 31ontgoinery, two counties, may well
represent one.

Choose me, if you would have no reim.sientatlve, fir I'll do and
vote what you list and so. choosing me, you choose yourselves :
so that whether p.ll would have a representative or no, die best
way is to choose me.
Rut lot die tell you, by the way, now the Parliament has fallen
into the happy way of making Acrs of I'arliatuen•, let r intl.
nue. Thin is one of tile alviiiiiagos you have by losing ti:e
You may have an Act of Par:is:neat for shut you Miiase; and
theta bener than no ordinance, and lasts longer ; for an Ordinance
of Parliament wan good c.o longer than this Parliament, which,
though it last fur ever. an Act lasts longer, L:cause that lasts tOr
ever, whether die Parliament lasts or no.

For my religion,
11'ho questions It? 1 newer eltsng;ed it 2 l was for Ili,hops when
there acre Bishops, and I was for Visittin when there were
none. It is well known I sin an liitlependent, and had been aft
tsTr.ty years ago, had it not been for 11licitael eldsworth, and
t.ill be as low," as the l'arlisulent please. 1 hare Leen an old
enttrier, and that's an old court, and the higlieg court; and
old c.ittrti..rs alssys love to fellow new fashier.s. 11 at religwn
.is in bow.

I ii.n Cut:calor of Oxford, which Is bard ; there: ore
choose me. Some of you have sore and cousins there; all that
are akin to any that give their voices fur me shall be !leads of,
Colleges, and Canons or Christ Church, though there be a hun-
dred of them the rest of you s!tall have tha leases of all the',
University lands amongat you. What !am I rot Chancellory
The phis I stand for as Knight of the Shire; none :t kings
can make Knighfs: make me your Kaight—you are all Kings;
and it will be an honour to me and to any posterity to have it re.
corded I was the first Lord that was knighted by so many Kings.
I know now you cannot but choose me: I knew so before I
came hither; at.d therefore 1 wank pm beforv;l:o:d, and invite
you borne.
_ .

I will ennead: with that vary exordium whee.with a famous
genii •gran, that wa, of data concluled Lis apt'ewh urea
ttc Its: ti:cari,m— • 11.:+.,0!d