During the long interval of parliament, he is reprefented as living among thofe with whom it was moft honourable to converfe, and enjoying an exuberant fortune with that independance and liberty of fpeech and conduct which wealth ought always to produce. He was however confidered as the kinfman of Hampden, and was therefore fuppofed by the courtiers not to favour them. When the parliament was called in 1640, it appeared that Waller's political character had not been miftaken. The King's demand of a fupply produced one of thofe noify fpeeches which difaffection and difcontent regularly dictate; a fpeech filled with hyperbolical complaints of imaginary grievances: "They," fays he, "who think themselves already " undone, can never apprehend themselves in danger; "and they who have nothing left can never give freely." Political truth is equally in danger from the praises of courtiers, and the exclamations of patriots. 66 He then proceeds to rail at the clergy, being fure at that time of a favourable audience. His topick is fuch as will always ferve its purpose; an accufation of acting and preaching only for preferment: and he exhorts the Commons carefully to provide for their protection against Pulpit Law. It always gratifies curiofity to trace a fentiment. Waller has in his fpeech quoted Hooker in one paffage; and in another has copied him, without quoting. "Religion," fays Waller, "ought to be the "first thing in our purpose and defires; but that which is first in dignity is not always to precede in order of time; for well-being fuppofes a being; "and "and the first impediment which men naturally "endeavour to remove, is the want of those things "without which they cannot fubfift. God first affigned unto Adam maintenance of life, and gave "him a title to the reft of the creatures before he appointed a law to obferve." 66 66 "God first affigned Adam," fays Hooker, "main“tenance of life, and then appointed him a law to "obferve.-True it is that the kingdom of God "must be the first thing in our purpose and defires; but inasmuch as a righteous life prefuppofeth life, "inafmuch as to live virtuoufly it is impoffible, except we live; therefore the first impediment "which naturally we endeavour to remove is penury, "and want of things without which we cannot live." B. I. Sect. 9. 66 The speech is vehement; but the great pofition, that grievances ought to be redreffed before fupplies are granted, is agreeable enough to law and reason : nor was Waller, if his biographer may be credited, fuch an enemy to the King, as not to with his diftreffes lightened; for he relates, "that the King "fent particularly to Waller, to fecond his demand "of fome fubfidies to pay off the army; and Sir "Henry Vane objecting against first voting a fupply, because the King would not accept unless it 66 came up to his proportion, Mr. Waller spoke earneftly to Sir Thomas Jermyn, comptroller of the "household, to fave his mafter from the effects of "fo bold a falfity; for,' he faid, 'I am but a country gentleman, and cannot pretend to know the King's mind:' but Sir Thomas durft not contra"dict the fecretary; and his fon, the Earl of St. "Albans, 66 "Albans, afterwards told Mr. Waller, that his fa"ther's cowardice ruined the King." In the Long Parliament, which, unhappily for the nation, met Nov. 3, 1640, Waller reprefented Agmondefham the third time; and was confidered by the difcontented party as a man sufficiently trusty and acrimonious to be employed in managing the profecution of Judge Crawley, for his opinion in favour of fhip-money; and his fpeech fhews that he did not disappoint their expectations. He was probably the more ardent, as his uncle Hampden had been particularly engaged in the difpute, and, by a fentence which feems generally to be thought unconftitutional, particularly injured. He was not however a bigot to his party, nor adopted all their opinions. When the great question, whether Epifcopacy ought to be abolished, was debated, he spoke against the innovation fo coolly, fo reasonably, and fo firmly, that it is not without great injury to his name that his fpeech, which was as follows, has been hitherto omitted in his works: *There is no doubt but the fenfe of what this "nation had fuffered from the prefent Bishops hath "produced these complaints; and the apprehenfions "men have of fuffering the like, in time to come, "make so many defire the taking away of Epifco66 pacy: but I conceive it is poffible that we may "not, now, take a right meafure of the minds of "the people by their petitions; for, when they fub"fcribed them, the Bishops were armed with a dangerous commiffion of making new canons, impo * This fpeech has been retrieved, from a paper printed at that time, by the writers of the Parliamentary History. Dr. J.. "fing 3 fing new oaths, and the like; but now we have "difarmed them of that power. These petitioners lately did look upon Episcopacy as a beast armed "with horns and claws; but now that we have cut "and pared them (and may, if we fee caufe, yet "reduce it into narrower bounds), it may, perhaps, "be more agreeable. Howfoever, if they be still in "paffion, it becomes us foberly to confider the right "ufe and antiquity thereof; and not to comply "further with a general defire, than may ftand with a general good. "We have already fhewed, that Epifcopacy and "the evils thereof are mingled like water and oil; "we have alfo, in part, fevered them; but I believe 66 you will find, that our laws and the present go"vernment of the Church are mingled like wine and "water; fo infeparable, that the abrogation of, at "leaft, a hundred of our laws is defired in these pe"titions. I have often heard a noble answer of the "Lords, commended in this houfe, to a propofition "of like nature, but of lefs confequence; they gave no other reafon of their refufal but this, "Nolumus mutare Leges Anglia: it was the Bishops "who fo answered then; and it would become the dignity and wifdom of this houfe to answer the "people, now, with a Nolumus mutare. σε "I fee fome are moved with a number of hands "against the Bishops; which, I confefs, rather in"clines me to their defence; for I look upon Epif 66 copacy as a counterfcarp, or out-work; which, if "it be taken by this affault of the people, and, "withal, this myftery once revealed, That we muft deny them nothing when they afk it thus in troops, we' 66 may, 66 may, in the next place, have as hard a task to 66 defend our property, as we have lately had to re"cover it from the Prerogative. If, by multiplying "hands and petitions, they prevail for an equality "in things ecclefiaftical, the next demand perhaps "may be Lex Agraria, the like equality in things "temporal. "The Roman ftory tells us, "That when the peo"ple began to flock about the fenate, and were more "curious to direct and know what was done, than "to obey, that Commonwealth foon came to ruin : "their Legem rogare grew quickly to be a Legem ferre: and after, when their legions had found "that they could make a Dictator, they never fuf"fered the fenate to have a voice any more in such "election. If thefe great innovations proceed, I fhall expect ❝ a flat and level in learning too, as well as in church"preferments: Honos alit Artes. And though it be 66 true, that grave and pious men do ftudy for learn❝ing-fake, and embrace virtue for itself; yet it is true that youth, which is the feafon when learning is gotten, is not without ambition; nor will "ever take pains to excel in any thing, when there "is not fome hope of excelling others in reward and dignity. 66 66 66 "There are two reafons chiefly alleged against our "church-government. "Firft, Scripture, which, as fome men think, points out another form. "Second, The abufes of the prefent fuperiors. "For Scripture, I will not difpute it in this place; "but I am confident that, whenever an equal divifion |