A SPEECH

USED BY

SIR FRANCIS BACON, KNIGHT,

IN THE HONOURABLE HOUSE OF COMMONS, QUINTO JACOBI,

CONCERNING THE ARTICLE OF

THE GENERAL NATURALIZATION

OF

THE SCOTISH NATION.

Ir may please you, Mr. Speaker, preface I will use none, but put myself upon your good opinion, to which I have been accustomed beyond my deservings; neither will I hold you in suspense what way I will choose, but now at the first I declare myself, that I mean to counsel the house to naturalize this nation: wherein, nevertheless, I have a request to make unto you, which is of more efficacy to the purpose I have in hand than all that I shall say afterwards. And it is the same request, which Demosthenes did more than once, in great causes of estate, make to the people of Athens, "ut cum calculis suffragiorum "sumant magnanimitatem reipublicæ," that when they took into their hands the balls, whereby to give their voices, according as the manner of them was, they would raise their thoughts, and lay aside those considerations, which their private vocations and

degrees might minister and represent unto them, and would take upon them cogitations and minds agreeable to the dignity and honour of the estate.

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For, Mr. Speaker, as it was aptly and sharply said by Alexander to Parmenio, when upon their recital of the great offers which Darius made, Parmenio said unto him, "I would accept these offers, were I as Alexander:" he turned it upon him again, "So would I," saith he, "were I as Parmenio." So in this cause, if an honest English merchant, I do not single out that state in disgrace, for this island ever held it honourable, but only for an instance of a private profession, if an English merchant should say, "Surely I would proceed no farther in the union, were I as the king;" it might be reasonably answered, "No more would the king, were he "as an English merchant." And the like may be said of a gentleman of the country, be he never so worthy or sufficient or of a lawyer, be he never so wise or learned; or of any other particular condition of men in this kingdom: for certainly, Mr. Speaker, if a man shall be only or chiefly sensible of those respects which his particular vocation and degree shall suggest and infuse into him, and not enter into true and worthy considerations of estate, he shall never be able aright to give counsel, or take counsel in this matter. So that if this request be granted, I account the cause obtained.

But to proceed to the matter itself: all consultations do rest upon questions comparative; for when a question is " de vero," it is simple, for there is but

one truth; but when a question is "de bono," it is for the most part comparative; for there be differing degrees of good and evil, and the best of the good is to be preferred and chosen, and the worst of the evil is to be declined and avoided; and therefore in a question of this nature you may not look for answer proper to every inconvenience alleged; for somewhat that cannot be especially answered may, nevertheless, be encountered and over weighed by matter of greater moment, and therefore the matter which I shall set forth unto you will naturally receive the distribution of three parts,

First an answer to those inconveniences which have been alleged to ensue, if we should give way to this naturalization; which, I suppose, you will not find to be so great as they have been made; but that much dross is put into the balance to help to make weight.

Secondly, an encounter against the remainder of these inconveniences which cannot properly be answered, by much greater inconveniences, which we shall incur if we do not proceed to this naturaliza

tion.

Thirdly, an encounter likewise, but of another nature, that is, by the gain and benefit which wer shall draw and purchase to ourselves by proceeding to this naturalization. And yet, to avoid confusion, which evermore followeth upon too much generality, it is necessary for me, before I proceed to persuasion, to use some distribution of the points or parts of naturalization, which certainly can be no better, or none other, than the ancient distinction of "jus civitatis,

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jus suffragii vel tribus," and "jus petitionis sive "honorum :" for all ability and capacity is either of private interest of "meum et tuum," or of public service; and the public consisteth chiefly either in voice, or in action, or office. Now it is the first of these, Mr. Speaker, that I will only handle at this time and in this place, and refer the other two for a committee, because they receive more distinction and restriction.

To come therefore to the inconveniences alleged on the other part, the first of them is, that there may ensue of this naturalization a surcharge of people upon this realm of England, which is supposed already to have the full charge and content: and therefore there cannot be an admission of the adoptive without a diminution of the fortunes and conditions of those that are native subjects of this realm. A grave objection, Mr. Speaker, and very dutiful; for it proceeds not of any unkindness to the Scotish nation, but of a natural fastness to ourselves; for that answer of the virgins, "Ne forte non suffi"ciat vobis et nobis," proceeded not out of any envy or malign humour, but out of providence, and the original charity which begins with ourselves. And I must confess, Mr. Speaker, that as the gentleman said, when Abraham and Lot, in regard of the greatness of their families, grew pent and straitened, it is true, that, brethren though they were, they grew to difference, and to those words, " Vade tu ad dexte"ram, et ego ad sinistram," &c. But certainly, I should never have brought that example on that side; for we see what followed of it, how that this separation

"ad dexteram et ad sinistram" caused the miserable captivity of the one brother, and the dangerous, though prosperous war of the other, for his rescue and recovery.

But to this objection, Mr. Speaker, being so weighty and so principal, I mean to give three several answers, every one of them being, to my understanding, by itself sufficient.

The first is, that this opinion of the number of the Scotish nation, that should be likely to plant themselves here amongst us, will be found to be a thing rather in conceit than in event; for, Mr. Speaker, you shall find those plausible similitudes, of a tree that will thrive the better if it be removed into the more fruitful soil; and of sheep or cattle, that if they find a gap or passage open will leave the more barren pasture, and get into the more rich and plentiful, to be but arguments merely superficial, and to have no sound resemblance with the transplanting or transferring of families; for the tree, we know, by nature, as soon as it is set in the better ground, can fasten upon it, and take nutriment from it and a sheep, as soon as he gets into the better pasture, what should let him to graze and feed? But there belongeth more, I take it, to a family or particular person, that shall remove from one nation to another: for if, Mr. Speaker, they have not stock, means, acquaintance, and custom, habitation, trades, countenance, and the like, I hope you doubt not but they will starve in the midst of the rich pasture, and are far enough off from grazing at their pleasure: and