The Virginia Gazette

LONDON.

The last Dutch Mail brought us the following remarkable Speech of the Count de Tessin, Marshal (or Speaker) of the Dyet (or Parliament) of Sweden, at the Opening of that Assembly, in the States Hall, on the 20th of May last: Printed at the Request of the Nobility, at the Royal Printing-House at Stockholm.

Most Potent and most Gracious KING,

Pursuant to Your Majesty's gracious Summons, Your most faithful Subjects, the Nobility, have the Honour, together with their Brethren, the other Estates of this Kingdom, of approaching the Feet of the Throne with the most lively Marks of that profound Respect by which they ever will distinguish themselves to their Kings, the Fathers of this Country.

'Tis no small Happiness for us, that being of the same Age, we have now, at the fifth Time of our Meeting since Your Majesty's Accession to the Crown, the Joy of displaying, in a full Assembly, that ardent Zeal and Affection with which we are animated for our Sovereign established by Law; but we reckon it an infinitely greater Happiness that we have been excused, at all those Diets, from that Task which the States are indispensably obliged to, of approaching the Throne sometimes with Remonstrances that are well-founded, but such as are disagreeable and melancholy to produce.

Tis one of Your Royal Virtues, That Your Majesty takes no Pleasure in hearing Your own Praises.

The Tranquility which the Kingdom has enjoy'd, and which it is still blessed with on every Side, and the Use which has been made of our Leisure, to encourage Husbandry to add rich Branches to our Commerce, and to train up Artificers and Manufactures amongst ourselves; all these Things sufficiently demonstrate to the present Age, and will faithfully transmit to Posterity, the Praise of that Prince under whose Government so many happy Establishments had their Commencement.

Tis owing to the regular, uniform, and sincere Exercise of the true Religion, that the Divine Blessings multiply On the Government and on the People, and that every one performs his Duty in Peace, and with a good Conscience.

A State which is not distracted by Domestick Divisions, has the Satisfaction of being esteemed and courted by the other Powers.

A Government bounded by the Laws, but render'd despotick by the Affection of the Subjects, is not at all burthensome to the Sovereign, nor uneasy to the People.

The Distribution of Offices and Favours, to those who according to Law deserve them, encourages every one to do his Duty the better, pleases their Hearts, and banishes all manner of ill Will.

The having a greater Regard for the Army, without the least Diminution of the Reward which they so richly deserve, who sacrifice their Lives for the Glory and Defence of the State, is the way to secure and fix its Power, and to preserve the glorious Fame which the Swedish Nation has acquired out of Mind, by the intrepid Effusion of its Blood, and its great Exploits.

In Proportion as Justice is performed without Partiality or Delay in the Execution, the publick Security increases, the Innocent are more and more encouraged, and the Seditious borne down as it were by the Laws.

The Preservation of Liberty inviolable, increases Confidence in the People, and gives Leave for their applying those Pains which they would be obliged to take for their own Defence, to the other Necessities of State.

The Exercise and Extension of Commerce produce that Wealth which is necessary for the Accomplishment of other Projects.

An Application to the Arts of Handicraft nourishes the Inhabitants, gives them Ease in Proportion to their Labour, furnishes them with fresh Knowledge, and perfects their Industry.

An Union among those who possess the first Offices of the Kingdom, gives greater Weight to the Deliberations of the Council, sets all other inferior Officers a more awful Example.

The patronizing and executing the express Decrees, and the respectful and well-intended Suffrages of the States of the Kingdom, is the way to make them easy and fearless during their Recess.

Most Potent and most Gracious King,

All these fundamental, general, and immutable Maxims of Your Majesty's Reign, convince the States of the Kingdom, that they are going into the right Paths that will carry them safe to their Point of View; which is, next to the Glory of GOD (the universal and principal Aim of every Christian Action) the particular Satisfaction of Your Majesty, and the Happiness of the Country, which is inseparable from it.

In all Governments, 'tis common to see Men incessantly boasting themselves to be more zealous than others for the Publick Good; but Your Majesty, whose Penetration nothing can escape, cannot fail of being fully persuaded that there is not one Man among us, but what is animated with the same Zeal, in the highest Degree, so that such as pretend herein to surpass others, are the more liable to a Suspicion, that they have a secret but fatal Design, to interrupt the Harmony betwixt the Head and Members, and so sacrifice the Good of the Publick, either to their own Advancement, or to the Maintenance of their own Authority.

These particular Views could not infect the States of the Kingdom assembled in the Dyet, who are the sincerest and safest Counsellors. They are the most sincere, because the Preservation and Glory of Your Majesty are necessary to their Happiness, and what they all pray for: And they are the safest, because from an infinite Number of Notions which are started among them, and all carefully debated, they single out the best, in order to form an unanimous Judgment upon them.

We are all full of Zeal and Submission to Your Majesty: We all ardently desire the Advantage of the Kingdom: Tis our Duty so to do; we perform it with Joy, and hope we Shall never see that unhappy Time, when an Affection to Your Majesty, and a Love of our Country, will be look'd upon as rare Virtues in this Nation.

Being animated with these Sentiments, which are those of every Subject, who is faithful to a good Sovereign, we will religiously apply ourselves, most Potent King, to anticipate Your Majesty's Desires, to advance the Good of the Nation, to remove every kind of Disorder, to discover if there are any dangerous underhand Practices, and finally to leave incontestable Proofs of our Loyalty, and our Probity.

With these pure Intentions the States of the Kingdom now come before Your Majesty, to receive, with a respectful Silence, those gracious Proposals which You shall order to be communicated to them.

We acknowledge that a Calm is agreeable to such who have but lately escaped the Furies of the Storm; but if it were necessary to bear a Part in the general Motion of Europe, we should still prefer so honourable a Course to an ill tim'd Inaction, and to a Tranquility which would make us blush.

May the LORD, to whom the Government of all the People immediately belongs, and who rules them by his profound Wisdom, be pleased to give Vigour and Success to all Your Majesty's just Designs, that Your Name and Memory may become everlasting and immortal: May the LORD also grant such an Issue to the Diet which is now opened, that it may deserve to be remembered by the Posterities of Sweden; and that it may be a Means to perpetuate that Reputation for Probity, Valour, and Fidelity, of which the Goths and Swedes have been in all Times so tender.

The Nobility most humbly, recommend themselves to Your Majesty's most gracious Protection and Royal Goodness.