Again the King called to the Lord Keeper, and spake privately to him; and then the Lord Keeper told the Speaker, that the King had granted their petitions; and so the Commons and the Speaker were dismissed. And when the company was withdrawn, and the House clear of the people that thronged there, the doors were shut, and then the Lord Lovelace called to the Clerk to be sworn, and tendered himself to take the test.
But the Lord Keeper said that by the order of the House he should have offered himself to do that business in the morning after prayers, and therefore he could not be sworn that day.
Then the House called to adjourn, and they did adjourn, that is, the Lord Keeper as Speaker adjourned the House until Friday, at nine of the clock in the morning.
Friday 22 May, 1685.
The Lords met in their House, and in their robes that day. In the Lords’ House there was a canopy of state for the Queen Consort set up in the Lords’ House, near the Archbishop’s seat. The Queen came into the House about ten of the clock, and was in the House, while the House went to prayers.
In the same seat with her, that is with the Queen, sat the Prince of Denmark, and the Princess Anne, his consort.
About eleven of the clock, the King came to the House in his robes and attended as aforesaid, and sat upon his throne. And immediately the Commons, with their Speaker, came to the bar of the Lords’ House, at which time the King made a gracious speech, which is in print, and it is his first speech to the Parliament. The Lords and Commons hummed joyfully and loudly at those parts of it which concerned our religion, and the established government.
When the King’s speech was ended, the Commons went down to their own House, where, as I have been told, they forthwith voted the King’s revenue to be settled upon him for life.
The Lords, after reading an order pro formâ, chose committees for receiving and trying of petitions, committees for privileges and for the journal book.
The next thing was a motion made by the Lord Newport, and seconded by others, against several Lords that were minors or under 21 years, who would sit in the Lords’ House against the order of the House.