Welsh Journals

The repeated Experience I have had of your Friendship in this Point, encour- ages me to hope for the Continuance of them; which I shall not offer to desire longer than the reasonableness of my case shall appear to deserve them. I beg Leave once more to represent it to you; and through your Assist- ance, to the honourable House, whose Displeasure, as it is a very sensible Affliction to me, I should be glad, by any means in my Power, to remove: That as it is impracticable for me to attend by the Time appointed, because of a very severe Fit of the Gout which I am now afflicted with, and thereby give satisfaction to the House in the Method they have insisted on; I hope they will accept of such as is in my Power; and give me a favourable Hearing, when I represent to them, that I was chose a Knight of the Shire of Cardigan when I was ioo Miles distant from it, and had been absent thence for 10 Months before the time of my Election; which I was so far from seeking, that I never asked a Vote for it, and was Chose even against my Inclination. I know not how far a man is obliged to stand to the Choice a County makes of him; Sure I am that I have Reason to complain of a Force that has administered the occasion of my disobliging the honourable House, by an Absence, caused by infirmities, under which I laboured at the time of my Choice and which have continued upon me ever since, with the greatest severity, and with little or no Intermission. In these Circumstances, I would fain hope that the honourable House will rather blame the Country's Choice, than him who has been unwillingly forced into a Post and lies under the Misfortune (for I flatter myself 'twill not be thought a Crime) of not being able to attend the Business of it; and will therefore lay aside their Displeasure and remit the Sentence ordered against me. And I am rather encouraged to hope this, because Mr. Prynne, in his Comment on the 4th Book of Sir Edward Coke's Institutes, shews, from various Records, that incurable Distempers have been constantly allowed by the House for a just excuse of Non-attendance; and, upon Debates in such Cases no other Punishment has been inflicted, than excusing the Service of the Member, and ordering a new Writ for electing a Person duly qualified, and capable of attending the Business of the House: This being the Course of Parliamentary Proceedings in such cases as mine, which I have now truly related to you, and can produce Hundreds of Witnesses to confirm, I hope, that the unhappy incapacity I am under of attending the Service of the House, will be thought to deserve no severer Treatment than has been usual in the like Cases; and that my ready Submission to the honourable House's Pleasure in this Point will be a Means to restore me to their favourable Opinion, and engage you to promote the Request of Your most obliged and obedient humble Servant LE. PRYSE. Aberllefenny, Feb. 180, 1715.