"do what he thought good for himself) he ap "peared at the Bar of the House of Commons, ❝ and faid all he could for his own excufe (more " in magnifying the fincerity of his religion, and "how kind he had been to many Preachers "[whom he named, and] whom he knew were " of precious memory with the unconformable "party); and concluded with a lamentable "fupplication for their mercy. It was about "nine of the clock in the morning when he went "out of the House (and when the debate could "no longer be deferred what was to be done upon him); and when the fenfe of the House "appeared very evidently (notwithstanding all "that was faid to the contrary by those eminent "perfons who promoted all other accufations "with the greatest fury) that he should be ac "cused of high treason in the fame form the "other two had been, they perfisted still so long "in the debate, and delayed the putting the

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queftion by frequent interruptions (a common "artifice) 'till it was twelve of the clock; and " 'till they knew that the Houfe of Peers was "risen (which they were likewife readily enough

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disposed to, to gratify the Keeper); and the "question was put and carried in the affirmative, (with very few negatives,) and the Lord Falk"land appointed to carry up the accufation to "the Houfe of Peers (which they knew he could

not do 'till the next morning); and when he "did it the next morning, it appeared that the "Lord Keeper had fent the Great Seal the night "before (to the King), and had newly with"drawn himself, and was foon after known to "be in Holland."

JOHN HAMPDEN.

THIS diftinguished perfon, according to Sir Philip Warwick, who knew him well, was a man of great and plentiful eftate, and of confiderable interest in his county; of a regular life; and had extenfive knowledge, both in scholarship and in the law (the effential ftudies for an English Gentleman). "He was," adds Sir Philip, "of

a concife and fignificant language, and the "politeft, yet fubtilest speaker of any man in "the House of Commons; and had a dexterity ત (when a question was going to be put which agreed not with his sense) to draw it over to it,

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by adding some equivocal or fly word, which "would enervate the meaning of it as first put." D'Avila's History of the Civil Wars of France was so favourite a book with Mr. Hampden, that it was called his Vade Mecum.

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Lord Clarendon fays of him, "that after he was amongst thofe Members accufed by the "King of High Treason, he was much altered, his "nature and carriage feeming much fiercer than "they did before; and without question," says the noble Historian, "when he first drew his "fword he threw away the scabbard.”

Mr. Hampden was one of the earliest that were in the field against his Sovereign, and distinguished himself very confiderably in an action at Brill near Oxford, a garrifon belonging to the King. He had foon afterwards the command of a regiment of foot, under the Earl of Effex; and had he lived, he would most probably have been Commander in Chief of the Parliament forces. His great ambition feems to have been the appointment of Governor to the young Prince; for, as Sir Philip Warwick fays, "aiming at the "alteration of fome parts of the Government,

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(for at firft probably it amounted not unto a "defign of a total new form,) he knew of how great a confequence it would be, that the young Prince fhould have principles fuitable "to what should be eftablished as laws."

This fagacious Man difcovered the great talents of Oliver Cromwell through the veil which coarse manners and vulgar habits had thrown

over them; for (according to Whitelocke) Lord Derby in going down the ftairs of the House of Commons with Mr. Hampden, obferving Cromwell pafs by them, faid to Mr. Hampden, "Who "is that floven immediately before us? He is σε on our fide, I fee, by his fpeaking fo warmly "to-day:"--"That floven, as you are pleafed to "call him, my Lord," replied Hampden," that "floven, I fay, if we were to come to a breach ❝ with the King, (which God forbid !) will be "the greatest man in England *."

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Clarendon fays, that Mr. Hampden carried himself throughout the whole business of the Ship-money with fuch fingular temper and modefty, that he actually obtained more credit and advantage by lofing it, than the King did fervice by gaining it t.

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* So the fanguinary and penetrating Dictator of Rome faw many Marii in young Julius Cæfar trailing his gown negligently along the ftreets of Rome, like a carelefs and diffolute boy.

"Noy the Attorney-General," fays Mr. Selden, in his Table-Talk, "brought his Ship-money firft for Maritime Towns; but that was like putting in a little auger, "that afterwards you may put in a greater. He that pulls "down the firft brick does the main bufinefs; afterwards "tis eafy to pull down the wall. They that firft would "not pay the Ship-money till it was decided, did like brave "men." The folemn decifion of a Court of Justice is with us in England as truly the Law of the Land as an act of Parliament.

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By the kindness of the MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM, the COMPILER is enabled to decorate this Volume with two Letters and a Fac Simile of the Hand-writing of this Great Man. They must be perused by every Englishman with that refpect with which he will behold, we truft, the fmallest relic of the ftrenuous, yet temperatė, Affertor of the Liberties of his Country *.

"GENTLEMEN,

"The army is now at Northampton, moving every day nearer to you. If you disband not, be a mutual fuccour each to other ;

wee may

"For Coll. BULSTRODE, Capt. GREN"VILLE, Capt. TYRRELL, and Capt. " WEST, or any of them."

Parliament. Pafcal obferves very well," Il feroit bon qu'on “obeit aux loix et aux coutumes parcequ'elles font loix, et que le "peuple comprit que c'eft là ce qui les rend juftes. Par ce moyen

on ne les quitteroit jamais, au lieu que quand on fait dependre "leur juftice d'autre chofe, il eft aifé de la rendre douteuse, et "voila ce qui fait que les peuples font fujets à fe revolter."

* In fuch respect is the memory of Hampden ftill held by his grateful countrymen, that some years ago, one of his defcendants