to which Ludlow answered, that Cromwell perceived in him what he had never discovered in himself. A private conference in the Queen's guard-chamber was then agreed upon. At which, Ludlow continues, he endeavoured to persuade me of the necessity incumbent upon him to do several things, that appeared extraordinary in the judgment of some men, who, in opposition to him, took such courses, as would bring ruin upon themselves, as well as him and the public cause; affirming his intentions to be directed entirely to the good of the people, and professing his readiness to sacrifice his life in their service.' He added, after some conversation upon past events, that he desired nothing more, than that the government of the nation might be settled in a free and equal commonwealth: acknowledging that there were no other probable means to keep out the old family and government from returning upon them; and declared that he looked upon the design of the Lord in that day, to be the freeing of his people from every burden, and that he was now accomplishing what was prophecied in the 110th Psalm; from the consideration of which, he was often encouraged to attend the effecting those ends-spending at least an hour in the exposition of that psalm.' Judging of characters from collateral circumstances, the most ready way in frequent instances to discover the truth, we

cannot but see, in the conversation related by Ludlow, the direction which Cromwell's mind was now taking. He already considered himself, it is apparent, a chosen instrument of God's providence ;-he already conceived designs of doing several extraordinary things, which designs he feared might be suspected by others;--and he thought it prudent, in the case of so determined a republican as Ludlow, to lull all such his suspicions to sleep, previously to his departure for the north. He appealed, therefore, to those religious views, whose operation upon himself were in such great part real, and in which he might think he could best depend upon Ludlow's concurrence with him. But he would seem not to have lost his apprehensions of the latter, from the result: for, soon after, Ludlow, at his particular instance, was honourably removed from the scene of action at home, by being appointed a Commissioner for the affairs of Ireland, as well as Lieutenant-general of the horse in that country.*

It may be worth while briefly to notice the Psalm mentioned above; Cromwell's exposition of which must be considered extremely moderate in point of length, (an hour), since it consists of seven verses, and many another of the military preachers of that day would have extracted a three hours' discourse from either of them. To speak with a reverence becoming the subject, this psalm, by our English

Even prior to the recent elevation of Cromwell, his real disinclination to which, when his thoughts are thus bared by indirect events becomes more than ever problematical, there

translators, and perhaps by the entire Christian world, is considered a prophecy, relating to Christ's kingdom, power, and offices upon earth. Cromwell's conversation bears mainly upon the things, which he tells Ludlow he feels it incumbent' upon himself to do: and how these things, thus assumed to be his personal concerns, though relating to the national affairs at large, should have any connection with the ends of Christ's mission to the world, unless through his own farther exaltation and agency to attend the effecting those ends,' is not apparent. The most remarkable passages in the psalm. as capable of being wrested to Cromwell's purposes, are the following:-"The Lord, at thy right hand, shall strike through Kings in the day of his wrath :"-" He shall judge among the heathen; he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries:"-" Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power:"-" The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies." Now, if Cromwell alluded only to Christ's spiritual exaltation in England, why, it is repeated, did he connect with his subject those past or suspected actions of his own, which had been, or appeared likely to become, such assumptions of the temporal power, as to seem 'extraordinary' to many; and by which in reality he was, at this very time, preparing the way to his future sole government? It is observable, that no contemporary writer notices his confusion and irresolution' on accepting the supreme command of the Army, preparatory to his departure for Scotland. His triumphant career, and the more than regal authority he had exercised, in Ireland, had perhaps divested him

were men, whose suspicions of him, he had been taught by experience, might prove dangerous. Three officers of the army, named Rich, Staines, and Watson, suffered themselves to conceive such violent apprehensions of the designs of the then Lieutenant-general, and to join with them such malignant envy and hatred of his talents and person, as to form a design of assassinating him. The plot was discovered, and the Council of State resolved on their just punishment: when Cromwell himself generously interposed in their behalf, and procured not only their pardon, but that the attempt should not be more publicly made known. By this generosity,' Mrs. Hutchinson observes, having carried himself with the greatest bravery that is imaginable therein,' he much advanced his glory,'-as, it must be confessed, such conduct in him deserved. The lady's other observations, relative to this transaction, are something disingenuous. It seems rather too much to expect, that the Lieutenant-general should not afterward know how to serve himselfe of' these officers, without trusting them;' and nothing disreputable

of many of these self-abasing feelings: and when Fairfax had once resigned, his own succession to the then really highest dignity in the country, appeared to be considered by him, (as in fact it was,) only a matter of course.

to Cromwell, however much it might be so to them, that, in the fullness of their future gratitude, they became beasts and slaves to him,' who so well knew how to turn the most adverse men and circumstances to his political advantages. But Mrs. Hutchinson, it must always be remembered, in perusing her memoirs' with an eye to Cromwell, might naturally, and even amiably, be led into unfavourable views of him, from an injury, which, whether truly or not, she conceived him to have done her husband, the Colonel : moreover, it should not be forgotten, that, with all her talents and very estimable qualities, Mrs. Hutchinson was a woman and a partisan.