presiding at a human massacre! He was found to have faculties, tempers, tastes, nay, even apparent habits, adapted to all seasons and occasions. Hence, he could pursue an object by the most concealed and devious tracks, or pounce upon it, like the eagle, by a single flight and stoop: he could charm and wile impediments from his path, or shiver them to fragments at a blow he could enter with an equal zest into the occupations of preaching, fighting, and reigning; was equally at home in the prayermeeting, the camp, and the palace : and, as hitherto he had brewed, and farmed, with all a tradesman's tact for the arts of business and acquiring wealth, he now bestrode his warhorse with a grace entirely chivalric, and vaulted from the saddle but to sit the throne with an ease, that made royalty seem a portion of his nature. Meanwhile, in every change of time and circumstance, religion, be it once again peculiarly observed, far from contracting, enlarged her hold upon his feelings; but, gradually deserting his judgment, while her sphere of influence was lamentably abridged in fact, the success that attended all his undertakings taught his enthusiasm so greatly to ex tend it in idea, that, finally, his every action appeared to him directed by a heavenly guidance, and his very crimes the offspring of

a decreed necessity, or instruments to execute upon earth God's righteous vengeance !-By considerations similar to these only, it is presumed, shall we be able to pursue and to appreciate the future life of Cromwell.

CHAPTER. III.

FROM THE FIRST HOSTILITIES WITH SCOTLAND, TO THE BREAKING OUT OF THE CIVIL WAR.

Hostilities with Scotland-Fourth Parliament-Cromwell returned for Cambridge-Speedy Dissolution-LONG PARLIAMENT-Milton's description of its Members-Lord Clarendon's ditto-Cromwell upon numerous Committees-His Portraiture by Sir Philip Warwick-His Parliamentary Eloquence-Hume refuted-Sketch of the Proceedings following, of the King and Parliament-Charles erects his Standard at Nottingham.

ELEVEN years had now elapsed, since Englishmen had witnessed the assembly of their representatives, to form, with the king and peers, a constitutional parliament. During that long period, the possession of the throne by individual self-will, voluntarily isolated from the national councils and co-operation, had been complete. The monarchy, notwithstanding, is easily perceived to have been long poising on a point—OPINION ;-while, that the awe of simply sceptred majesty had been so long ca

pable of producing obedience, (next only to unlimited) to its commands, is indeed a proof that loyalty that noble and generous principle, inferior only in excellence to the more enlarged and more enlightened affection, towards a legal constitution,'*- is inherent in the hearts of our countrymen. But Charles had ere this, committed himself by a proceeding, which eventually led to the decision of the great question, whether Britain should indeed be subsequently ruled by a King alone, or by a King, in whom the passions naturally arising out of the exercise of power should be constitutionally moderated, and the deficiencies common to all men, in whatever station, constitutionally supplied, by the assistance of a Parliament. Instigated by the frantic zeal of his ecclesiastical chief counsellor, Laud, Charles had excited the inhabitants of Scotland, the country of his own immediate descent, to rise in open enmity against him, through endeavouring-in furtherance of an eager, but senseless desire, common with tyrantsto establish uniformity in the mode of worshipping God throughout his dominions. The 'service-book' he took the pains to transmit for the benefit of his Scottish subjects, was received by them with horror and indignation: they took

* Hume.

national covenant' against its adoption; and eventually proceeded to march a large army across the Tweed, in support of the freedom of their consciences.-One of the good qualities personal to Charles, was economy; by its exercise, he had contrived, during the past years of his illegal sway, to accumulate a sum, considerable in those days, over and above his wants for the ordinary expences of his government. With this money, and assisted by the nobility and gentry, and, above all, by the prelates, (the latter of whom were so forward in their aids, that the uncommenced war obtained the name of bellum episcopale) he, in this emergency, levied and equipped a formidable body of troops, at whose head he met the covenanters' at York. Here he judged it most prudent to enter into terms: but their performance on his part was so unsatisfactory, that the Scotch shortly afterward prepared to renew their visit. But now was Charles utterly without resources: his own pecuniary means exhausted, his adherents unprepared for a second supply: so that necessity at length compelled him, most unwillingly, to have recourse to the long neglected, but only legitimate mode of procuring his warlike requisites -a parliament. Writs were accordingly issued: and an assembly, of so novel a kind as this was become, at length once more met; viz. on the 13th of April, 1640.