them ;

the same thing by the council of state, where he was boldly opposed by ferjeant Bradshaw *. But nothing could stop him in the execution of his design. to be forgotten, and scarce to be parallel'd in any story! By which all persons may be instructed, how uncertain and subject to change all worldly affairs are ; how apt to fall when we think them higheit." * As he enter'd the council, he spoke thus to

“ Gentlemen, if you are met here as private persons, you shall not be disturbed ; but if as a council of state, this is no place for you : and fince you cannot but know what was done at the house in the morning, so take notice that the parliament is diffolv’d.” Serjeant Bradshaw boldly answered ; we have heard what you did at the house in the morning, and before many hours all England will hear it: but, Sir, you are mistaken, to think that the parliament is diffolv’d; for no power under heaven can disfolve them but themselves, therefore take you notice of that.” Some others also spoke to the same purpose : but the council finding themselves to be under the same force, they all quietly departed.

Sir,

A view of Cromwell's civil government, from his

disolving the long parliament till his death.

W

E are to consider the government of Eng

land, under the remnant of the long parliament, as a kind of anarchy. Many of the ableft members, either through compulfion or of choice, had no longer seats in the house of commons : and those who remained, at least the majority of them, if we may judge of what would be by what was, were

degenerating degenerating apace from those noble principles that had at first distinguished them; and having tafted the sweets of power, were endeavouring to establish themfelres in the full and lasting possession of it, to the utter exclusion of their fellow-subjects, who upon the principles now avovrd, had an equal right to it with themselves. What would this have been, but the erecting of a tyranny worse than that they complained . of, the tyranny of the many instead of an arbitrary monarchy ?

While affairs were thus running on, if there was any member of the commonwealth who had sufficient power to stop the course of them, and turn the confti. tution, which had been thus diverted, into its old and natural channel, that of monarchy, was it not his duty, was it not for the general good of the nation that he should do this? Oliver Cromwell had such a power ; he saw the necessity of exerting it, and, by an act of heroism that is hardly to be paralleld, he undertook and went through with the work in his own person; while his timerous friends dissuaded him from the attempt, and looked on trembling for the event. It ended successfully both to himself and his friends, as well as to the nation in general, whose laws he maintained, whose honour he asserted, whole reputation he raised, more than any fovereign had done for a long time before *.

It

* Cromwell's panegyrist addresses him thus on the diffolution of the parliament. 66 That which you acted unfriendly against the enemy, you have acted friendly towards your friends. Not that they yet attempted any thing againft their country, but left they should go back from the government appointed with their country. They studied the affair of an aristocracy, you of a democracy: they to act the nobles, you to elect the senators : they to contract the commonwealth to themselves, you to extend it to the people : they to rule the publick after their own will,

you

It is manifeft from many instances, that there are such crises in governments, as well as in arts and sciences,

when

you to direct every thing by the common affent. Not that they had already offended, but left they should create a suspicion of offence. You have consulted for their credit, you have preserved their honour ; nor have you done them any injury, but only taken away the matter of envy. You have not so much reproached their counsels, as you have been ready to fetch them back to better. You truly understand the free nature of the English nation, which will not bear even the Thadow of fervitude ; like that of the Romans, which, even in their deliverer, would not endure the empty sound of a name favouring of tyranny. The English senate suffer on this side the hurt, what Col. latinus did beyond the injury. Let this then be granted to liberty, that, in defending herself, the may exceed the mean. There is nothing over-much faulty in the defence of liberty. Cromwell is no more to be blamed for taking away the senate, than Brutus for banishing his friend and companion Collatinus the conful. You, Cromwell, who had stood up an advocate for liberty, had before constituted a commonwealth : it was your duty then to support what you had constituted. The commonwealth desired to have you for her faithful and ready guardian : for that truly she had given you arms. You therefore thus set in a watch-tower, had bound yourself to be vigilant. You perceived the people to be moved ; to require the faith plighted to them; to wish that nothing might be done fave what was agreeable to the constitution. You saw the army, who had made them. felves, after a certain manner, the security and pledges of the publick faith, to be out of patience. You flew ; you made yourself wings of your weapons, that you might comply with the desires of the people. You neither appeared at your own fancy ; nor acted by your own judgment; nor changed any thing thro' when a master-genius may exert itself, and by deviating from the common rules, effect that in a few bold and licentious strokes, which a regular process could never reach! I may venture to add, that such a genius as this is sometimes necessary, and what alone can restore the ruins of a decayed constitution, and repair the devastations of the unskilful many. The dictatorship of Cæsar, however obtained, was better for Rome than the times that preceded it, when the

emulation

your own sense. You undertook, you effected all things at the desire of the people, who are the fountain and origin of empire. Nor have you been fo much obedient to them, as to that reason and faith which governs in them. You have stood forth a de. fender of the common right ; nor, save only to defenil it, would you

have ever taken

up

those innoxious quiet arms, the pure pledges of your faith, devoted to the commonwealth, engaged to your country.

But if you have diffolved the senate, you have employed the office of a censor : you have brought in the Roman magistrate to London. The censor removed the senators from their places at Rome ; you, censor. like, have ejected the senators out of their seats at London. Yet you have retained the senate, you have preserved the common dignity, and not hurt the majesty of the office or degree in the persons. That private authority, which was ready to fall, hath been taken away : that common authority, which should last a year only, hath been removed. Increase, o Cromwell, in judgment ; increase in prudence ; increase in faithfulness; increase in integrity! Brave before the commonwealth was freed ; renowned be. fore it was constituted ; but glorious now it is chang. ed.” Vide the second panegyric, affirmed to be written by a certain Jesuit, the Portuguese ambassador's chaplain, but composed as the editor (Mr. Peck) thinks, by Milton. I shall give a new translation of the greatest part of this piece in the appendix, having here

transcribed from that of the editor.

emulation of her great men were a continual source of contention : and the protectorship of Cromwell, tho' not conferr'd in the most legal manner, was more glorious to England, than the reigns of her two preceding monarchs, or any the confused ufurpation of her new-fangled commonwealth.

If either the Roman or the Briton had played the tyrant, it had been but as one in the room of many : but history has freed Cæsar from all imputations of this kind, except in such cases where his own security, and the temper of the times obliged him to it: and that Cromwell's, severity never went farther than this, is what even his enemies, amidst their invectives, are obliged to allow.

$. 2. Cromwell had three assemblies during his whole administration, that met under the name of parliaments. Considering all circumstances, it co.id hardly be expected that the first of these, before he knew the temper of the nation, should be left to the choice of those very electors, whose representatives he had forcibly diffolved. But it was soon manifeft, that this dissolution was very grateful and acceptable to the majority of the people ; for when he and his council of officers published a declaration *, setting

forth

* This declaration was to the following effect : " That after God was pleased marvellously to appear for his people, in reducing Ireland and Scotland to fo great a degree of peace, and England to perfect quiet; whereby the parliament had opportunity to give the people the harvest of all their labour, blood. and treasure, and to settle a due liberty in reference to civil and spiritual things ; whereunto they were obliged by their duty, engagements, and those great and wonderful things God hath wrought for them : they notwithstanding made so little progress therein, that it was matter of much grief to the good people of the land; who thereupon apply'd themselves to the army, expecting redress by their means; who (tho'

unwilling