protector. Let us only compare his executions with those of the second triumvirate at Rome, when all the noblest patriots of that once flourishing commonwealth, were sacrificed to the suspicions of Mark Anthony, and young Octavius. Yet the latter of these, thro' an excess of good fortune, became the delight of his people, the patron and theme of all the learned and ingenious, and the envy of succeeding princes. What less might have been expected of Cromwell, had he lived to get over the remains of prejudice, to put the glorious schemes he had formed in execution, and to shew himself what he really seems to have been, a true friend of liberty, and a lover of mankind in general ?

$. 10. In order to make his government secure, at the time when the royalists were plotting his ruction. Cromwell instituted a new order of deputies, under the name of major-generals, who were in the nature of prefects, or governors of provinces. They were to have the inspection of the inferior magistrates in every county, to commit suspected persons into custody, and to put in execution many other directions : there was no appeal from them, but to the protector himself. This office however continued not long : for being invested with great power, the major. generals carried it in a very high and arbitrary manner; which occafioned their suppression by the parliament, at the motion of Mr. Cleypole, the protector's son-in-law.

It was hardly possible, indeed, for any governor, in such a precarious situation, to fhew more regard than Cromwell did for the rights and properties of private men, He supplied the benches at Westminster with the ableft of lawyers, whom he had invited to the publick service. Maynard, Twisden, Nudigate, Windham, and other gentlemen of great integrity and learning, were made by him ferjeants at law, and Mr. Matthew Hale, afterwards the famous lord chief juftice Sir Matthew, was advanced to be a

justice

justice of the common pleas. Mr. John Thurloe, who had been secretary to the chief justice St. John, was raised to the office of secretary of state, of which he acquitted himself with indefatigable diligence. Milton, the great Milton, was Latin secretary; a man that would have done honour to the mightieft monarch, to the most polite and learned court, in the best of ages. In a word, the fleet and army were well paid ; the city of London had the power of its own militia, under their old major-general Skippon ; the common people were eased of some of their taxes : nor can we better sum up the character of the civil government at this time, than in the following extract, which is chiefly taken from Echard, a moft virulent enemy of the protector and his friends.

" Cromwell, tbo he proceeded in an arbitrary manner against those who contefted his authority, yet in all other cases, where the life of his jurisdiction was not concerned, he seemed to have a great reverence for the law, and the constitution, rarely interposing between party and party; and to do him juftice, there appeared in his government many things that were truly great and praise-worthy. Justice, as well diftributive as commutative, was by him restored almoft to its antient grace and splendor ; the judges executed their office without covetousness, according to law and equity, and the laws, except some few, where himself was immediately concerned, being permitted to have their full force upon all, without impediment or delay. Mens manners, outwardly at least, became likewise reformed, either by removing the incentives to luxury, or by means of the antent laws now revived, and put in execution. There was a ftrict discipline kept in his court, where drunkenness, whoredom, and extortion, were either baniihed, or severely rebuked. Trade began again to flourish and prosper, and most things to put on a happy and promising aspect. The protector also shewed a great regard to the advancement of learning, and was a great encourager of it. The university of

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Oxford, Oxford, in particular, acknowledged his highness's respect to them, in continuing their chancellor, and bestowing on the publick library there four and twenty Greek manuscripts, and munificently allowing an hundred pounds a year to a divinity-reader. He also ordered a scheme to be drawn for founding and endowing a college at Durham, for the convenience of the northern students.* Towards all who complied with his pleasure, and courted his protection, he manifested great civility, generosity, and bounty. No man affected to seem more tender of the clergy than himself, tho' he would not list himself in any particular sect; saying, “ it was his only wish and desire to see the church in peace, and that all would gather into one sheepfold, under one hep. herd, Jesus Christ, and mutually love one another.' Tho' the publick use of the common-prayer was

denied

* In pursuance of this scheme, (which was drawn in consequence of a petition from the city of Durham, the county of Northumberland, and the town of · Newcastle) the protector issued a long writ of privy seal, consisting of twenty-three articles, and dated May 15, 1657. It established a provost, two preachers, four professors, four tutors, four schoolmasters or fellows, twenty-four scholars, 12 exhibitioners, and eighteen freeschool scholars ; fixed their endowment; gave them the library the dean and chapter of Durham, with liberty to purchase lands, fue, or be sued; a common seal and statutes, with two vi. fitors, and the priviledge of printing bibles; regulated the power of the master and other officers; excused them from watch and ward, &c. Mr. Peck has preserved this piece entire, as also an address from the provost and fellows of the college of Durham to his highness Richard lord protector, &c. dated in December 1658, and full of the praises of his father.

denied to the episcopal party, yet he allow'd the use of their rites in private houses; and milder courses were taken than under the tyranny of others."

CHAP. VIII.

Protector Cromwell's behaviour towards foreign prina

ces and states, his zeal for the honour of England, the proteftant religion, and the liberties of mankind.

f. 1.
"W

E are now to view the protector upon

the very pinacle of fortune, where he behaved with all becoming dignity, as he had done in every other situation. It has been remarked of him, that though his great abilities never appeared till they were called into action, yet they were always found superior to the present occafion : fo that whatever character he assumed, he filled it to the utmoft, or even furpassed our common ideas of gran. deur. Having raised himself to the sovereign dige nity, he carried it higher, both in peace and war, than any. English monarch had done before him. As the titles of dictator and imperator at Rome, which were first invented to ward off the odium attending that of king, were rendered more illustrious by the great men who bore them, than that of king had ever been; so the word protector, which was used originally only for the guardian of a monaich under age,

when it was annex'd to the name of Crom. well, though for the fame reason that gave rise to dictator and imperator, it fignified something more in all the courts of Europe, than either king, emperor, or any other title then in being. In order

to make good this assertion, I shall consider in a few words fome of those acts of sovereignty, which he exercised towards foreign princes and states.

As I have hitherto in this essay, so far as the fub=jects would permit, thrown together facts of the fame or a like nature; that I may not here deviate from this method, I shall first take a cursory view of the wars in which he was engaged, those in particular against Holland and Spain; then consider him as improving the arts of peace, so as to make himself honoured, courted, and even dreaded by his allies. In both we shall meet with several instances of his fur. prising policy, his true regard for the interest of his country, and his indefatigable industry in promoting and executing his designs.

§. 2. In the year 1652, a war broke out between the two republicks of England and Holland, which produced ihe most terrible fea-fights that had ever been known, some of them lafting for three days succes. fively. The brave admiral Blake, with Pen, Dean, Monk, and Ayscough, on one side, were against the famous De Ruyter, Van Tromp, De Wit, and other gallant Dutch commanders, on the other. The quarrel began upon the English demanding the tenth herring of the Dutch fishermen on our coast, in acknowledgment of the sovereignty of the seas. In the feve. ral engagements of the firit year, the English had so much the better, that about the beginning of 1653, the states sent over letters to the English parliament for

putting an end to the war, offering to pay them a large fum, besides acknowledging their sovereignty of the seas. Though Cromwell had not yet aflumed the supreme power, yet he had it fo far in effect, that particular application was made to him in this affair. The negotiation, however, did not succeed at present.

Eut upon Cromwell's turning out the long parliameot, their high mightinesses did not doubt but they should make an advantage of the confusion, which

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