66 XIV. hands of those persons therein mentioned; and de- BOOK clared, “that they, or any forty of them, were to be “held and acknowledged the supreme authority of 1653. "the nation, to which all persons within the same, "and the territories thereunto belonging, were to yield obedience and subjection to the third day of "the month of November, which should be in the "year 1654,” which was about a year and three months from the time that he spoke to them; and three months before the time prescribed should expire, they were to make choice of other persons to succeed them, whose power and authority should not exceed one year, and then they were likewise to provide and take care for a like succession in the government. Being thus invested with this autho-They repair rity, they repaired to the parliament house, and liament made choice of one Rouse to be their speaker, an choose old gentleman of Devonshire, who had been a member of the former parliament, and in that time been preferred and made provost of the college of Eton, which office he then enjoyed, with an opinion of having some knowledge in the Latin and Greek tongues, but of a very mean understanding, but throughly engaged in the guilt of the times. to the par house, and Rouse their speaker. At their first coming together, some of them had the modesty to doubt, that they were not in many respects so well qualified as to take upon them the style and title of a parliament. But that modesty was quickly subdued, and they were easily persuaded to assume that title, and to consider themselves as They asthe supreme authority in the nation. These men name of a thus brought together continued in this capacity near six months, to the amazement and even mirth of the people. In which time they never entered sume the XIV. 1653. BOOK upon any grave and serious debate, that might tend to any settlement, but generally expressed great sharpness and animosity against the clergy, and against all learning, out of which they thought the clergy had grown, and still would grow. Their actings and consultations. There were now no bishops for them to be angry with; they had already reduced all that order to the lowest distress t. But their quarrel was against all who had called themselves ministers, and who, by being called so, received tithes, and respect from their neighbours. They looked upon " the function itself to be Antichristian, and the persons to be burdensome to the people, and the requiring and payment of tithes to be absolute Judaism, and they thought fit that they should be abolished altogether; and that there might not for the time to come be any race of people who might revive those pretences, they proposed, "that all lands belonging to the "universities, and colleges in those universities, might be sold, and the monies that should arise thereby, be disposed for the public service, and to "ease the people from the payment of taxes and "contributions." 66 66 When they had tired and perplexed themselves so long in such debates, as soon as they were met in the morning upon the twelfth of December, and before many of them were come who were like to dissent from the motion, one of them stood up and declared, "that he did believe, they were not equal to "the burden that was laid upon them, and therefore "that they might dissolve themselves, and deliver t distress] beggary " They looked upon] They fit resolved * they proposed] they thought 66 XIV. “back their authority into their hands from whom BOOK they had received it;" which being presently consented to, their speaker, with those who were of 1653. that mind, went to Whitehall, and re-delivered to On the Cromwell the instrument they had received from him, December acknowledged their own impotency, and besought livered up him to take care of the commonwealth. 12th of they de their power to Crom and his of officers By this frank donation he and his council of offi- well. cers were once more possessed of the supreme sovereign power of the nation. And in few days after, his council were too modest to share with him in this royal authority, but declared, "that the government Cromwell "of the commonwealth should reside in a single per- council "son; that that person should be Oliver Cromwell, make him captain general of all the forces in England, Scot-lord proland, and Ireland, and that his title should be lord protector of the commonwealth of England, Scot"land, and Ireland, and of the dominions and terri"tories thereunto belonging; and that he should "have a council of one and twenty persons to be as"sistant to him in the government." 66 66 66 Most men did now conclude, that the folly and sottishness of this last assembly was so much foreseen, that, from their very first coming together, it was determined what should follow their dissolution. For the method that succeeded could hardly have been composed in so short a time after, by persons who had not consulted upon the contingency some time before. It was upon the twelfth of December, that the small parliament was dissolved, when many of the members, who came to the house as to their usual consultations, found that they who came before, were gone to Whitehall to be dissolved; which the other never thought of: and upon the sixteenth day, tector. BOOK the commissioners of the great seal, with the lord XIV. mayor and aldermen, were sent for to attend Crom1653. well and his council to Westminster-hall; it being December 16, he is installed in West minster ball ac an instru ment of government. then vacation-time; and being come thither, the commissioners sitting upon their usual seat, and not knowing why they were sent for, the declaration of cording to the council of officers was read, whereby Cromwell was made protector; who stood in the court uncovered, whilst what was contained in a piece of parchment was read, which was called the instrument of The sub- government; whereby it was ordained, "that the protector should call a parliament once in every "three years; that the first parliament should be "convened upon the third day of September follow stance of it. Cromwell takes an 66 66 66 ing, which would be in the year 1654; and that "he should not dissolve any parliament once met, "till they had sat five months; that such bills as "should be presented to him by the parliament, if they should not be confirmed by him within twenty days, should pass without him, and be looked upon as laws that he should have a select council to "assist him, which should not exceed the number "of one and twenty, nor be less than thirteen: that 66 66 66 immediately after his death the council should "choose another protector before they rose: that no "protector after him should be general of the army: "that the protector should have power to make peace "and war: that, with the consent of his council, he "should make laws, which should be binding to the subjects during the intervals of parliament." 66 Whilst this was reading, Cromwell had his hand oath to ob- upon the Bible; and it being read, he took his oath, "that he would not violate any thing that was con"tained in that instrument of government; but serve it. XIV. "would observe, and cause the same to be observed; BOOK " and in all things, according to the best of his un"derstanding, govern the nation according to the 1653. "laws, statutes, and customs, seeking peace, and causing justice and law to be equally adminis"tered." 66 66 claimed This new invented ceremony being in this manner performed, he himself was covered, and all the rest bare; and Lambert, who was then the second person in the army, carried the sword before his highness (which was the style he took from thenceforth) to his coach, all they whom he called into it sitting bare; and so he returned to Whitehall; and immediately proclamation was made by a herald, in the He is propalace-yard at Westminster," that the late parlia-protector. "ment having dissolved themselves, and resigned "their whole power and authority, the government "of the commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, by a lord protector, and successive triennial parliaments, was now established: and whereas "Oliver Cromwell, captain general of all the forces "of the commonwealth, is declared lord protector of "the said nations, and had accepted thereof, publi"cation was now made of the same; and all persons, "of what quality or condition soever, in any of the "said three nations, were strictly charged and com"manded to take notice thereof, and to conform and "submit themselves to the government so establish"ed; and all sheriffs, mayors, &c. were required to publish this proclamation, to the end that none might have cause to pretend ignorance therein." Which proclamation was at the same time published in Cheapside by the lord mayor of London; and, with all possible expedition, by the sheriffs, and other 66 66 |