In other letters to lord Broghil, afterwards earl of Orrery, with whom he maintained an intimate correfpondence, "he complains of his being forbid to come over into England; "and that the claufe in his new commiffion was left out; "namely, the power of appointing a deputy, or juries, in "order to prevent his coming over to England, which he hopes his highness will permit, there being much more "cause to prefs it now than ever." "I find (fays he in a "letter to the protector) that my enemies have fentenced me to an honourable banishment; I am not confcious of any crime which might deserve it; but if they can de"nounce judgment upon my innocence they will eafily be "able to make me criminal. They have already begot a "doubt among my friends, whether all be right; but I will "rather fubmit to any fufferings with a good name, than be "the greatest man upon earth without it."-In a letter to fecretary Thurloe, he writes, " that fince he was not allowed "to leave Ireland, he could do no more than fit ftill and look "on. The elections for parliament are like to be good here, "(fays he) though I could with the writs had come fo timely "that the members might have been there before they had "been excluded by a vote, which, it is faid, will be the first thing brought upon the ftage." From thefe, and fome other of his letters, it is natural to conclude, that lieutenantgeneral Fleetwood was at the head of the councils which depofed Richard, which might be owing either to his republican principles, or to his disappointment of the protectorship. However, when he found he could not keep the army within bounds, who were for new changes, he retired from publick business, and fpent the remainder of his life privately among his friends at Stoke-Newington, where he died foon after the revolution, being more remarkable for piety and devotion than for courage and deep penetration in politicks.+ + "He thought that prayers fuperfeded the ufe of " carnal weapons,” and that "it was fufficient to truft in the hand of Providence without ex"erting the arm of flesh." "He would fall on his knees and pray when he "heard of a mutiny among the foldiers; and was with the utmost difficulty "roufed to action on feveral emergencies." Granger's Hift. of England, vol. iii. 8vo. p. 17. Ep. To 66 .. 66 To return:-After the rump parliament had fat about a week, the officers petitioned "1. That the laws might have "their free courfe. 2. That all publick debts unfatisfied might be paid. 3. That all who profefs faith in the holy trinity, and acknowledge the holy fcriptures to be the re"vealed will of God, may have protection and encourage"ment in the profeffion of their religion, while they give no "difturbance to the ftate, except papists, prelatifts, and per"fons who teach licentious doctrines. 4. That the two "univerfities, and all schools of learning, may be counte"nanced. 5. That those who took part with the king in "the late wars, or are notoriously difaffected to the parlia"ment's caufe, may be removed from all places of trust. 6. That the protector's debts be paid, and an allowance "of ten thousand pounds per ann. be allowed to Richard " and his heirs for ever. 7. That there may be a reprefen"tative of the people, confifting of one houfe, fucceffively "chofen by the people; and that the government of the "nation may be placed in fuch a reprefentative body, with a "felect fenate co-ordinate in power; and that the admini"ftration of all executive power of government may be in "a council of state, confisting of a convenient number of "perfons eminent for godlinefs, and who are in principle for “the prefent caufe.” The parliament thanked the officers for their petition, but poftponed the affair relating to Richard, till he fhould acquiefce in the change of government. The protector, having parted with the parliament who were his chief fupport, had not the refolution to ftrike a bold stroke for three kingdoms, but tamely fubmitted to refign his high dignity,§ by a writing as a under $Richard Cromwell has been reproached as "extremely pufillanimous," fool and a fot," and "a titmoufe prince," because he yielded to the times, and relinquifhed power and royalty. "But, in the name of commonfenfe," fays Dr. Harris, with virtuous animation, "what was there "weak and foolish in laying down a burthen too heavy for the fhoulders? "What in preferring the peace and welfare of men, to blood and confufion, the neceffary confequences of retaining the government? Or what, « in a word, in refigning the power to fuch as, by experience, had been found fully equal to it, and intent on promoting the common welfare? Ambition, glory, fame, found well in the ears of the vulgar; and men, "excited by them, have feldom failed to figure in the eyes of the world: " "but under his hand, after he had enjoyed it eight months. How little the foul of OLIVER furvived in his fon Richard may be feen by this conduct! His brother Henry, who was at the head of an army in Ireland, offered to come immediately to his affistance, but was forbid, and the timorous young gentleman returned to a private life, with more feeming fatisfaction than he had accepted the fovereignty. Upon his quitting Whitehall, and the other royal palaces, the parlia ment voted him a maintenance, but refufed to concern themfelves with his father's debts,* the payment whereof swept away the greatest part of his eftate, which was far from being large, confidering the high preferments his father had enjoyed for feveral years. This was a further contempt thrown upon the protector's memory; former obligations were forgotten, and a new council of ftate being chofen, the nation feemed to flide peaceably into a commonwealth government. The prefbyterians would have been content with Richard's government; but feeing no likelihood of reftoring the covenant, or coming into power, by the rump parliament, "but the man who can diveft himself of empire for the fake of his fellow“ men, must, in the eye of reason, be entitled to a much higher renown, "than the purpled hero who leads them on to flaughter, though provinces "or kingdoms are gained to him thereby." Ambition, cease: the idle contest end: "Tis but a kingdom thou canst win or lofe. And why muft murder'd myriads lose their all, With famifh'd frown on this affrighted ball, That thou may'ft flame the meteor of an hour.' Harris's Life of Charles II. vol. i. p. 214. ED. MASON. *The parliament inftituted, however, an enquiry into the debts of Richard Cromwell, and a schedule of them was given in; by which it appeared, that Richard, even after having reduced his father's debts from 28,000l. to 23,550l. owed 29,640l. It was refolved to acquit Richard Cromwell from this debt, and to provide for the payment of it by the fale of the plate, hangings, goods, and furniture, in Whitehall and HamptonCourt, belonging to the ftate, which could be conveniently fpared. 'It was alfo refolved to fettle on him an annuity of 8700l. fo as to make to him with his own fortune a yearly income of 10,000l. But, through the changes that followed, Richard Cromwell derived no benefit from thefe refolutions. Grey's Examination, vol. iii. p. 241. Dr. Harris's Life of Charles II. vol. i. p. 208. &c. ED. which was chiefly made up of enthufiafts, and declared enemies to monarchy, they entered into a kind of confederacy with the royalists, to restore the king and the old constitution. The particulars of this union (fays Rapin) are not known, because the hiftorians who write of it, being all royalifts, have not thought fit to do fo much honour to the prefbyterians. But it is generally agreed, that from this time the prefbyterians appeared no longer among the king's enemies, but very much promoted his restoration. Upon the foundation of this union, an infurrection was formed in feveral parts of the country, which was discovered by fir Richard Willis, a correfpondent of fecretary Thurloe's, fo that fir George Booth, a prefbyterian, had an opportunity of appearing about Chefter, at the head of five or fix hundred men, declaring for a free parliament, without mentioning the king; but he and fir Thomas Middleton, who joined him, were defeated by Lambert, and made prifoners.* The king and duke of York came to Calais, to be in readiness to embark in cafe it fucceeded, but upon the news of its mifcarriage they retired, and his majesty, in despair, determined to rely upon the Roman catholick powers for the future. Several of the prefbyterian minifters appeared in this infurrection, as the reverend Mr. Newcomb of Manchester, Mr. Eaton of Walton, and Mr. Finch chaplain to fir George Booth, all afterwards ejected by the act of uniformity. The parliament, to fecure the republican government, first appointed an oath of abjuration, whereby they renounced allegiance to Charles Stuart, and the whole race of king James, and promised fidelity to the commonwealth, without a fingle perfon or the house of peers. They then attempted the reduction of the army, which had fet them up, depending upon the affurances general Monk had given them from Scotland, of his army's entire fubmiffion to their orders; but the Englifh officers, inftead of fubmitting, ftood in their own defence, and prefented another petition to the house, defiring their former addrefs from Wallingford-Houfe might not lie afleep, but that Fleetwood, whom they had chofen for their general, might be confirmed in his high ftation. The houfe The parliament fo much refented this infurrection, that they disfranchifed the city of Chefter. Dr. Grey's Examination, vol. iii, p. 242. ED. demurred demurred upon the petition, and feeing there was like to be a new conteft for dominion, endeavoured to divide the officers, by cafhiering fome, and paying others their arrears. Upon this the officers prefented a third petition to the fame purpose; but the parliament, being out of all patience, told them their complaints were without juft grounds, and cafhiered nine of the chiefs, among whom were lieutenant-general Fleetwood, Lambert, Defborough, Berry, Kelfey, Cobbet, and others of the first rank: by means whereof things were brought to this crifis, that the army muft fubmit to the parliament, or inftantly diffolve them. The discarded officers refolved on the latter, for which purpose, October 13, Lambert with his forces fecured all the avenues to the parliament house, and as the Speaker paffed by Whitehall he rode up to his coach, and having told him there was nothing to be done at Westminster, commanded major Creed to conduct him back to his houfe. At the fame time all the members were ftopped in their paffage, and prevented from taking their feats in parliament; Fleetwood having placed a strong guard at the door of the parliament-houfe for that purpose. Thus the remains of the long parliament, after they had fat five months and fix days, having no army to fupport them, were turned out of their house a second time, by a company of headstrong officers, who knew how to pull down, but could not agree upon any form of government to fet up in its place. There being now a perfect anarchy, the officers, who were masters of the nation, first appointed a council of ten of their own body to take care of the publick, and having restored their general officers, they concluded upon a felect number of men to affume the administration, under the title of a Committee of fafety, which confifted of twenty-three perfons, who had the fame authority and power that the late council of ftate had, to manage all publick affairs, till they could agree upon a new fettlement. The people of England were highly difgufted with thefe changes, but there was no parliament nor king to fly to; many of the gentry therefore from feveral parts, fent letters to general Monk in Scotland, inviting him to march his army into England to obtain a free parliament, and promifing him all neceffary affiftance. The 1 |