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to have its weight; and it hath so, and ever will have with me.

In all things a man is free to grant desires coming from Parliament. I may say, inasmuch as the Parliament hath condescended so far as to do me this honour (a very great one added to the rest) of giving me the privilege of counsel from so many members of theirs, so able, so intelligent of the grounds of things [Sentence breaks dwon] This is, I say, a very singular honour and favour to me; and I wish I may do, and I hope I shall do, what becomes an honest man in giving an answer to these things, according to such insight* either as I have, or as God shall give me, or as I may be helped into by reasoning with you. But indeed I did not in vain allege conscience in the first answer I gave you. [Well!] For I must say, I should be a person very unworthy of such favour if I should prevaricate in saying things did stick upon my conscience. Which I must still say they do! Only, I must also' say, I am in the best way I could be 'in' for information; and I shall gladly receive it.

Here have been divers things spoken by you today, with a great deal of judgment and ability and knowledge. I think the arguments and reasonings that have been used were upon these three heads: ** First, Speaking to the thing simply, to the abstract notion of the Title, and to the positive reasons upon which it stands. Then 'secondly, Speaking' comparatively of it, and of the foundation of it; in order to show the goodness of it comparatively, 'in comparison with our present title and foundation.' It is alleged to be so much better than what we now have; and that it will do the work "desire" in orig.: but there is no sense in that. **"accounts in orig.

which this other fails in. And thirdly, Some things have been said by way of precaution; which are not arguments from the thing itself, but are considerations drawn from the temper of the English People, what will gratify them, 'and so on;' · which is surely con

siderable. As also 'some things were said' by way of anticipation of me in my answer; speaking to some objections which others have made against this proposal. These are things, in themselves, each of them considerable. [The "objections?" or the "Three heads" in general? Uncertain; nay it is perhaps uncertain to Oliver himself! He mainly means the objections, but the other also is hovering in his head, as is sometimes the way

with him.]

To answer objections, I know, is a very weighty business; and to make objections is very easy; and that will fall to my part. And I am sure I shall make them to men who know somewhat how to answer them, -'to whom they are not strange,' having already in part been suggested to them by the Debates already had.

But upon the whole matter, I having as well as I could taken those things [Looking at his Notes] that have been spoken, which truly are to be acknowledged as very learnedly spoken, I hope you will give me a little time to consider of them. As to when it may be the best time for me to return hither and meet you again, I shall leave that to your consideration.

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LORD WHITLOCKE. "Your Highness will be pleased to appoint your own time."

THE LORD PROTECTOR. On Monday at nine of the clock I will be ready to wait upon you.§

§ Somers Tracts, vi. 351-365.

And so, with many bows, exeunt. - Thus they, doing their epic feat, not in the hexameter measure, on that old Saturday forenoon, 11th April 1657; old London, old England, sounding manifoldly round them;- the Fifth-Monarchy just locked in the Tower.

Our learned friend Bulstrade says: "The Protector often "advised about this" of the Kingship "and other great busi"nesses with the Lord Broghil, Pierpoint" (Earl of Kingston's Brother, an old Long-Parliament man, of whom we have heard before), with "Whitlocke, Sir Charles Wolseley, and "Thurloe; and would be shut up three or four hours together "in private discourse, and none were admitted to come in to "him. He would sometimes by very cheerful with them; and “laying aside his greatness, he would be exceedingly familiar; "and by way of diversion would make verses with them," play crambo with them, "and every one must try his fancy. He "commonly called for tobacco, pipes and a candle, and would "now and then take tobacco himself;" which was a very high attempt. "Then he would fall again to his serious and great "business" of the Kingship; "and advise with them in those "affairs. "And this he did often with them; and their counsel 66 was accepted, and" in part "followed by him in most of his "greatest affairs,” - as well as it deserved to be.*

SPEECH XI.

ON Monday, April 13th, at Whitehall, at nine in the morning,** according to agreement on Saturday last, the Committee of Ninety-nine attend his Highness, and his Highness there speaks: addressing Whitlocke as reporter of the said Committee:

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MY LORD,

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I think I have a very hard task on my hand. Though it be but to give an account of myself, yet I see I am beset on all hands here. I say, but to give * Whitlocke, p. 647. ** at "eight," say the Journals, vii. 522.

an account of "myself:" yet that is a business very comprehensive of others; 'comprehending' us all in some sense, and, as the Parliament have been pleased to shape it, comprehending all the interests of these Three Nations!

I confess I have two things in view. The first is, To return some answer to what was so well and ably said the other day on behalf of the Parliament's putting that Title in the Instrument of Settlement. [This is the First thing; what the Second is, does not yet for a long while appear.] I hope it will not be expected F should answer everything that was then said: because I suppose the main things that were spoken were arguments from ancient Constitutions and Settlements by the Laws; in which I am sure I could never be well skilled, and therefore must the more ask pardon for what I have already transgressed 'in speaking of such matters,' or shall now transgress, through my ignorance of them, in my 'present' answer to you.

Your arguments, which I say were chiefly upon the Law, seem to carry with them a great deal of necessary conclusiveness, to inforce that one thing of Kingship. And if your arguments come upon me to inforce upon me the ground of Necessity, why, then, I have no room to answer: for what must be must be! And therefore I did reckon it much of my business to consider whether there were such a necessity, or would arise such a necessity, from those arguments. was said: "Kingship is not a Title, but an Office, so "interwoven with the fundamental Laws of this Nation, "that they cannot, or cannot well, be executed and ex"ercised without 'it,' partly, if I may say so, upon

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"a supposed ignorance which the Law hath of any "other Title. It knows no other; neither doth any "know another. And, by reciprocation, this said "Title, or Name, or Office, you were farther pleased to "say, is understood; in the dimensions of it, in the "power and prerogatives of it; which are by the Law "made certain; and the Law can tell when it [King"ship] keeps within compass, and when it exceeds its "limits. And the Law knowing this, the People can "know it also. And the People do love what they "know. And it will neither be pro salute populi, nor "for our safety, to obtrude upon the People what they "do not nor cannot understand."

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It was said also, "That the People have always, "by their representatives in Parliament, been unwill"ing to vary Names, seeing they love settlement "and known names, as was said before." And there were two good instances given of that: the one, in King James's time, about his desire to alter somewhat of the Title: and the other in the Long Parliament, where they being otherwise rationally moved to adopt the word "Representative" instead of "Parliament," refused it for the same reason. [Lenthall tries to blush.]

It was said also, "That the holding to this word "doth strengthen the 'new' Settlement; for hereby there "is not anything de novo done, but merely things are "revolved into their old current." It was said, "That "it is the security of the Chief Magistrate, and that it 'secures all who act under him." Truly these are the principal of those grounds that were offered the other day, so far as I do recollect.

I cannot take upon me to refel those grounds; they are so strong and rational. But if I am to be able to

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