great condefcenfion, if not as fuperfluous caution. That CHAP. Cromwel was ever able really to blind or over-reach, LXII. either the king or the republ cans, does not appear: As they poffeffed no means of refifting the force under his 1658. command, they were glad to temporize with him, and, by feeming to be deceived, wait for opportunities of freeing themselves from his dominion. If he feduced the military fanatics, it is to be confidered, that their interest and his evidently concurred, that their ignorance and low education expofed them to the groffeft impofition, and that he himself was at bottom as frantic an enthusiast as the worst of them, and, in order to obtain their confidence, needed but to display those vulgar and ridiculous habits, which he had early acquired, and on which he fet fo high a value. An army is fo forcible, and at the fame time so coarse a weapon, that any hand which wields it, may, without much dexterity, perform any operation, and attain any afcendant, in human fociety. THE domestic administration of Cromwel, though it discovers great ability, was condu&ted without any plan either of liberty or arbitrary power: Perhaps, his difficult fituation admitted of neither, His foreign enterprizes, though full of intrepidity, were pernicious to national intereft, and feem more the refult of impetuous fury or narrow prejudices, than of cool forefight and deliberation. An eminent perfonage, however, he was in many respects, and even a fuperior genius: but unequal and irregular in his operations. And though not defective in any talent, except that of elocution, the abilities, which in him were most admirable, and which most contributed to his marvellous fuccefs, were the magnanimous refolution of his enterprizes, and his peculiar dexterity in difcovering the characters, and practising on the weaknesses of mankind. If we furvey the moral character of Cromwel with that indulgence, which is due to the blindnefs and infirmities of the human fpecies, we shall not be inclined to load his memory with fuch violent reproaches as thofe which his enemies ufually throw upon it. Amidst the paffions and prejudices of that time, that he fhould prefer the parliamentary to the royal caufe, will not appear extraordi nary; fince, even at prefent, many men of fenfe and knowledge are difpofed to think, that the question, with regard to the justice of the quarrel, may be regarded as doubtful and ambiguous. The murder of the king, the most CHAP. most attrocious of all his actions, was to him covered LXII. under a mighty cloud of republican and fanatical illufi ons; and it is not impoffible, but he might believe it, as 1658, many others did, the most meritorious action, which he could perform. His fubfequent ufurpation was the effect of neceffity, as well as of ambition; nor is it easy to fee, how the various factions could at that time have been reftrained, without a mixture of military and arbitrary authority. The private deportment of Cromwel, as a fon, a husband, a father, a friend, is expofed to no confiderable cenfure, if it does not rather merit praife. And upon the whole, his character does not appear more extraordinary and unusual by the mixture of fo much abfurdity with so much penetration, than by his tempering fuch violent ambition and fuch enraged fanaticifm with fo much regard to justice and humanity, CROMWEL Was in the fifty-ninth year of his age when. he died. He was of a robust frame of body, and of a manly, tho' not an agreeable afpect. He left only two fons, Richard and Henry; and three daughters; one married to general Fleetwood, another to lord Fauconberg, a third to lord Rich. His father died when he was young. His mother lived till after he was Protector; and, contrary to her orders, he buried her with great pomp in Westminster Abbey. She could not be perfuaded, that his power or perfon was ever in fafety. At every noise, which she heard, the exclaimed, that her fon was murdered; and was never satisfied that he was alive, if she did not receive frequent vifits from him. She was a decent woman; and by her frugality and industry had raised and educated a numerous family upon a fmall fortune. She had even been obliged fo fet up a brewery at Huntington, which the managed to good advantage. Hence Cromwel, in the invectives of that age, is often ftigmatized with the name of the Brewer. Ludlow, by way infult, mentions the great acceffion, which he would receive to his royal revenues upon his mother's death, who poffeffed a jointure of fixty pounds a year upon his estate. She was of a good family, of the name of Stuart; remotely allied, as is by fome fuppofed, to the royal family, of СНАР. A parliament-Ca- Richard acknowledged Protector A 1658. LI, the arts of Cromwel's policy had been fo often CHA P. practifed, that they began to lofe their effect; and LXIII. his power, inftead of being confirmed by time and fuccess, seemed every day to become more uncertain and precarious. His friends the most closely connected with him, and his counfellors the most trufted, were entering into cabals against his authority; and with all his penetration into the characters of men, he could not find any minifters on whom he could rely. Men of probity and honour, he knew, would not fubmit to be inftruments of an ufurpation, violent and illegal: Those who were free from the restraint of principle, might betray, for intereft, that cause, in which, from no better motives, they had inlifted themselves. Even thofe, on whom he conferred any favour, never deemed the recompence an equivalent for the facrifices which they made to obtain it: Whoever was refufed any demand, juftified his anger by the fpecious colours of conscience and of duty. Such difficulties furrounded the Protector, that his dying at fo critical a a time, is esteemed by many the most fortunate circumstance that ever attended him; and it was thought, that all his courage and dexterity could not much longer have extended his ufurped administration. BUT when that potent hand was removed, which conducted the government, every one expected a fudden dif folution of the unwieldy and ill-jointed fabric. Richard, a young man of no experience, educated in the country, accustomed to a retired life, unacquainted with the officers and unknown to them, recommended by no military exploits, endeared by no familiarities, could not long, it was thought, maintain that authority, which his father had acquired Richard acknow ledged Protector. CHA P. acquired by fo many valourous atchievements, and fuch LXIII. fignal fucceffes. And when it was obferved, that he poffeffed only the virtues of private life, which, in his fitua1658. tion, were fo many vices; that indolence, incapacity, irrefolution, attended his facility and good-nature; the various hopes of men were excited by the expectation of fome great event or revolution. For fome time, however, the public was difappointed in this opinion. The council recognized the fucceffion of Richard: Fleetwood, in whofe favour, it was fuppofed, Cromwel had formerly made a will, renounced all claim or pretenfion to the Prote&orfhip : Henry, Richard's brother, who governed Ireland with popularity, enfured him the obedience of that kingdom: Monk, whole authority was well established in Scotland, being much attached to his family, immediately proclaimed the new Protector: The army every where, the fleet, acknowledged his title: Above ninety addreffes, from the counties and moft confiderable corporations, congratulated him on his acceffion, in all the terms of dutiful allegiance Foreign ministers were forward in paying him the ufual compliments: And Richard, whofe moderate, unambitious character, never would have led him to contend for empire, was tempted to accept of fo rich an inheritance, which feemed to be tendered to him by the confent of all mankind. A parlia ment. 1659. 7th Jan. It was found neceflary to call a parliament, in order to furnish fupplies, both for the ordinary adminiftration, and for fulfilling thofe engagements with foreign princes, particularly Sweden, into which the late Protector had entered. In hopes of obtaining greater influence on elections, the antient right was restored to all the fmall boroughs; and the counties were allowed no more than their accustomed members. The house of peers, or the other house, confifted of the fame perfons who had been nominated by Oliver. ALL the commons, at firft, figned, without hefitation, an engagement not to alter the prefent government. They next proceeded to examine the bumble petition and advice; and after great oppofition and many vehement debates, it was, at laft, with much difficulty, carried by the court-party to confirm it. An acknowledgment too of the authority of the other house was extorted from them; though it was refolved not to treat this houfe of peers 1659. with any greater refpe&t than they fhould return to the CHAP. commons. A declaration was alfo made, that the efta- LXIII. blishment of the other houfe fhould no- wife prejudice the right of fuch of the antient peers as had, from the begin ning of the war, adhered to the parliament. But in all thefe proceedings, the oppofition among the commons was fo confiderable, and the debates were fo much prolonged, that all business was retarded, and great alarm given to the partizans of the young Protector. BUT there was another quarter from which greater dangers were justly apprehended. The moft confiderable officers of the army, and even Fleetwood, brother-in-law to the Protector, were entering into cabals against him. No character in human fociety is more dangerous than that of the fanatic; because, if attended with weak judgment, he is exposed to the fuggeftions of others; if fupported by more. difcernment, he is intirely governed by his own illufions, which fanctify his most selfish views and paffions. Fleetwood was of the former fpecies; and be ing extremely addicted to a republic, and even to the fifth monarchy, or dominion of the faints, it was eafy for those, who had infinuated themselves into his confidence, to inftil difgufts against the dignity of Protector. The whole republican party in the army, which were still confiderable, Fitz, Mafon, Mofs, Farley, united themselves to that general. The officers too of the fame party, whom Cromwel had difcarded, Overton, Ludlow, Rich, Okey, Alured, began to appear, and to recover that authority, which had been only for a time fufpended. A party likewife, who found themselves eclipsed in Richard's favour, Sydenham, Kelsey, Berry, Haines, joined the cabal of the others. Even Defborow, the Protector's uncle, lent his authority to that faction. But above all, the intrigues of Lambert, who was now rouzed from his retreat, inflamed all thofe dangerous humours, and threatened the nation. with fome great convulfion. All the discontented officers Cabal of established their meetings in Fleetwood's apartments; and Wallingbecause he dwelt in Wallingford-house, the party received ford-house. a denomination from that place, RICHARD, who poffeffed neither refolution nor penetration, was prevailed with to give an unguarded confent for calling a general council of officers, who might make him propofals, as they pretended, for the good of the ar |