SPEECH III.

THIS First Protectorate Parliament, we said, was not successful. It chose, judiciously enough, old Lenthall for Speaker; appoint. ed, judiciously enough, a Day of general Fasting :-but took, directly after that, into constitutional debate about Sanctioning the Form of Government (which nobody was specially asking it to 'sanction'); about Parliament and Single Person; powers of Single Person and of Parliament; Cöordination, Subordination; and other bottomless subjects;-in which getting always the deeper the more it puddled in them, inquiry or intimation of inquiry rose not obscurely in the distance, whether this Government should be by a Parliament and Single Person? These things the honorable gentlemen, with true industry, debated in Grand Committee, 'from eight in the morning till eight at night, with an hour for refreshment about noon,' debates waxing ever hotter, question ever more abstruse,-through Friday, Saturday, Monday; ready, if Heaven spared them, to debate it farther for unlimited days. Constitutional Presbyterian persons, Use-and-wont Neuters; not without a spicing of sour Republicans, as Bradshaw, Haselrig, Scott, to keep the batch in leaven.

His Highness naturally perceived that this would never do, not this;-sent therefore to the Lord Mayor, late on Monday night I think, to look after the peace of the City; to Speaker Lenthall, that he must bring his people to the Painted Chamber before going farther and early on Tuesday morning, poor Mr. Guibon Goddard, Member for Lynn, just about to proceed again, from the Eastern parts, towards his sublime constitutional day's work, is overwhelmed by rumors, 'That the Parliament is dissolved; that, for certain, the Council of State, and a Council of War, had sat together all the Sabbatn-day before, and had then contrived this Dissolution!'

'Notwithstanding,' continues Guibon, 'I was resolved to go to

Westminster, to satisfy myself of the truth; and to take my share of what I should see or learn there. Going by water to Westminster, I was told that the Parliament-doors were locked up, and guarded with soldiers, and that the Barges were to attend the Protector to the Painted Chamber. As I went, I saw two Barges at the Privy Stairs.' River and City in considerable emotion. 'Being come to the Hall, I was confirmed in what I had heard Nevertheless I did purpose not to take things merely upon trust: but would receive an actual repulse, to confirm my faith. Accordingly, I attempted up the Parliament stairs; but a guard of Soldiers was there, who told me, "There was no passage that way; the House was locked up, and command given to give no admittance to any ;—if I were a Member, I might go into the Painted Chamber, where the Protector would presently be." The Mace had been taken away by Commissary-General Whalley. The Speaker and all the Members were walking up and down the Hall, the Court of Requests, and the Painted Chamber; expecting the Protector's coming. The passages there likewise were guarded with soldiers.**

No doubt about it, therefore, my honorable friend! Dissolution, or something, is not far. Between nine and ten, the Protector arrived, with due escort of Officers, halberts, Lifeguards; took his place, covered, under the state' as before, we all sitting bareheaded on our benches as before; and with fit salutation spake to us;-as follows. Speech of an hour and a half long;' taken in characters by the former individual who 'stood near;' audible still to modern men. Tuesday morning, 12th September, 1654; a week and a day since the last Speech here.

In this remarkable Speech, the occasion of which and the Speaker of which are very extraordinary, an assiduous reader, or 'modern hearer,' will find Historical indications, significant shadowings forth both of the Protectorate and the Protector; which, considering whence they come, he will not fail to regard as documentary in those matters. Nay perhaps, here for the first time, if he read with real industry, there may begin to paint itself for him, on the void Dryasdust abyss, hitherto called History of

Ayscough мss., printed in Burton's Diary, i., Introd., p. xxxiii

Oliver, some dim adumbration of How this business of Assuming the Protectorate may actually have been. It was, many years ago, in reading these Speeches, with a feeling that they must have been credible when spoken, and with a strenuous endeavor to find what their meaning was, and try to believe it, that to the present Editor the Commonwealth, and Puritan Rebellion generally, first began to be conceivable. Such was his Experience.

But certainly the Lord Protector's place, that September Tuesday, 1654, is not a bed of roses! His painful asseverations, appeals and assurances have made the Modern part of his audience look, more than once, with questioning eyes. On this point, take from a certain Commentator sometimes above cited from, and far oftener suppressed, the following rough words:

""Divers persons who do know whether I lie in that," says the Lord Protector. What a position for a hero, to be reduced continually to say he does not lie!-Consider well, nevertheless, what else could Oliver do? To get on with this new Parliament was clearly his one chance of governing peaceably. To wrap himself up in stern pride, and refuse to give any explanation: would that have been the wise plan of dealing with them? Or he stately and not-so-wise plan? Alas, the wise plan, when all ay yet as an experiment, with so dread issues in it to yourself and the whole world, was not very discoverable. Perhaps not quite reconcilable with the stately plan, even if it had been discovered!'

And again, with regard to the scheme of the Protectorship, which his Highness says was done by "the Gentlemen that undertook to frame this Government," after divers days consulting, and without the least privity of his: You never guessed what they were doing, your Highness? Alas, his Highness guessed it, and yet must not say, or think, he guessed it. There is something sad in a brave man's being reduced to explain himself from a barrel-head in this manner! Yet what, on the whole, will he do? Coriolanus curled his lip, and scowled proudly enough on the sweet voices: but Coriolanus had likewise to go over to the Volscians; Coriolanus had not the slightest chance to govern by a free Parliament in Rome! Oliver was not prepared for these extremities; if less would serve. Perhaps in Oliver there

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is something of better than "silent pride?" Oliver will have to explain himself before God Most High, ere long ;—and it will not stead him there, that he went wrong because his pride, his “ sonal dignity," his &c., &c., were concerned. govern men! "Oh, it were better to be a poor fisher," exciatined Danton, “than to meddle with governing of men!" "I would rather keep a flock of sheep!" said Oliver. And who but a Flunkey would not, if his real trade lay in keeping sheep ?'

On the whole, concludes our Commentator: 'As good an explanation as the case admits of,—from a barrel-head, or "raised platrm under a state." Where so much that is true cannot be said; And yet nothing that is false shall be said,-under penalties forgetten in our Time! With regard to those asseverations and Leiterated appeals, note this also: An oath was an oath then; not a solemn piece of blasphemous cant, as too often since. No conremporary that I have met with, who had any opportunity to judge, disbelieved Oliver in these protestations; though many believed that he was unconsciously deceiving himself. Which, of course, we too, where needful, must ever remember that he was liable to do; nay, if you will, that he was continually doing. But to this Commentator, at this stage in the development of things, "Apology" seems not the word for Oliver Cromwell ;-not that, but a far other word! The Modern part of his Highness's audience can listen now, I think, across the Time-gulfs, in a different mood; -with candor, with human brotherhood, with reverence and grateful love. Such as the noble never claim in vain from those that have any nobleness. This of tasking a great soul continually to prove to us that he was not a liar, is too unwashed a way of welcoming a Great man! Scrubby Apprentices of tender years, to them it might seem suitable ;-still more readily to Apes by the Dead Sea! Let us have done with it, my friend; and listen to the Speech itself, of date, Painted Chamber, 12th September, 1654, the best we can!

GENTLEMEN,

It is not long since I met you in this place, upon an occasion which gave me much more content and comfort than this doth. That which I have now to say to you will need no preamble, to let me

into my discourse: for the occasion of this meeting is plain enough. I could have wished with all my heart there had been no cause for it.

*

At our former meeting I did acquaint you what was the first rise of this Government, which hath called you hither, and by the authority of which you have come hither. Among other things which I then told you of, I said, You were a Free Parliament. And 'truly' so you are,— whilst you own the Government and Authority which called you hither. But certainly that word 'Free Parliament' implied a reciprocity, or it implied nothing at all! Indeed there was a reciprocity implied and expressed; and I think your actions and carriages ought to be suitable! But I see it will be necessary for me now a little to magnify my Office. Which I have not been apt to do. I have been of this mind, I have been always of this mind, since I first entered upon my Office, If God will not bear it up, let it sink! [Yea!] But if a duty be incumbent upon me to bear my testimony unto it (which in modesty I have hitherto forborne), I am in some measure necessitated thereunto.

fore that will be the prologue to my discourse.

And there

I called not myself to this place. I say again, I called not myself to this place! Of that God is witness :—and I have many witnesses who, I do believe, could lay down their lives bearing witness to the truth of that. Namely, That I called not myself to this place! [His Highness is growing emphatic.]. And being in it, I bear not witness to myself' or my office;' but God and the People of these Nations have also borne testimony to it and me.' If my calling be from God, and my testimony from the People,-God and the People shall take it from me, else I will not part with it. [Do you mark that, and the air and manner of it, my honorable friends!] I should be false to the trust that God hath placed in me, and to the interest of the People of these Nations, if I did. "That I called not myself to this place," is my first assertion. "That I bear not witness to myself, but have many witnesses," is my second. These two things I shall take the liberty to speak more fully to you of. To make plain and clear what I have here asserted, I must take liberty to look a little' back.

I was by birth a Gentleman; living neither in any considerable height, nor yet in obscurity. I have been called to several employments in the Nation: To serve in Parliament, and others;' and,-not to be over-te dious, I did endeavor to discharge the duty of an honest man, in those services, to God and His People's Interest, and to the Commonwealth; having, when time was, a competent acceptation in the hearts of men,