a decreed necessity, or instruments to execute upon earth God's righteous vengeance!-By considerations similar to these only, it is presumed, shall we be able to pursue and to appreciate the future life of Cromwell. CHAPTER. III. FROM THE FIRST HOSTILITIES WITH SCOTLAND, TO THE BREAKING OUT OF THE CIVIL WAR. Hostilities with Scotland-Fourth Parliament-Cromwell returned for Cambridge-Speedy Dissolution-LONG PARLIAMENT-Milton's description of its Members-Lord Clarendon's ditto- Cromwell upon numerous Committees-His Portraiture by Sir Philip Warwick-His Parliamentary Eloquence-Hume refuted-Sketch of the Proceedings following, of the King and Parliament-Charles erects his Standard at Nottingham. ELEVEN years had now elapsed, since Englishmen had witnessed the assembly of their representatives, to form, with the king and peers, a constitutional parliament. During that long period, the possession of the throne by individual self-will, voluntarily isolated from the national councils and co-operation, had been complete. The monarchy, notwithstanding, is easily perceived to have been long poising on a point-OPINION ;-while, that the awe of simply sceptred majesty had been so long ca pable of producing obedience, (next only to unlimited) to its commands, is indeed a proof that loyalty that noble and generous principle, inferior only in excellence to the more enlarged and more enlightened affection, towards a legal constitution,'*- is inherent in the hearts of our countrymen. But Charles had ere this, committed himself by a proceeding, which eventually led to the decision of the great question, whether Britain should indeed be subsequently ruled by a King alone, or by a King, in whom the passions naturally arising out of the exercise of power should be constitutionally moderated, and the deficiencies common to all men, in whatever station, constitutionally supplied, by the assistance of a Parliament. Instigated by the frantic zeal of his ecclesiastical chief counsellor, Laud, Charles had excited the inhabitants of Scotland, the country of his own immediate descent, to rise in open enmity against him, through endeavouring-in furtherance of an eager, but senseless desire, common with tyrantsto establish uniformity in the mode of worshipping God throughout his dominions. The 'service-book' he took the pains to transmit for the benefit of his Scottish subjects, was received by them with horror and indignation: they took * Hume. a national covenant' against its adoption; and eventually proceeded to march a large army across the Tweed, in support of the freedom of their consciences.-One of the good qualities personal to Charles, was economy; by its exercise, he had contrived, during the past years of his illegal sway, to accumulate a sum, considerable in those days, over and above his wants for the ordinary expences of his government. With this money, and assisted by the nobility and gentry, and, above all, by the prelates, (the latter of whom were so forward in their aids, that the uncommenced war obtained the name of bellum episcopale) he, in this emergency, levied and equipped a formidable body of troops, at whose head he met the covenanters' at York. Here he judged it most prudent to enter into terms: but their performance on his part was so unsatisfactory, that the Scotch shortly afterward prepared to renew their visit. But now was Charles utterly without resources: his own pecuniary means exhausted, his adherents unprepared for a second supply: so that necessity at length compelled him, most unwillingly, to have recourse to the long neglected, but only legitimate mode of procuring his warlike requisites -a parliament. Writs were accordingly issued: and an assembly, of so novel a kind as this was become, at length once more met; viz. on the 13th of April, 1640. In this parliament, Cromwell was returned one of the members for the town of Cambridge: a consequence, no doubt, of the welldeserved popularity he had acquired by his conduct as to the drainage of the fens: though several writers, following the 'Biographia Britannica,' (which derives its information from the shameless author of the Flagellum') repeat a ridiculous tale of his obtaining this honour by mean and improbable arts, unworthy of the high character in the county he, it is clear, already possessed. The period for deliberation at Westminster, allowed this parliament, was too short to afford him any new opportunity of exhibiting his zeal and talents to advantage. Yet the assembly exhibited some features, worthy a transitory notice. After a short opening speech from the King, the lordkeeper of the seal, Lord Finch, in his following oration, condescended to flatter his royal master, and dared to humiliate the Houses, by these among many similar expressions. His Majesty's kingly resolutions,' said he, are seated in the ark of his sacred breast; and it were a presumption of too high a nature for any Uzzah, uncalled, to touch it: yet his Majesty is now pleased to lay by the shining beams of majesty, as Phoebus did to Phæton, that the difference between sovereignty and subjection, should not bar of that filial freedom of access to his you |