i

"Murder," he appears never to have had a quiet moment.

66

Oliver was, perhaps, never more accurately described than by Sir William Waller in his "Recollections." Speaking of the beating up of Colonel Long's quarters, as he terms it, in which Cromwell's horfe did good fervice, he fays, "And here I cannot but mention the won, "der which I have oft times had to fee this "Eagle in his eirey; he att this time had never "fhewn extraordinary partes, nor do I think that " he did himself believe that he had them, for, although he was blunt, he did not bear himself " with pride or difdaine. As an Officer he was "obedient, and did never difpute my orders, "nor argue upon them. He did indeed feeme to have great cunning; and whilst he was "cautious of his own words, (not putting forth 66 too many, left they should betray his thoughts,) ❝he made others talk untill he had, as it were, "fifted them, and known their most intimate "defigns. A notable inftance was his discover"ing, in one fhort converfation with one Cap“tain Giles, (a great favourite with the Lord “General, and whome he most confided in,) "that although his words were full of zeal, and "his actions feemingly brave, that his heart was not with the caufe; and, in fine, this man did

"shortly after join the enemy at Oxford with "three and twenty ftout fellowes. One other "inftance I will here fett down, being of the "fame fort as to his cunning:

"When I took the Lord Piercy at Andover,

A

having at that time an inconvenient distemper, "I defired Colonel Cromwell to entertaine him "with fome civility; who did afterwards tell me, "that amongst those whom we took with him "(being about thirty) there was a youth of fo "faire a countenance, that he doubted of his "condition; and, to confirm himself, willed "him to fing; which he did with fuch a dainti"ness, that Cromwell fcrupled not to say to "Lord Piercy, that being a warriour, he did "wifely to be accompanied by Amazons. On "which that Lord, in fome confufion, did ac"knowledge that fhe was a damfel."--Recollections, by General Sir WILLIAM WALLER, page 124.

The Original of the following Letter is in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. It is without the fignature.

(c SIR,

"In pursuance to my promife, I have fent you the story you defired of me when I faw "you laft. Sir, after the late King was beheaded,

(if

(if I mistake not,) Latham House, wch belonged "to the Earl of Derby, (who was also beheaded at Liverpool,) was furrendered to my Lord

Fairfax, upon promise of having quarter; at "which surrender, my father being in the house, "and Chaplain to the Earl, was taken prisoner "with the Earl of Derby's children, who were imprisoned in Liverpool Gaol, where he was kept close prisoner in y dungeon, tho' the "rest were permitted the liberty of the gaolyard; where I believe he would have lain till "the King's return, or till Death had fet him at liberty, if it had not been his fortune to have "been freed by the following accident.

"The Patriarchs of Greece hearing of the "unparalleled murder of our late King by his sc own subjects, fent one of their own body as

an Envoy over here into England, and his "errand was this: To know of Oliver Crom"well, and the reft, by what law, either of God

or man, they put their King to death. But

the Patriarch fpeaking no language but the "common Greek, and roaming without an in"terpreter, no one understood him; and tho' "there were many good Grecians (whofe names "I have forgot) brought to him, yet they could

not understand his Greek. Thereupon Len"tale, who was Speaker to the House of Com

"mons, told them, that there was in prison one "of the King's party that understood the com"mon Greek, who would interpret to them "what the Patriarch faid, if they would fet him. "at liberty, and withal promise not to punish

him, if what he interpreted out of the Patriarch's "words reflected on them; which, at laft, they "were forced to do, tho' much against their "will. At laft the day was fet for hearing, "where were prefent Cromwell, Bradshaw, and "moft of the late King's Judges, if not all. "When the Patriarch came, he wrote in the "common Greek the aforefaid fentence, and

figned it with his own hand; after which, my "father turned it into our Greek; which, when "it was written, he did (tho' with much adoe) "understand and fet his hand to it. Then my "father turned it into Latin and English, and "delivered it under his hand to Cromwell, yt "that was the bufinefs of the Patriarch's embaffy; "who then returned him this anfwer, that they "would confider of it, and in a fhort time fend "him their anfwer: but after a long stay, and

many delays, the Patriarch was forced to re"turn as wife as he came. Upon the Patriarch's departure, they would have fent my father to prifon again, but Lentale would not let them, faying, that it was their promife that he should "be at liberty; whereupon they fent for him,

"

"and

"and commanded him to keep the Patriarch's "embaffy private, and not to divulge it, upon "pain of imprifon', if not of death. Then Len"tale made him Preacher of the Rolls, and my "father bought chambers in Gray's-Inn, which "chambers he afterwards parted with to Mr. "Barker, who now has the poffeffion of them. "This is the relation which I have heard my "father oftentimes tell; and, to the best of my knowledge, I have neither added nor diminished any thing."

сс

Cromwell, after having diffolved the Parliament by his own authority, nominated and called up perfons to ferve in a Council of State that was to fupply the abfence of that affembly, as appears by the following Summons.

The Original was obligingly communicated to the COMPILER by Mr. GREEN, of Bedford Square.

L.S.

"Forafmuch as upon the diffolution of "the late Parliament, it became necef

fary that the peace, safety, and good government of this Commonwealth "should be provided for; and in order there"unto, perfons fearing God, and of approved fidelity and honefty, are by myself, with the " advice of my Councill of Officers, nominated, "to whome the greate charge and truft of foe "weighty