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Talent for Silence, obliged to break up and become a kind of Ut terance in this thick-skinned manner :-really rather strange to witness, as dull as it is!—

The Dialogue has gone on for a passage or two, but the Reporter considers it mere preliminary flourishing, and has not taken it down. Here is his first Note,-in the abridged lucidified state:*

LORD WHITLOCKE.

"Understands that the Committee is here only to receive what his Highness has to offer; such the letter and purport of our Instructions; which I now read. [Reads it.] Your Highness mentions 'the Government that now is,' seems to hint thereby The Government being well now, why change it? If that be your Highness's general objection, the Committee will give you satisfaction."

:

THE LORD PROTECTOR. Sir, I think both parties of us meet here with a very good heart to come to some issue in this great business; and truly that is what I have all the reason in the world to move me to. And I am exceeding ready to be ordered by you as to the manner of proceeding. Only I confess, according to the thoughts I have,—in preparing my thoughts for so great a work, I have formed this notion to myself:-That the Parliament having already done me the honor of Two Conferences; and now sent you again, their kind intention to me evidently is no other than this, That I should receive satisfaction. They might have been positive in the thing; might have declared their Address itself to be enough, and insisted upon Yes or No to that. But I perceive that it is really and sincerely the satisfaction of my doubts that they aim at; and there is one clause in the Paper itself, 'quoted by my Lord Whitlocke,' which doth a little warrant that: "To offer such rea· sons for his satisfaction," &c. Now, Sir, it's certain the occasion of all this 'Conference' is the Answer I already made; that's the occasion of your having to come hither again. And truly, Sir, I doubt whether by your plan-If you will draw out my reasons from me, I will offer them to you: but on my own part, I doubt, if you should proceed that ther

**Somers Tracts, vi., 352.

†Two Conferences with the whole Parliament, and one with a Committee. We read two of his Highness's Answers (Speeches,-March 31, April 3); the other (Second Conference with the Parliament, April 8) is happily lost..

way, it would a little put me out of the method of my own thoughts. And it being mutual satisfaction that is endeavored, if you will do me the favor-[" To go by my method," his Highness means; "to offer me YOUR Reasons, and DRAW me out, rather than oblige me to COME out”] -I shall take it as a favor if it please you! I will leave you together to consider your own thoughts of it. [Motioning to go.]

LORD WHITLOCKE. "This Committee, being sent to wait upon your Highness, I do suppose cannot undertake to give the Parlia ment's reasons for what the Parliament hath done. But any gentleman here may give for your Highness's satisfaction his own particular apprehension of them. And if you will be pleased to go in the way you have propounded, and on any point require a satisfaction from the Committee, I suppose we shall be ready to do the best we can to give you satisfaction." [Bar Practice! Is no yet what his Highness wants.]

THE LORD PROTECTOR. If this be so, then I suppose nothing can be said by you but what the Parliament hath dictated to you?-However I think it is clearly expressed that the Parliament intends satisfaction Then it is as clear that there must be reasons and arguments which have light and conviction in them, in order to satisfaction! I speak for myself in this; I hope you will not take it otherwise.* I say it doth appear to me you have the liberty of giving your own reasons. If I should write down any of them, I could not call that "the reason of Parliament." [Whitlocke, in a heavy manner, smiles respectful assent.] But in Parliamentary and other such conclusions the efficient “reason” is diffused over the general body, and every man hath his particular share of it; yet when they have determined such and such a thing, certainly it was reason that led them up into it. And if you shall be pleased to make me partaker of some of that "reason"—! —I do very respectfully represent to you that I have a general dissatisfaction at the thing [Glancing at the Engrossed Vellum: but meaning the Kingship]; and do desire to be informed of the grounds that lead you, whom I presume to be all satisfied with it and with every part of it. And if you will be pleased, if you so think fit,-I will not urge it farther upon you,—to proceed in that way, it will be a favor to me. Otherwise, I deal plainly with you, it doth put me out of the method of my own conceptions: and in that case I shall beg that we may have an hour's deliberation, and meet again in the afternoon.

* As if meant to dictate to you, or tutor you in your duties.

LORD CHIEF-JUSTICE GLYN,-one of the old expelled Eleven, whom we saw in great straits in 1647; a busy man from the beginning, and now again busy; begs to say in brief: "The Parlia ment has sent us to give all the satisfaction which it is in our un derstandings to give. Certainly we will try to proceed according to what method your Highness finds best for that end. The Paper or Vellum Instrument, however, is general, consisting of inany heads and we can give but general satisfaction."

THE LORD PROTECTOR. If you will please to give me leave [Clearing his throat to get under way.] I do agree, truly, the thing is a general; for it either falls under the notice of Settlement, which is a general consisting of many particulars; or if you call it by the name it bears in the Paper, "Petition and Advice,"—that again is a general; it is advice, desires and advice. What in it I have objected to is as yet, to say truth, but one thing. Only, the last time I had the honor to meet the Parliament,* I did offer to them that they might put me in the way of getting satisfaction as to particulars, 'any or all particulars.' Now, no question I might easily offer something particular for debate, if I thought that would answer the end. [What curious pickeering, flourishing, and fencing backwards and forwards, before the parties will come to close action. As in other affairs of courtship.] For truly I know my end and yours is the same: To bring things to an issue one way or the other, that we may know where we are, that we may attain the general end, which is Settlement. [Safe ground here, your Highness!] The end is in us both! And I durst contend with any one person in the world that it is not more in his heart than in mine! - I would go into some particulars [Especially one particular, the Kingship.] to ask a question, to ask a reason of the alteration made;' which might well enough let you into the business,—that it might. Yet, I say, it doth not answer me. [I had counted on being drawn out, not on COMING out: 1 understood I was the young lady, and you the wooer!] I confess I did not so strictly examine the terms of your Order from the Parliament, ' which my Lord Whitlocke cites;' whether I even read it or no I cannot tell.-[Pause.]—If you will have it that way, I shall, as well as 1 can, make such an objection as may occasion some answer, and so let us into the business;'-though perhaps I shall object weakly enough! I shall very freely submit to you.

* Wednesday last, 8 April, all record of which is happily lost. A favorite reduplication with his Highness; that it is!

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GLYN (with official solemnity). "The Parliament hath sent us for that end, to give your Highness satisfaction."

LORD COMMISSIONER FIENNES,-Nathaniel Fiennes, alias Fines, alias Fenys, as he was once called when condemned to be shot for surrendering Bristol; second son of Old Subtlety' Say and Sele; and now again a busy man, and Lord Keeper, opens his broad jaw, and short snub-face full of hard sagacity,* to say: "Looking upon the Order, I find that we may offer your Highness our reasons, if your Highness's dissatisfaction be to the alteration of the Government, whether in general or in particular.”—So that his Highness may have it his own way, after all? Let us hope the preliminary flourishing is now near complete! His Highness would like well to have it his own way.

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THE LORD PROTECTOR. I am very ready to say, I have no dissatisfaction that it hath pleased the Parliament to find out a way, though it be of alteration, for bringing these Nations into a good Settlement. Perhaps you may have judged the Settlement we hitherto had was not so favorable to the great end of Government,-the Liberty and Good of the Nations, and the preservation of all honest Interests that have been engaged in this Cause. I say I have no objection to the general fact,' That the Parliament hath thought fit to take consideration of a new Settlement or Government. But you having done it in such way, and rendered me so far an interested party in it by making such an Overture to me [As this of the Kingship, which modesty forbids me to mention],—I shall be very glad to learn,' if you please to let me know it, besides the pleasure of the Parliament, somewhat of the reason they had for interesting me in this thing, by such an Overture.

Truly I think I shall, as to the other particulars, have less to object.t I shall be very ready to specify objections, in order to clear for you whatsoever it may be better to clear; in order' at least to help myself to wards a clearer understanding of these things;-for better advantage 'to us all,' for that, I know, is in your hearts as well as mine. Though I cannot presume that I have anything to offer calculated to convince you; yet, if you will take it in good part, I shall offer somewhat to every particular.

And now,' if you please,-As to the first of the things [Kingship], I am clear as to the ground of the thing, being so put to me as it hath

* Good Portrait of him in Lord Nugent's Memorials of Hampden. As to the other particulars, swallow this' in orig.

been put.* And I think that some of the reasons which moved the Parliament to do it, would, if they were now stated to me,' lead us into such objections or doubts as I may have to offer; and would be a very great help to me in that. And if you will have me offer this or that or the other doubt which may rise methodically, I shall do it.

Whereupon LORD WHITLOCKE, Summoning into his glassy coalblack eyes and ponderous countenance what animation is possible, lifts up his learned voice, and speaks several pages ;t-which we abridge almost to nothing. In fact, the learned pleadings of these illustrious Official Persons, which once were of boundless importance, are now literally shrunk to zero for us; it is only his Highness's reply to them that is still something, and that not very much. Whitlocke intimates,

"That perhaps the former Instrument of Government having originated in the way it did, the Parliament considered it would be no worse for sanctioning by the Supreme Authority; such was their reason for taking it up. 'Their intentions I suppose were,' —this and that, at some length. As for the new Title, that of Protector was not known to the Lord; that of King is, and has been for many hundreds of years. If we keep the title of Protector, as I heard some argue, our Instrument has only its own footing to rest upon; but with that of King' it will ground itself in all the ancient foundations of the Laws of England,'" &c., &c.

MASTER OF THE ROLLS,-old Sly-face Lenthall, once Speaker of the Long Parliament; the same whom Harrison helped out of his Chair,—him also the reader will conceive speaking for the space of half an hour :

"May it please your Highness,' Hum-m-m! Drum-m-m! Upon due consideration you shall find that the whole body of the Law is carried upon this wheel' of the Chief Magistrate being called King. Hum-m-m! [Monotonous humming for ten minutes.] The title of Protector is not limited by any rule of Law at understand;' the title of King is. Hum-m-m! King James wanted to change his Title, and that only from King of England to King of Great Britain; and the Parliament could

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In our last Conference, 8 April, now happily lost.
Somers, vi., 355

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