relation to the Desires that were offered me by the House in That they called their Petition. I confess, that Business hath put the House, the Parliament, to a great deal of trouble, and spent much time.* I am very sorry for that. It hath cost me some 'trouble,' and some thoughts and because I have been the unhappy occasion of the expense of so much time, I shall spend little of it now. : I have, the best I can, revolved the whole Business in my thoughts and I have said so much already in testimony to the whole, I think I shall not need to repeat what I have said. I think it is an 'Act of' Government which, in the aims of it, seeks the Settling of the Nation on a good foot, in relation to Civil Rights and Liberties, which are the Rights of the Nation. And I hope I shall never be found one of them that go about to rob the Nation of those Rights;-but 'always' to serve it what I can to the attaining of them. It has also been exceedingly well provided there for the safety and security of honest men in that great natural and religious liberty, which is Liberty of Conscience.—These are the great Fundamentals; and I must bear my testimony to them; as I have done, and shall do still, so long as God lets me live in this world: That the intentions and the things are very honorable and honest, and the product worthy of a Parliament. I have only had the unhappiness, both in my Conferences with your Committees, and in the best thoughts I could take to myself, not to be convinced of the necessity of that thing which hath been so often insisted on by you, to wit, the Title of King,—as in itself so necessary as it seems to be apprehended by you. And yet I do, with all honor and respect, testify that, cæteris paribus, no private judgment is to be in the balance with the judgment of Parliament. But in things that respect particular persons,-every man who is to give an account to God of his actions, he must in some measure be able to prove his own work, and to have an approbation in his own conscience of that which he is to do or to forbear. And whilst you are granting others Liberties, surely you will not deny me this; it being not only a Liberty but a Duty, and such a Duty as I cannot without sinning forbear,—to examine my own heart and thoughts and judgment, in every work which I am to set my hand to, or to appear in or for. I must confess therefore, though I do acknowledge all the other 'points,' I must be a little confident in this, That what with the circumstances which accompany human actions,-whether they be circumstances of time or persons [Straitlaced Republican Soldiers that have just 23 Feb.-8 May: ten weeks and more. been presenting you their Petition], whether circumstances that relate to the whole, or private and particular circumstances such as compass any person who is to render an account of his own actions,-I have truly thought, and I do still think, that, at the best, if I should do anything on this account to answer your expectation, at the best I should do it doubtingly. And certainly whatsoever is so is not of faith. And whatsoever is not so, whatsoever is not of faith, is sin to him that doth 't,—whether it be with relation to the substance of the action about which that consideration is conversant, or whether to circumstances about it [Thinskinned Republicans or the like “circumstances"], which make all indifferent actions good or evil. I say "Circumstances" [Yes!]; and truly I mean "good or evil" to him that doth it. [Not to you Honorable Gentlemen who have merely advised it in general.] I, lying under this consideration, think it my duty--Only I could have wished I had done it sooner, for the sake of the House, who have laid such infinite obligations on me [With a kind glance over these honorable faces; all silent as if dead, many of them with their mouths open]; I wish I had done it sooner for your sake, and for saving time and trouble; and for the Committee's sake, to whom I must acknowledge I have been unreasonably troublesome! But truly this is my answer, That (although I think the Act of Government doth consist of very excellent parts, in all but that one thing, of the Title as to me) I should not be an honest man, if I did not tell you that I cannot accept of the Government, nor undertake the trouble and charge of it—as to which I have a little more experimented than everybody what troubles and difficulties do befall men under such trusts, and in such undertakings-[Sentence irrecoverable]— I say I am persuaded to return this answer to you, That I cannot undertake this Government with the Title of King. And that is mine answer to this great and weighty Business.* And so exeunt Widdrington and Parliament: "Buzz, buzz! Distinct at last ;"—and the huge buzzing of the public mind falls silent, that of the Kingship being now ended;-and this Editor and his readers are delivered from a very considerable weariness of the flesh. 'The Protector,' says Bulstrode, 'was satisfied in his private judgment that it was fit for him to accept this Title of King, and * Commons Journals, vii., 533; as reported by Speaker Widdrington, on Tuesday the 12th. Reported too in Somers (pp. 400-1), but in the form of coagulated nonsense there. The Commons Journals give it, as here, with no variation worth noticing, in the shape of sense. matters were prepared in order thereunto. But afterwards, by solicitation of the Commonwealth's-men,' by solicitation, representation and even denunciation from the Commonwealth'smen' and 'many Officers of the Army,' he decided to attend some better season and opportunity in the business, and refused at this time,** With which summary account let us rest satisfied. The secret details of the matter are dark, and are not momentous. The Lawyer-party, as we saw, were all in favor of the measure. Of the Soldier-party, Ex-Major-Generals Whalley, Goffe, Berry, are in a dim way understood to have been for it; Desborow and Fleetwood strong against it; to whom Lambert, much intriguing in the interim, had at last openly joined himself.† Which line of conduct, so soon as it became manifest, procured him from his Highness a handsome dismissal. Dismissal from all employment; but with a retiring pension of 20007.: which mode of treatment passed into a kind of proverb, that season; and men of wooden wit were wont to say to one another, "I will Lambertise you." The 'great Lord Lambert,' hitherto a very important man, now 'cultivated flowers at Wimbledon ;' attempted higher things, on his own footing, in a year or two, with the worst conceivable success; and in fact had at this point, to all reasonable intents, finished his public work in the world. The rest of the Petition and Advice, so long discussed and conferenced upon, is of course accepted ;§ a much improved Frame of Government; with a Second House of Parliament; with a Chief Magistrate who is to 'nominate his successor;' and be King in all points except the name. News of Blake's victory at Santa Cruz reach us in these same days,|| whereupon is Pub. lic Thanksgiving, and voting of a Jewel to General Blake and so, in a general tide of triumphant accordance, and outward and inward prosperity, this Second Protectorate Parliament advances to the end of its First Session. * Whitlocke, p. 646. Heath's Chronicle. † Godwin, iv., 352, 367. § Commons Journals, vii., 358 (25 May, 1657); Whitlocke, p. 648. 28 May (Commons Journals, vii., 54; Burton, ii., 142). SPEECH XIV., LETTERS CLII.-CLVII. THE Session of Parliament is prosperously reaching its close; and during the recess there will be business enough to do. Se. lection of our new House of Lords; carrying-on of the French League Offensive against Spain; and other weighty interests. Of which the following small documents, one short official Speech, and six short, mostly official Letters are all that remain to us. SPEECH XIV. PARLIAMENT has passed some Bills; among the rest, some needful Money-Bills, Assessment of 340,000l. a-month on England, 6,0007. on Scotland, 9,0007. on Ireland ;* to all which his Highness, with some word of thanks for the money, will now signify his assent. Unexceptionable word of thanks, accidentally preserved to us,† which, with the circumstances attendant thereon, we have to make conscience of reporting. Tuesday morning, 9th June, 1657, Message comes to the Honorable House, That his Highness, in the Painted Chamber. requires their presence. They gather up their Bills; certain Money-Bills 'for an assessment towards the Spanish War;' and 'divers other Bills, some of public, some of more private concernment,' among which latter we notice one for settling Lands in the County of Dublin on Widow Bastwick and her four children, Dr. Bastwick's widow, poor Susannah, who has long been a solicitress in this matter: these Bills the Clerk of the Commons • Parliamentary History, xxi., 151; Commons Journals, vii., 554-7. + Commons Journals, vii., 551-2 gathers up, the Sergeant shoulders his Mace; and so, Clerk and Sergeant leading off, and Speaker Widdrington and all his Honorable Members following, the whole House in this due order, with its Bills and apparatus, proceeds to the Painted Chamber. There, on his platform, in chair of state sits his Highness, attended by his Council and others. Speaker Widdrington at a table on the common level of the floor 'finds a chair set for him, and a form for his clerk.' Speaker Widdrington, hardly ventur. ing to sit, makes a 'short and pithy Speech' on the general proceedings of Parliament; presents his Bills, with probably some short and pithy words, such as suggest themselves, prefatory to each: "A few slight Bills; they are but as the grapes that precede the full vintage, may it please your Highness." His Highness in due form signifies assent; and then says: MR. SPEAKER, I perceive that, among these many Acts of Parliament, there hath been a very great care had by the Parliament to provide for the just and necessary support of the Commonwealth by those Bills for the levying of money, now brought to me, which I have given my consent unto. Understanding it hath been the practice of those who have been Chief Governors to acknowledge with thanks to the Commons their care and regard of the Public, I do very heartily and thankfully acknowledge their kindness herein.* The Parliament has still some needful polishing-up of its Petition and Advice, other perfecting of details to accomplish: after which it is understood there will be a new and much more solemn Inauguration of his Highness; and then the First Session will, as in a general peal of joy-bells, harmoniously close. LETTER CLII. OFFICIAL Letter of Thanks to Blake, for his Victory at Santa Cruz on the 20th April last. The small Jewel' sent herewith * Commons Journals, vii., 552; Reported by Widdrington in the after |