that Pamphlet in Somers. In or out of Bedlam, we can know well, gods or men never spake to one another in that manner! Oliver Cromwell's meaning is there; and that is not it. Sluggardship, Imaginary-Editorship, Flunkyism, Falsehood, Human Platitude in general! But we will complain of nothing. Know well, by experience of him, that Oliver Cromwell always had a meaning, and an honest manful meaning; search well for that, after ten or twenty reperusals you will find it even there. Those frightful jungles, trampled down for two centuries now by mere bison and hoofed cattle, you will begin to see, were once a kind of regularly planted wood!-Let the Editor with all brevity struggle to indicate so much, candid readers doing their part along with him; and so leave it. A happier next generation will then be permitted to seek the aid of fire; and this immense business of the Kingship, throwing little new light, but also no new darkness, upon Oliver Protector, will then reduce itself to very small compass for his Biographers.

Monday, 23d February 1656-7. Amid the Miscellaneous business of this day, Alderman Sir Christopher Pack, one of the Members for London, a zealous man, craves leave to introduce 'Somewhat tending to the Settlement of the Nation,'leave, namely, to read this Paper which has come to his hand,' which is written in the form of a 'Remonstrance from the Parliament' to his Highness; which if the Parliament please to adopt, they can modify it as they see good, and present the same to his Highness. Will not the Honourable House consent at least to hear it read? The Honourable House has great doubts on that subject; debates at much length, earnestly puts the question whether the question shall be put; at length however, after two divisions, and towards nightfall, decides that it will; and even resolves by overwhelming majority that a candle be brought in.' Pack reads his Paper: A new Instrument of Government, or improved Constitution for these Nations; increased powers to the Single Person, intimation of a Second House of Parliament, the Pro

tector something like a King; very great changes indeed! Debate this matter farther tomorrow.

Debate it, manipulate it, day after day,-let us have a Day of Fasting and Prayer on Friday next; for the matter is really important.1 On farther manipulation, this Remonstrance' of Pack's takes improved form, increased development; and, under the name 'Petition and Advice presented to his Highness,' became famous to the world in those spring months. We can see, the Honourable House has a very good resentment of it.' The Lawyer-party is all zealous for it; certain of the Soldier-party have their jealousies. Already, notwithstanding the official reticence, it is plain to every clear-sighted man they mean to make his Highness King!

Friday 27th February. 'The Parliament keep a Fast within their own House; Mr. Caryl, Mr. Nye, Mr. Manton, carrying on the work of the day; it being preparatory to the great work now on hand of Settling the Nation." In the course of which same day, with an eye also to the same great work, though to the opposite side of it, there waits upon his Highness, Deputation of a hundred Officers, Ex-MajorGenerals and considerable persons some of them: To signify that they have heard with real dismay of some project now on foot to make his Highness King; the evil effects of which, as 'a scandal to the People of God,' 'hazardous to his Highness's person, and making way for the return of Charles Stuart,' are terribly apparent to them!

Whereto his Highness presently makes answer, with dignity, not without sharpness: That he now specifically hears of this project for the first time,—he' (with emphasis on the word, and a look at some individuals there) has not been caballing about it, for it or against it. That the Title "King" need not startle them so dreadfully; inasmuch as some of them well know' (what the Historical Public never knew before) 'it was already offered to him, and pressed upon him by themselves when this Government was undertaken. That the Title 1 Commons Journals, vii. 496-7. Newspapers (in Burton, i. 380).

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"King," a feather in a hat, is as little valuable to him as to them. But that the fact is, they and he have not succeeded in settling the Nation hitherto, by the schemes they clamoured for. Their Little Parliament, their First Protectorate Parliament, and now their Major-Generalcies, have all proved failures; -nay this Parliament itself, which they clamoured for, had almost proved a failure. That the Nation is tired of MajorGeneralcies, of uncertain arbitrary ways; and really wishes to come to a Settlement. That actually the original Instrument of Government does need mending in some points. That a House of Lords, or other check upon the arbitrary tendencies of a Single House of Parliament, may be of real use: see what they, by their own mere vote and will, I having no power to check them, have done with James Nayler: may it not be any one's case, some other day?' That, in short, the Deputation of a Hundred Officers had better go its ways, and consider itself again. So answered his Highness, with dignity, with cogency, not without sharpness. The Deputation did as bidden. 'Three Major-Generals,' we find next week, have already come round. The House hath gone on with much unity.'

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The House, in fact, is busy, day and night, modelling, manipulating its Petition and Advice. Amid the rumour of England, all through this month of March 1657. 'Chief Magistrate for the time being is to name his successor'; so much we hear they have voted. What Title he shall have, is still secret; that is to be the last thing. All men may speculate and guess!-Before March ends, the Petition and Advice is got ready; in Eighteen well-debated articles, fairly engrossed on vellum: the Title, as we guessed, to be King. His Highness shall adopt the whole Document, or no part of it is to be binding.

1 Passages between the Protector and the Hundred Officers (in Additional Ayscough Mss. no. 6125; printed in Burton, i. 382-4), a Fragment of a Letter, bearing date 7th March 1656-7 ;—to the effect abridged as above.

2 Copy of it in Whitlocke, p. 648 et seqq.

SPEECHES VII-X

ON Tuesday 31st March 1657, the House rose at eleven o'clock, and Speaker Widdrington, attended by the whole House, repaired to his Highness at Whitehall," to present this same Petition and Advice, engrossed on vellum,' and with the Title of King' recommended to him in it. Banqueting House, Whitehall; that is the scene. Widdrington's long flowery Speech is omissible. As the interview began about eleven o'clock, it may now be past twelve; Oliver loquitur.

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MR. SPEAKER,-This Frame of Government which it hath pleased the Parliament through your hand to offer to me, -truly I should have a very brazen forehead if it did not beget in me a great deal of consternation of spirit; it being ' of so high and great importance as, by your opening of it,3 ' and by the mere reading of it, is manifest to all men; the 'welfare, the peace and settlement of Three Nations, and all 'that rich treasure of the best people in the world being ' involved therein! I say, this consideration alone ought to beget in me the greatest reverence and fear of God that ever possessed a man in the world.

Truly I rather study to say no more at this time than is necessary for giving some brief general answer, suitable 'to the nature of the thing. The thing is of weight; the 'greatest weight of anything that ever was laid upon a man. ' And therefore, it being of that weight, and consisting of so many parts as it doth,-in each of which much more than 'my life is concerned,-truly I think I have no more to 'desire of you at present, but that you would give me time to deliberate and consider what particular answer I may ' return to so great a business as this.—

› Commons Journals, vii. 516.

In this long florid speech.

Us and all the Gospel Protestants in the world.

* Burton, i. 397-413.

'I have lived the latter part of my age in,-if I may say 'so,—the fire; in the midst of troubles. But all the things ' that have befallen me since I was first engaged in the affairs ' of this Commonwealth, if they could be supposed to be all 'brought into such a compass that I could take a view of 'them at once, truly I do not think they would "so move," nor do I think they ought so to move, my heart and spirit ' with that fear and reverence of God that becomes a Christian,

as this thing that hath now been offered by you to me!And truly my comfort in all my life hath been that the 'burdens which have lain heavy on me, they were laid upon

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me by the hand of God. And I have not known, I have 'been many times at a loss, which way to stand under the

weight of what hath lain upon me :-except by looking at 'the conduct and pleasure of God in it. Which hitherto I ' have found to be a good pleasure to me.

' And should I give any resolution in this "matter" sud'denly, without seeking to have an answer put into my heart, ' and so into my mouth, by Him that hath been my God and my Guide hitherto,—it would give you very little cause of ' comfort in such a choice as you have made [Of me to be King] in such a business as this. It would savour more to 'be of the flesh, to proceed from lust, to arise from arguments ' of self. And if,-whatsoever the issue of this " great "matter" be,-"my decision in" it have such motives in me, have such a rise in me, it may prove even a curse to you ' and to these Three Nations. Who, I verily believe, have 'intended well in this business; and have had those honest ' and sincere aims towards the glory of God, the good of His People, the rights of the Nation. I verily believe these 'have been your aims: and God forbid that so good aims 'should suffer by any dishonesty and indirectness on my part. For although, in the affairs that are in the world, things 6 may be intended well,-as they are always, or for the most, by such as love God, and fear God and make Him their aim 1 Subaudi, but do not insert, which you profess.'

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