there occurs an extraneous Phenomenon, which unexpectedly delays us for a day or two: a rising of the Fifth-Monarchy, namely. The Fifth-Monarchy, while men are meditating earthly Kingship, and Official Persons are about appointing an earthly tyrannous and traitorous King, thinks it ought to bestir itself, now or never;-explodes accordingly, though in a small way; testifying to us how electric this element of England now is.

Thursday 9th April. The Fifth-Monarchy, headed mainly by one Venner a Wine-Cooper, and other civic individuals of the old Feak-and-Powel species whom we have transiently seen emitting soot and fire before now, has for a long while been concocting underground; and Thurloe and his Highness have had eye on it. The Fifth-Monarchy has decided that it will rise this Thursday, expel carnal sovereignties; and call on the Christian population to introduce a Reign of Christ,— which it is thought, if a beginning were once made, they will be very forward to do. Let us rendezvous on Mile-End Green this day, with sword and musket, and assured heart: perhaps General Harrison, Colonel Okey, one knows not who, will join us,—perhaps a miracle will be wrought, such as Heaven might work in such a case, and the Reign of Christ actually take effect.

Alas, Heaven wrought no miracle: Heaven and his Highness sent a Troop of Horse into the Mile-End region, early in the morning; seized Venner, and some Twenty Ringleaders, just coming for the rendezvous; seized chests of arms, many copies of a flaming Pamphlet or War-manifesto with title A Standard set up; seized also a War-flag with Lion Couchant painted on it, Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and this motto, 'Who shall rouse him up?' O Reader, these are not fictions, these were once altogether solid facts in this brick London of ours; ancient resolute individuals, busy with wine-cooperage and otherwise, had entertained them as very practicable things! -But in two days' time, these ancient individuals and they are all lodged in the Tower; Harrison, hardly connected with

the thing, except as a well wisher, he and others are likewise made secure and the Fifth-Monarchy is put under lock and key. Nobody was tried for it: Cooper Venner died on the scaffold, for a similar attempt under Charles Second, some two years hence. The Committee of Ninety-nine can now proceed with its' satisfaction to his Highness'; his Highness is now at leisure for them again.

This Committee did proceed with its satisfactions; had various Conferences with his Highness,-which unfortunately are not lost; which survive for us, in Somers Tracts and the old Pamphlets, under the Title of Monarchy Asserted; in a condition, especially his Highness's part of them, enough to drive any Editor to despair! The old Pamphleteer, as we remarked, was intent only on the learned law-arguments in favour of Kingship; and as to what his Highness said, seems to have taken it very easy; printing what vocables he found on his Notepaper, with or without meaning, as it might chance. Whom new unchecked Printers and ImaginaryEditors following, and making the matter ever worse, have produced at last in our late time such a Coagulum of Jargon as was never seen before in the world! Let us not speak of it; let us endeavour to get through it,-through this also, now since we have arrived at it, and are not yet permitted to burn it! Out of this sad monument of Human Stupor too the imprisoned Soul of a Hero must be extricated. Souls of Heroes, they have been imprisoned, enchanted into growing Trees, into glass Phials, into leaden Caskets sealed with Solomon's signet, and sunk in the deep sea;-but to this of Somers Tracts there wants yet a parallel! Have not we English a talent of musical utterance? Here are men consummating the most epic of acts, Choosing their King; and it is with such melodious elegancies that they do it; it is in such soft-flowing hexameters as the following that the Muse gives record of it !—

1 Narrative in Thurloe, vi. 184-8.

My reader must be patient; thankful for mere Dulness, thankful that it is not Madness over and above. Let us all be patient; walk gently, swiftly, lest we awaken the sleeping Nightmares! We suppress, we abridge, we elucidate; struggle to make legible his Highness's words, dull but not insane. Notes where not indispensable are not given. The curious reader can, in all questionable places, refer to the Printed Coagulum of Jargon itself, and see whether we have read aright.

SPEECH X

PROPERLY an aggregate of many short Speeches, and passages of talk his Highness's part in this First Conference with the Committee of Ninety-nine. His Highness's part in it; the rest, covering many pages, is, so far as possible, strictly suppressed. One of the dullest Conferences ever held, on an epic subject, in this world. Occupied, great part of it, on mere preliminaries, and beatings about the bush; throws light, even in its most elucidated state, upon almost nothing. Oliver is here simply what we have known him elsewhere. Which so soon as Mankind once understand to be the fact, but unhappily not till then, the aid of fire can be called in, as we suggested.

Fancy, however, that the large Committee of Ninety-nine has got itself introduced into some Council-room, or other fit locality in Whitehall, on Saturday 11th April 1657, 'about nine in the morning'; has made its salutations to his Highness, and we hope been invited to take seats; and all men are very uncertain how to act. Who shall begin? His Highness wishes much they would begin; and in a delicate way urges and again urges them to do so; and, not till after great labour and repeated failures, succeeds. Fancy that old scene; the ancient honourable Gentlemen waiting there to do their epic feat: the ponderous respectable Talent for Silence obliged to break-up and become a kind of Utterance in this thick

skinned manner-really rather strange to witness, as dull as it is!

The Dialogue has gone on for a passage of 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: 1

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 prepar'ing my thoughts for so great a work, I formed this notion 'to myself: That the Parliament having already done me the 'honour 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 per'ceive 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 reasons for his satisfac'tion,' etc.-Now, Sir, it's certain the occasion of all this

1 Somers Tracts, vi. 352.

2 Two Conferences with the whole Parliament; and one Conference with a Committee: Speeches VII. (31st March), 1x. (8th April), and v111. (3d April).

6

"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 other way, it 'would a little put me out of the method of my own thoughts. And it being mutual satisfaction that is endeavoured, if you ⚫ will do me the favour-[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 favour, if it please you! I will leave you together to con'sider 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 Parliament'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 not 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.1 'I say it doth appear to me you have the liberty of giving 6 your own reasons. If I should write down any of them, I could not call that the reason of Parliament.' [Whitlocke,

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