vol. ii. p.

nate a new council of ftate, and to call a

par

Thefe

< at a time when he had almost granted every thing that was defired; who, in fhort, were induftrious to < break the union of the church, to fubvert all religion, or introduce the most ridiculous and extravagant one. (c) Hiftory Was it therefore more eligible for England to be goof England, verned by these men, than by a Cromwell (c)?' 601. Fol. things are all eafily fpoken. But whoever will confider, Lond. 1733. that Cromwell in this affair was deftitute of the plea of neceffity and self-prefervation; that he had received very great favours from, and had actually fworn to be true and faithful to the commonwealth, that he had approved of their actions, and zealously concurred with them in the most exceptionable of them; that he charges them not with the ill things done, but only fome good things omitted, a charge to which every government on earth is, and always will be liable: I fay, whoever confiders these things, and withal calls to mind that they were about to pass an act for their own diffolution, and for (d) Journal, the calling and fettling of future and fucceffive parlia ments (d), even at the time Cromwell used this force, will, I am perfuaded, not be over hafty in his juftification. Of this however the confiderate and unprejudiced reader must be the judge.

Ap. 13. 1653

.

Mr. Harrington, after cenfuring the form of government of the commonwealth, as an oligarchy,' because it was a • council without a ballance,' or as he before expreffes it, A parliament confifting of a fingle • affembly elected by the people, and invefted with the whole power of the government, without any covenants, conditions or orders whatfoever' I fay, after thus cenfuring the form of that government, proceeds to take notice of its diffolution by Cromwell in the following terms: I come now to the army, fays he, of which the moft victorious captain and incomparable patriot Olphaus Megaletor was now general: who be⚫ing a much greater mafter of that art, whereof I have 'made a rough draught in these preliminaries, had fo

• fad

parliament. This was furnamed the Little,

or

• fad reflections upon the ways and proceedings of the parliament, as caft him upon books, and all other means of diverfion, among which he happened upon ⚫ this place of Machiavel: Thrice happy is that people which chances to have a man able to give them fuch a government at once, as without alteration may • fecure them of their liberties; seeing it is certain, that • Lacedemon, in obferving the laws of Lycurgus, conti• nued about eight hundred years without any dangerous tumult or corruption. My lord general (as it is • faid of Themistocles, that he could not fleep for the glory obtained by Miltiades at the battle of Maratho) * took fo new and deep impreffion at these words of the ⚫ much greater glory of Lycurgus, that being on this fide affaulted with the emulation of his illuftrious object, on the other with the mifery of the nation, which feemed (as it were ruined by his victory) to caft herfelf at his feet, he was almost wholly deprived of his • natural rest, until the debate he had within himself ⚫ came to a firm refolution, that the greatest advantages of a commonwealth are, firft, that the legiflator fhould be one man: and fecondly, that the government 'fhould be made altogether, or at once. For the first, it is certain, faith Machiavel, that a commonwealth is feldom or never well turned or constituted, except it have been the work of one man: for which cause a wife legiflator, and one whofe mind is firmly fet, ⚫ not upon private but the publick intereft, not upon his 'pofterity but upon his country, may juftly endeavour to get the fovereign power into his own hands; nor 'fhall any man who is mafter of reason, blame such ⚫ extraordinary means as in that cafe fhall be neceffary, the end proving no other, than the constitution of a 'well ordered commonwealth. The reason of this is demonftrable; for the ordinary means not failing, the commonwealth hath no need of a legiflator; but the 'ordinary means failing, there is no recourfe to be had

• but

(e) Commonwealth

or Praifegod Barebone's parliament

(vv),

the

but to fuch as are extraordinary (e).' This was writof Oceana, ten, I fuppofe, to ftimulate Cromwell's ambition, and p. 49. Fol. excite him by the defire of real glory to establish a perLond. 1656. fect commonwealth, and to launch immediately forth

(f) Notes
on Pope's
Effay on
Man, in his

Works, vol.
iii. p. 89.
Lond. 8vo.
3751.

into an empire of laws.' But he had no fuch intention as this, and therefore cannot be entitled to this vindication. To come to a conclufion-Whatever crime the general 'was guilty of in this affair, it certainly was a proof of his fuperior ability. For, as Dr. Warburton obferves, Cromwell feemeth to be diftinguifhed in the most eminent manner, with regard to his abilities, ⚫ from all other great and wicked men, who have over• turned the liberties of their country. The times in which others fucceeded in this attempt, were such as faw the spirit of liberty fuppreffed and ftifled by a general luxury and venality: but Cromwell fubdued his country, when this fpirit was at its height, by a fuccessful ftruggle against court-oppreffion; and while it was conducted and fupported by a fet of the greateft geniuses for government the world ever faw (f)? What an idea is here given of the capacity of this extraordinary man! What an eulogium on his masters. whom he difplaced, and ruled over!

(YY) He conftituted a council of State, and fummoned Barebone's parliament.] The parliament being diffolved by Cromwell, no visible power was in being, but the foldiery. This must have been an alarming confideration. To prevent the ill effects of it, a declaration was fet forth in the general's name in the following words: Whereas the parliament being diffolved, perfons of ⚫ approved fidelity and honefty, are (according to the late declaration of the 22d of April laft) to be called 'from the feveral parts of this commonwealth to the fupream authority; and although effectual proceedings are and have been had for perfecting these resolutions; yet fome convenient time being required for the asfembling of thofe perfons, it hath been found necef

.

• fary

the fubject of ridicule, reproach and cenfure, from

cus, No.

P.

(b) Id. No.

fary for preventing the faid mifchiefs and inconvenien6 ces which may arife in the mean-while to the publick affairs, that a councel of state be conftituted, to take care of, and intend the peace, fafety and prefent management of the affairs of this commonwealth : which being fettled accordingly, the fame is hereby declared and publifhed, to the end all perfons may take notice thereof, and in their feveral places and ftations demean themfelves peaceably, giving obedience to the laws of the nation as heretofore: in the exercise and administration whereof, as endeavours fhall be used, that no oppreffion or wrong be done to the people, fo a ftrict account will be required of all fuch as fhall do any thing to endanger the publick (g) Mercu peace and quiet upon any pretence whatfoever (g).' ríus PolitiThis bears date April 30, 1653. In this high tone 151. p. fpoke Cromwell, who now, having all power in his 2410. hands, printed an order for the continuance of the affeffment for the payment of the army and the navy for 17. p. fix months (h), after the rate of one hundred and twen- 2506. ty thousand pounds a month, and iffued out warrants for feveral perfons to appear at Whitehall, and receive from him the fupream power. In the Journal of the houfe of commons, July 4th, 1653, we have the following account of the calling this affembly.‹ Se⚫veral letters having iffued, under the hand and feal of the lord general, directed unto divers perfons, in this form; Forafmuch as, upon the diffolution of the late parliament, it became neceffary that the peace, fafety, and good government of this commonwealth fhould be provided for; in order whereunto, divers perfons, fearing God, and of approved fidelity and honefty, are by myself, with the advice of my council of officers, nominated; to whom the great charge and truft of fo weighty affairs is to be committed; and having good affurance of the love to, and courage for God, and intereft for his caufe, and of the good people of

from men who knew little of its real character,

this commonwealth: I, Oliver Cromwell, captain-ge'neral and commander in chief of all the armies and forces raised, and to be raised in this commonwealth, do hereby fummon and require you'

(being one of the faid perfons nominated) perfonally to be and appear at the council-chamber in Whitehall, within the city of Westminster, upon the fourth day of July next enfuing the date hereof, then and there to take upon you the faid truft, unto which you are ⚫ hereby called and appointed, to serve as a member for the county of : and hereof you are

not to fail. Given under my hand and feal the fixth day of June, 1653.

O. CROMWELL.

of those per

< This day there was a great appearance fons (to whom the letters were directed) in the council-chamber at Whitehall; when the lord-general declared unto them the grounds and end of calling them ; • and delivered unto them an inftrument, in writing un⚫ der his hand and feal; and afterwards left them.' In the Mercurius Politicus there is an article from Whitehall of the fame date, in which it is faid, That the gen<tlemen that were called to the fupream authority, met, to the number of above one hundred and twenty, in ⚫ the council-chamber, and being fet round about the table, the lord-general ftanding by the window oppofite to the middle of the table, and having as many of the army officers as the room could well contain, on his right hand and on his left; his lordship made a very grave, chriftian and reasonable fpeech, and exhortation to them; wherein he briefly recounted the 6 many great and wondrous mercies of God towards this nation;he fet forth alfo the progress of af'fairs fince the famous victory at Worcester, wherein that arch-enemy of this nation was wholly fubdued. He likewife laid down the actings of the army there

6

upon,