(r) Burnet, vol. i. p. 67.

attack a man crowned with victories, and

ap

it, and faid he had a matter of priviledge of the higheft fort to lay before them: it was about the being and freedom of the houfe. So he charged Cromwell with the defign of putting a force on the house. He had his witnefies at the door, and defired they might be examined. They were brought to the bar, and justified all that they had faid to him, and gave a full • relation of all that had paffed at their meetings. When they withdrew, Cromwell fell down on his knees, and made a folemn prayer to God, attefting his innocence, and his zeal for the fervice of the houfe: he fubmitted himfelf to the providence of God, who it feems thought fit to exercife him with calumny and flander, but he fubmitted his cause to him. This he did with great vehemence, and with many tears. After this ftrange and bold preamble, he made fo long a fpeech, juftifying both himfelf and the reft of the officers, except a few that feemed inclined to return back to Egypt, that he wearied out the house, and wrought fo much on his party, that what the witneffes had faid was fo little believed, that had it • been moved, Grimften thought that both he and they would have been fent to the Tower. But whether their guilt made them modeft, or that they had no mind to have the matter much talked of, they let it fall: and there was no ftrength in the other fide to carry it further. To complete the fcene, as foon as ever Cromwell got out of the houfe, he refolved to truft himself no more amongst them; but went to the army, and in a few days he brought them up, and forced a great many from the house (1). In a pamphlet entitled A true narrative of the occafions and causes of the late lord general Cromwell's anger and indignation against lieutenant colonel George Joyce (fometimes cornet foice) who fecured the King at Hamby,' reprinted in the eighth vol. of the Harleian Mifcellany, we have feveral particulars, which fhew how dextroufly Crom

well

applauded as a faint and an hero, by the foldiers and the people.

well managed his mafk, and practifed

Though

one of the

• maxims which the Devil, in a late vifit upon earth, left to his difciples, which is, when once you are got up, to kick the ftool from under you (u).' After () Tom Jones. the King, fays this writer, was feized by Joice, nơ⚫tice was taken that Cromwell lifted up his hands in the parliament, and called God, angels, and men to witnefs that he knew nothing of Joyce's going for the King. Thereupon the faid Joyce asked Cromwell ⚫ what made him to speak fuch words? And whether he intended to do as the King had done before him, viz. fwear and lye? And bid him mark what would be the end of fuch things; cautioning him to take heed and beware of fuch actions: but he flighted thofe warnings, and foon after flattered the faid Joyce again with tears of repentance.The faid Joyce protetting against the purging of the parliament, was threatned by Cromwell to be deftroyed, and when he gave him reafons againft diffolving the parliament he was very angry. Being about to buy Finkley Park in Hampfhire, and having generoufly offered to part with all or any part of it again to Richard Cromwell; Oliver took him in his arms, and told him that himself, and his fon, and family, were more beholden to him than to all the world befides, and therefore bad him go on and profper. Upon this Joyce went the next morning about it, and there being a full committee [the Park belonged to the crown] he was juft upon the point of contracting for the faid Park, when on a fudden in came Richard, his father then overtopping all in power, with three lawyers with him, and required them to proceed no further in it, in regard it was his own inheritance, and no park, as was fuppofed. Whereupon Joyce informed the committee of the whole difcourfe that had paffed between the general, his fan, and himfelf the night before; upon H 2

which

(x) Harlei.

an Mifcelfany, vol. v.ii.

Though the parliament had in many places

been

which he fell upon him in foul words; faying Sirrah, firrah, hold your tongue, or I fhall make you repent the time you were born; which the committee perceiving, defired them to withdraw; and fince that time never durft meddle with the park any further. Whereupon, and his bearing teftimony against Cromwell's being made Protector, endeavours were used to ruin him. And to that purpofe his lieutenant (who before had accufed him, but could make nothing of < it) was fent for by Cromwell, and encouraged to profecute him again, and contrary to the cuftom and 'courfe of the army, privately appointed officers, and 'fuch as he could truft in fuch an affair, to take the • lieutenant's then depofition against Joyce: and they ⚫ took his depofition, who fwore falfly that he fhould hear him fay, that he was forry that Lockyer had not piftolled Cromwell; and thereupon fent him to prifon 'without bail, and order was given that he should be kept clofe prifoner, which accordingly was done; ' and afterwards cafhiered. The lieutenant who had profecuted, applying to Cromwell for preferment as he had been promised, was told that he had not dealt like a chriftian with Joyce: he thereupon replying, he had done nothing but what he had been commanded by him, was thrust out of his chamber by Cromwell, and bad go as a knave as he was (x).'

I will add a relation or two from Ludlow, who knew the man, and has drawn his character, in fome things, with great exactnefs. Speaking concerning Fairfax's declining to command the army against the Scots, who were about to invade England in behalf of the title of Charles II. he goes on in the following manner: Up

on this lieutenant general Cromwell prefied, that notwithstanding the unwillingnefs of the Lord Fairfax to command upon this occafion, they would vet continue him to be general of the army; profeffing for himfelf, that he would rather chufe to ferve under him

F

been successful, the war was like to continue:

this

in his poft, than to command the greateft army in Europe. But the council of ftate not approving that advice, appointed a committee of fome of themselves 'to confer farther with the general in order to his fatif• faction. This committee was appointed upon the motion of the lieutenant general, who acted his part fo to the life, that I really thought him in earnest; ' which obliged me to ftep to him as he was withdrawing with the reft of the committee out of the council chamber, and to defire him, that he would not in compliment and humility obftruct the fervice of the nation by his refufal; but the confequence made it fufficiently evident that he had no fuch intention. The committee having spent fome time in debate with the Lord Fairfax without any fuccefs, returned to the council of ftate, whereupon they ordered the report of this affair to be made to the parliament. Which 6 being done, and fome of the general's friends informing them, that though he had fhewed fome unwillingness to be employed in this expedition himself, 6 yet being more unwilling to hinder the undertaking of it by another, he had fent his fecretary, who attended at the door, to furrender his commiffion, if they 6 thought fit to receive it; the fecretary was called in, and delivered the commiffion, which the parliament having received, they proceeded to fettle an annual • revenue of five thousand pounds upon the Lord Fairfax, in confideration of his former fervices, and then voted lieutenant general Cromwell to be captain general of all their land forces, ordering a commiffion forthwith to be drawn up to that effect, and referred to the council of ftate to haften the preparations for the northern expedition. A little after as I fat in the houfe, near general Cromwell, he told me, that hav⚫ing observed an alteration in my looks and carriage towards him, he apprehended that I entertained fome fufpicions of him; and that being perfwaded of the

H 3

• ten

this was occafioned partly by the ftrength of

the

tendency of the defigns of us both to the advancement of the publick fervice, he defired that a meet6 ing might be appointed, wherein with freedom we C might di'cover the grounds of our mistakes and mifapprehenfions, and create a good understanding be tween us for the future. I answered, that he discovered in me what I had never perceived in myfelf; and that if I troubled him not fo frequently as formerly, it was either because I was confcious of that weight of business that lay upon him, or that I had nothing to importune him withal upon my own or any other account; yet fince he was pleafed to do me the honor to defire a free converfation with me, I aflured him of my readinefs therein. Whereupon we refolved to meet that afternoon in the council of flate, and from thence to withdraw to a private room, which we did accordingly in the Queen's guard-chamber, where he endeavoured to perfwade me of the neceffity incumbent upon him to-do feveral things that appeared extraordinary in the judgment of fome men, who in oppofition to him took fuch courfes as would bring ruin upon themfelves, as well as him and the publick caufe, affirming his intentions to be directed entirely to the good of the people, and profeffing his readinefs to facrifice his life in their fervice. I freely acknowledged my former diffatisfaction with him and the rest of the army, when they were in treaty with the King, whom I looked upon as the only obftruction to the fettlement of the nation; and with their actions • at the rendevouz at Ware, where they fhot a foldier to death, and imprifoned divers others upon the account of that treaty, which I conceived to have been done without authority, and for finifter ends. Yet fince they had manifefted themfelves convinced of thofe errors, and declared their adherence to the commonwealth, tho' too partial a hand was carried both by the parliament and themfelves, in the diftribution

• of