Rich, grandfon of the Earl of Warwick, and afterwards to Sir John Ruffel, of Chippenham, in Cambridgeshire.

In

vol. i. p.766,

commons, as before observed, turned all things against the court; refused any intercourfe with the new houfe of lords, and behaved fo ill in the eye of the protector, that, in great heat, he diffolved ther.This was the last parliament that fat during Cromwell's life, he being compelled to wrestle with the difficulties of his place, fays Mr. Maidstone, fo well as he could, without parliamentary affiftance, and in it met with fo great a burden, as (I doubt not to fay it, drank up his fpirits, of which his natural conftitution yielded a vaft ftocke) and brought him to his grave (u).' This () Thurloe, feems to confirm what Burnet fays, that it was generally believed that his life and all his arts were exhausted at once, and that if he had lived much (x) Vol. i. longer, he could not have held things together (x).' p. 68. Mr. Cowly obferves, that he feemed evidently to be near the end of his deceitful glories, and his own ar(y) Difcourfe my grew at laft as weary of him as the rest of the on the gopeople (y). In another place he tells us, it was be- vernment of lieved Cromwell died with grief and difcontent, because Cromwell, he could not attain to the honest name of a king, and p. 96. the old formality of a crown, though he had before exceeded the power by a wicked ufurpation.' That care, anxiety, difappointment and vexation prey on the fpirits, and wafte the conftitution, is known to all; that these were the lot of Cromwell, as they are of moft of thofe who are placed on the pinnacle of glory, and attentive to their duty and their fame, may very easily be conceived by fuch as have read the foregoing notes; that the government of Cromwell was greatly embarraffed by the madnefs of parties, the eftrangement of friends, and the want of money to pay the armies which it was neceffary to keep on foot: I fay that this was fo, is too evident to be denied.- -But had

the

Oliver

“།

In his death he difplayed his wonted (BBBB) firmnefs and enthufiafm. His body was buried with more than regal magnificence (*) in Westminster-Abbey, from whence,

the life of the protector been prolonged, 'tis not impoffible he might have got the better of his difficulties, and maintained his poft in fpight of all oppofition. For we are to remember it was Cromwell who had dared to feize the government; to raise money by his own authority; to create and diffolve parliaments; to combat with Kings, and to scatter terror through the nations.— By what means he would have done this, whether by (*) Thur- fecuring Fleetwood and Defbrowe, to whom he owed his foe, vol. vii. difappointment, in affuming the crown, and calling another parliament, muft be left to the conjecture of the reader. The latter he certainly had thoughts of before his fickness (z).

P. 99.

(a) Vol. ii.

P. 612.

(BBBB) In his death he difplayed his wonted firmness and enthufiafm] When the fymptoms of death, fays Mr. Ludlow, were apparent upon him, and many minifters and others affembled in a chamber at Whitehall, praying for him, whilft he manifefted fo little remorfe of confcience for his betraying the publick 'cause, and facrificing it to the idol of his own ambition, that fome of his laft words were rather becoming a mediator than a finner, recommending to God the condition of the nation that he had fo infamously cheated, and expreffing a great care of the 'people whom he had fo manifeftly defpifed. But he feemed, above all, concerned for the reproaches he • faid men would caft upon his name, in trampling on his afhes when dead. In this temper of mind he departed this life (a)-I fancy Mr. Ludlow had in his eye the following expreffions which Cromwell is faid to have made ufe of in his fickness, in a prayer addreffed to the Su

(*) The expences of his funeral are faid to have amounted to 60,000 1.

whence, after the restoration, it was removed, and treated with all poffible indignity. His character has been very differently

preme Being. Lord, although I am a miferable and wretched creature, I am in covenant with thee, through grace, and I may, I will come to thee for thy people, thou haft made me (though very unworthy) a mean inftrument to do them fome good, and thee service; and many of them have fet too high a ' value upon mee, though others wish, and would be 6 glad of my death; but Lord, however thou doft

es concern

trample nefs, by one

that was

groom of his

• difpofe of mee, continue and go on to do good for (¿) Collecthem. Give them confiftency of judgment, onetion of feveral paffag• heart, and mutual love, and go on to deliver them, and with the work of reformation, and make the ing his late name of Chrift glorious in the world. Teach thofe, Highneffe, in the time who look too much upon thy inftruments, to depend of his fickmore upon thyself; pardon fuch as defire to the duft of a poor worm, for they are thy peoupon ⚫ple too (b).'—This was all in character.Two bed-chamor three more of his expreffions, when death was in hisber. 4to. view, will fhew us in what temper he left the world. Lond. p. 12. • Lord, thou knoweft, if I do defire to live, it is to) Id. p. 6. 1659. fhew forth thy praife, and declare thy works (*)-See the quoAgain he faid, 'I would be willing to live to be fur-tation from ther serviceable to God and his people, but my work note [F]. is done, yet God will be with his people.' Thefe" fayings feem to evince the greatnefs of his mind; the main thing he had in view, to have been the publick good; and strongly confirm what is faid to have been the avowed opinion of the most excellent Tillotson, That at laft Cromwell's enthusiasm got the better of his hypocrify.'-The night before his death, and not before, lord Fauconberg fays, he declared his fon Richard his fucceffor, in prefence of four or five of his (c) Thurloe, council (c).

Bates in

vol. vii.

P. 375.

(d) Thurloe, vol. vii. P. 373.

(e) Id.

P. 375.

(f) Id. vol. i. p. 766.

(g) Age of

Lewis XIV.

vol. i. 12mo.

P. 70.

(b) Id. p. 77.

(i) Vol. vi. P. 653.

rently (cccc) reprefented by different pers

ers

fons;

(cccc) His character has been very differently reprefenied.] Mr. Thurloe, in a letter to H. Cromwell, the day after his father's deccafe, tells him, it is not to be faid, what affection the army and all people fhew to his late highnefs; his name is already precious. Ne< ver was there any man foe prayed for as he was duringe his ficknef, folemne aflemblies meetinge every day, 6 to beseech the Lord for the continuance of his life; foe that he is gone to heaven, embalmed with the tears of his people, and upon the wings of the prayof the faints. He lived defired, and dyed lamented, every body bemoaning themselves, ard faying, a great man is fallen in Irael (d). Lord Fauconberg ftiles him the greateft perfonage and inftrument of happiness, not only our own but indeed any age elfe ever produced (e). I do believe, fays Mr. Maidftene, if his story were impartially tranfmitted, and the unprejudiced world well poffeft with it, fhe would add him to her nine worthies, and make up that • number a Decemviri. He lived and died in comfort⚫able communion with God, as judicious perfons near him well obferved. He was that Mordecai that fought the welfare of his peop'e (ƒ).'—Thefe are high eulogiums from his friends, and, doubtlefs, proceeded from the affection and gratitude of thofe who uttered them. Mr. Voltaire ftiles Cromwellan ufurper worthy to reign (g);' and tells us, he died in the midst of the projects he was forming to ftrengthen his own power, and increafe the glory of his nation."nation.'—And that he left behind him the reputation of a dextrous villain, an intrepid commander, a bloody ufurper, and a fovereign that knew the art of governing (b).'

.

-Mazarine, who had abjectly courted Cromwell during life, and received the law in almoft all things from him, after his death, is faid to have characterized him as a fortunate fool (i).' Lord Clarendon does him lefs injuftice, I am perfwaded, moft readers will think,

when

fons; though his memory was celebrated

by

when he defcribes him as a brave wicked man.' I will add no more but the following defcription of this extraordinary man, drawn by a celebrated and illuftrious pen. Europe, fays he, had granted the furname of Great to three fovereigns, who reigned almoft at the fame time, namely, Cromwell, Lewis XIV, and Fre⚫derick-William. To Cromwell, for having facrificed every civil duty to the defire of reigning; for hav-. ing proftituted his talents, which, inftead of being • useful to his country, were fubfervient only to his ambition; for having concealed his impoftures under the mask of fanaticifm; for having enflaved his country under a pretence of fighting for her liberties; for becoming the executioner of his King, whom he fa-. crificed to his fury: to Cromwell, a bold, cunning, and ambitious man, but unjust, violent, and void of virtue; a man, in fine, who had great qualities, but never a good one. Cromwell, therefore, did not de<ferve the furname of Great, which is due only to. < virtue; and it would be degrading Lewis XIV. and

• Frederick-William, to compare them to fuch a ri- () Memoirs val (k). What degradation it might be to Frederick- of BrandenWilliam to compare him with the protector, I pretend burg, p. 153. not to fay: but, with all due fubmiffion, if Cromwell did not deferve the furname of Great, much lefs did Lewis XIV. What were the faults imputed to Crem well? Diffimulation, hypocrify, bringing Charles to the block, and ingratitude towards the Long parlia ment. Let thefe crimes be weighed in the nicest balance, they must be light as air when oppofed to those of Lewis, who was an adulterer, who was not afhamed, to confefs that he waged war meerly for his glory (difdaining fo much as even to avow any reasonable pretence for overrunning Holland, and fubjecting its inhabitants to innumerable woes) and wafted the finest. country with fire and fword. Two cities and twentyfive towns in flames at one time, were a fpectacle fufficient

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