is not to be wondered that this action was looked

" and in all his discourses about the business of Worcester, would seldom mention any thing of himself, but of the gallantry of the officers and soldiers, and gave (as was due) all the glory of the action unto God."But, if we may believe Ludlow, this was mere affectation. He was, in reality," so much elevated with that success, that Mr. Hugh Peters, as he since told me, took so much notice of it, as to say in confidence to a friend upon the road, in his return from Worcester, that Cromwell would make himself king b." Indeed, very soon after his return to London, "he desired a meeting with divers members of parliament, and some chief officers of the army, at the speaker's house; and a great many being there, he proposed to them, that now the old king being dead, and his son being defeated, he held it necessary to come to a settlement of the nation. And, in order thereunto, he had requested this meeting, that they together might consider and advise what was fit to be done, and to be presented to the parliament." The questions at this meeting were, in what way this settlement was desired, whether of an absolute republic, or with any mixture of monarchy and, if the latter, in whom that power should be placed?" In this conference the lawyers were generally for a mix'd monarchical government, and many were for the duke of Gloucester to be made king; but Cromwell still put off that debate, and came off to some other point; and, in conclusion, after a long, debate, the company parted without coming to any result at all, only Cromwell discovered by this meeting the inclinations of the persons that spake, for which he fished, and made use of what he then discerned." In November, 1652, Cromwell met Whitlock in St. James's Park, and entered into a conference with him concerning the dangerous condition they were then in, and how to make good their station, as he expressed it.After taking notice of the factions and

Whitlock, p. 509.

b Vol. II. p. 447.

Whitlock, p. 516.

upon by the friends of the parliament as base

murmurings of the army, their distaste against the parliament, whose actions he greatly censured, as well as many of their persons, and the impossibility of keeping them within the bounds of justice, law, or reason, as they were the supreme power of the nation, and liable to no account or controul; he added, "that, unless there be some authority and power so full and high, as to restrain and keep things in better order, and that may be a check to these exorbitances, it will be impossible in human reason to prevent our ruin." Whitlock spoke in vindication of the parliament, as much, I suppose, as he thought he might do with safety, and Oliver resting unsatisfied, he said, "We ourselves have acknowledged them the supream power, and taken our commissions and authority in the highest concernments from them, and how to restrain and curb them after this, it will be hard to find out a way for it." Hereupon Cromwell plainly asked, "What if a man should take upon him to be a king?" One may, I think, fairly conclude from hence, that he had, for some time, thought of such a thing, and was determined to be master. Whitlock gave him honestly his advice against carrying such a project into execution, and proposed his treating with the king of Scots as the surest means to provide for his own and the nation's safety. Cromwell was not well pleased with the expedient, as Whitlock judged from his countenance and carriage, and therefore broke off, and went to other company. Possibly he was not wrong in rejecting the proposal.The next month the scene began to open. "The parliament were very busy in debate of several acts of parliament under consideration, but very little being brought to effect by them, the soldiers grumbled at their delays, and there began to be ill blood between them; the general and his officers pressed the putting a period to their sitting, which they promised to do, but were slow in that business "."

"And Cromwell, with the other grandees, now began to assume to themselves all the honour of the past actions, and of the conquests by them atchieved; scarce owning the parliament and their assistance and provision for them; but taxing and censuring the members of parliament for injustice, and delay of business, and for seeking to prolong their power, and promote their private interest, and to satisfy their own ambition. With these and many others the like censures (continues my author) they endeavoured to calumniate the parliament, and judge them guilty of those crimes whereof themselves were faulty, not looking into their own actions, nor perceiving their own defaults; yet censuring the actions and proceedings of the parliament very oppro briously. The drift of Cromwell and his officers was to put an end to this parliament, which many wondered at, and sought to dissuade him from it upon all opportunities as far as it was thought convenient, and that they might not appear desirous to continue their own power, and sitting in parliament, whereof they had cause to be sufficiently weary. Neither could it be clearly foreseen, that their de sign was to rout the present power, and to set up themselves; against the which they were advised, as pulling down the foundation of their own interest and power, and the way to weaken themselves, and hazard both their cause and persons. Yet still they seemed zealous upon their common pretences of right and justice and publick liberty, to put a period to this parliament, and that, if the parliament would not shortly do it themselves, that then the soldiers must do it."Accordingly, on the 20th of April, 1653, the parliament not having put a period to themselves immediately, as Cromwell had desired, he was so enraged thereat, "that he commanded some of the officers of the army to fetch a party of soldiers, with whom he marched to the house, and led a file of musqueteers in with him; the rest he placed at the door of the house, and in the lobby before it. In this manner entering the house, he, in a furious manner, bid the

*Whitlock, p. 552.

speaker leave his chair, told the house, that they had sat long enough, unless they had done more good; that some of them were whore-masters, looking then towards Mr. Henry Martyn and Sir Peter Wentworth. That others of them were drunkards, and some corrupt and unjust men, and scandalous to the profession of the Gospel, and that it was not fit they should sit as a parliament any longer, and desired them to go away. The speaker not stirring from his seat, colonel Harrison, who sat near the chair, rose up and took him by the arm to remove him from his seat, which, when the speaker saw, he left the chair. Some of the members rose up to answer Cromwell's speech, but he would suffer none to speak but himself, which he did with so much arrogance in himself, and reproach to his fellow-members, that some of his privadoes were ashamed of it; but he and his officers and party would have it so: and, among all the parliament men, of whom many wore swords, and would sometimes brag high, not one man offered to draw his sword against Cromwell, or to make the least resistance against him; but all of them tamely departed the house. He bid one of the soldiers to take away that fool's bauble, the mace; and staid himself to see all the members out of the house, himself the last of them, and then caused the doors of the house to be shut up. Thus was this great parliament, which had done so great things, wholly at this time routed by those whom they had set up, and that took their commissions and authority from them; nor could they, in the least, justify any action they had done, or one drop of blood they had spilt, but by this authority. Yet now the servants rose against the masters, and most ingratefully, and disingenuously, as well as rashly and imprudently, they dissolved that power by which themselves were created officers and soldiers; and now they took what they designed, all power into their own hands. All honest and prudent indifferent men were highly distasted at this unworthy action. Thus it pleased God, that this assembly, famous through the world for its undertakings, actions and successes, having subdued all their enemies, were themselves overthrown and

and ingrateful, though Oliver attempted to

a

ruined by their servants; and those whom they had raised, now pulled down their masters. An example never to be forgotten, and scarce to be paralleled in any story, by which all persons may be instructed how uncertain and subject to change all worldly affairs are, how apt to fall when we think them highest *." To the above account from Mr. Whitlock, who is universally allowed to write impartially, we must add that Cromwell, having interrupted the parliament in the morning, "came in the afternoon to the council of state (who were assembled to do their duty at the usual place) accompanied with major-general Lambert and colonel Harrison, and told them at his entrance, Gentlemen, if you are met here as private persons, you shall not be disturbed; but if as a council of state, this is no place for you; and since you can't but know what was done at the house in the morning, so take notice, that the parliament is dissolved. To this serjeant Bradshaw answered; Sir, we have heard what you did at the house in the morning, and before many hours all England will hear it: but, Sir, you are mistaken to think that the parliament is dissolved; for no power under heaven can dissolve them but themselves; therefore take you notice of that. Something more was said to the same purpose by Sir Arthur Haselrig, Mr. Love, and Mr. Scot; and then the council of state, perceiving themselves to be under the same violence, departed "." -There is no account of this remarkable day's transactions in the Journals. There was an entry of some kind or other made, but it was expunged by order of parliament, January 7th, 1659. In Mercurius Politicus, which was published by authority at that time, there is an article dated Westminster, April 20, in the following words: "The lord general delivered in parliament divers reasons wherefore a present period should be put to the sitting of this parliament; and it was accordingly