LX. 1649. England. THE confufions, which overspread England C Ħ a P. after the murder of Charles I. proceeded as well from the spirit of refinement and innovation, which agitated the ruling party, as from the State of diffolution of all that authority, both civil and ecclefiaftical, by which the nation had ever been accustomed to be governed. Every man had framed the model of a republic; and, however new it was, or fantastical, he was eager in recommending it to his fellow citizens, or even impofing it by force upon them. Every man had adjusted a fyftem of religion, which, being derived from no traditional authority, was peculiar to himself; and being founded on fuppofed infpiration, not on any principles of human reafon, had no means, befides cant and low rhetoric, by which it could recommend itself to others. The levellers infifted on an equal diftri bution of power and property, and difclaimed LX. 1649. CHAг, all dependence and fubordination. The millenarians or fifth monarchy - men required, that government itself fhould be abolished, and all human powers be laid in the duft, in order to pave the way for the dominion of Chrift, whofe fecond coming they fuddenly expected. The Antinomians even infifted, that the obligations of morality and natural law, were fufpended, and that the elect, guided by an internal principle, more perfect and divine, were fuperior to the beggarly elements of juftice and humanity. A confiderable party declaimed against tithes and hireling priesthood, and were refolved, that the magiftrate should not fupport by power or revenue any ecclefiaftical establishment. Another party inveighed against the law and its profeffors; and on pretence of rendering more fimple the diftribution of justice, were defirous of abolishing the whole fyftem of English jurisprudence, which feemed interwoven with monarchical government. Even thofe among the republicans, who adopted not fuch extravagances, were fo intoxicated with their faintly character, that they fuppofed themselves poffeffed of peculiar privileges; and all profeffions, oaths, laws, and engagements had, in a great measure, loft their influence over them. The bands of fociety were every where loosened; and the irregular paffions of men were encouraged by fpeculative principles, ftill more unfocial and irregular. THE гoyalifts, confifting of the nobles and more confiderable gentry, being degraded from LX. 1649. their authority and plundered of their property, CHA P. were inflamed with the highest refentment and indignation against thofe ignoble adverfaries, who had reduced them to fubjection. The prefbyterians, whofe credit had firft fupported the arms of the parliament, were enraged to find, that, by the treachery or fuperior cunning of their affociates, the fruits of all their fuccefsful labors were ravished from them. The former party, from inclination and principle, zealously attached themfelves to the fon of their unfortunate monarch, whose memory they refpected, and whofe tragical death they deplored. The latter caft their eye towards the fame object; but they had ftill many prejudices to overcome, many fears and jealoufies to be allayed, ere they could cordially entertain thoughts of reftoring the family, which they had fo grievously offended, and whofe principles they regarded with fuch violent abhorrence. THE only folid fupport of the republican inde pendent faction, which, though it formed fo fmall a part of the nation, had violently ufurped the government of the whole, was a numerous army of near fifty thousand men. But this, army, formidable from its difcipline and courage, as well as its numbers, was actuated by a spirit, that rendered it dangerous to the affembly, which had affumed the command over it. Accustomed to indulge every chimera in politics, every frenzy in religion, the foldiers knew little of the fubordination of citizens, and had only learned, from apparent neceffity, fome maxims of military LX. 1649. CHA P. obedience. And while they ftill maintained, that all those enormous violations of law and equity of which they had been guilty, were justified by the fuccefs, with which providence had blessed them; they were ready to break out into any new diforder, wherever they had the prospect of a like fanction and authority. WHAT alone gave some stability to all these unfettled humors, was the great influence, both civil and military, acquired by Oliver Cromwel This man, fuited to the age in which he lived, and, to that alone, was equally qualified to gain the affection and confidence of men, by what was mean, vulgar, and ridiculous, in his character; as to command their obedience by what was great, daring, and enterprifing. Familiar even to buffoonery with the meaneft centinel, he never loft his authority: Transported to a degree of madness with religious extafies, he never forgot the political purposes, to which they might serve. Hating monarchy, while a fubject; defpifing liberty, while a citizen; though he retained for a time all orders of men under a feeming obedience to the parliament; he was fecretly paving the way, by artifice and courage, to his own unlimited authority. THE parliament, for fo we must henceforth call a fmall and inconfiderable part of the house of commons, having murdered their fovereign with fo many appearing circumftances of folemnity and juftice, and fo much real violence and even fury, began to affume more the air of a civil, 1 LX. 16494 legal power, and to enlarge a little the narrow CHA P. bottom upon which they ftood. They admitted a few of the excluded and absent members, fuch as were liable to least exception; but on condition, that these members fhould fign an approbation of whatever had been done in their absence with regard to the king's trial: And fome of them were willing to acquire a fhare of power on fuch terms: The greater part difdained to lend their authority to fuch apparent ufurpations. They iffued fome writs for new elections, in places where they hoped to have interest enough to bring in their own friends and dependents. They named a council of state, thirty-eight in number, to whom all addreffes were made, who gave orders to all generals and admirals, who executed the laws, and who digefted all bufinefs before it was introduced into parliament'. They pretended to employ themselves entirely in adjusting the laws, forms, and plan of a new representative; and as soon as they should have settled the nation, they profeffed their intention of restoring the power to the people, from whom, they acknow ledged, they had entirely derived it. 1 Their names were, the earls of Denbigh, Mulgrave, Pembroke, Salisbury, lords Grey and Fairfax, Lifle, Rolles, St. John, Wilde, Bradshaw, Cromwel, Skippon, Pickering, Massam, Haselrig, Harrington, Vane jun. Danvers, Armine, Mildmay, Conftable, Pennington, Wilfon, Whitlocke, Martin, Ludlow, Stapleton, Hevingham, Wallop, Hutchinfon, Bond, Popham, Valentine, Walton, Scot, Purefoy, Jones. |