1649. CHAP. they are afcribed, that no human teftimony feems LIX. fufficient to convince us that he was the author Yet all the evidences, which would rob the king of that honour, tend to prove that Dr. Gauden had the merit of writing fo fine a performance, and the infamy of impofing it on the world for the king's. IT is not eafy to conceive the general compaffion excited towards the king, by the publishing, at fo critical a juncture, a work fo full of piety, meeknefs, and humanity, Many have not fcrupled to afcribe to that book the fubfequent reftoration of the royal family. Milton compares its effects to thofe which were wrought on the tumultuous Romans by Anthony's reading to them the will of Cæfar. The Icon paffed through fifty editions in a twelvemonth; and independent of the great intereft taken in it by the nation, as the fuppofed production of their murdered fovereign, it must be acknowledged the best profe compofition, which, at the time of its publication, was to be found in the English language, TH The commonwealth-Dutch war LX. 1649. HE confufions which overspread England CHAP, after the murder of Charles I. proceeded as well from the fpirit of refinement and innovation, which agitated the ruling party, as from the diffo- State of lution of all that authority, both civil and ecclefi- England, aftical, by which the nation had ever been accuftomed 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 himfelf; 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 diftribution of power and property, and difclaimed all dependence and fubordination. The millenarians or fifth-monarchy-men required, that government it felf LX. 1649. CHA P. felf 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 fhould not fupport by power or revenue any ecclefiaftical eftablishment. Another party inveighed against the law and its profeffors; and on pretence of rendering more fimple the distribution of juftice, were defirous of abolifhing the whole fyftem of English jurifprudence, which feemed interwoven with monarchical government. Even thofe among the republicans who adopted not fuch extravagancies, were fo intoxicated with their faintly character, that they fuppofed themfelves poffeffed of peculiar privileges, and all profeflions, oaths, laws, and engagements had, in a great measure, loft their influence over them. The bands of fociety were every where loofened; and the irregular paffions of men were encouraged by fpeculative principles, ftill more unfocial and irregular. THE royalifts, confifting of the nobles and more confiderable gentry, being degraded from their authority and plundered of their property, were inflamed with the higheft refentment and indignation against those 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 labours were ravished from them. The former party, from inclination and principle, zealoufly attached themfelves to the fon of their unfortunate monarch, whofe memory they respected, and LX. 1649. and whofe tragical death they deplored. The latter CHAP. 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 grievoufly offended, and whofe principles they regarded with fuch violent abhorrence. THE only folid fupport of the republican independent 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 fpirit 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 subordination of citizens, and had only learned, from apparent neceffity, fome maxims of military obedience. And while they ftill maintained, that all thofe enormous violations of law and equity, of which they had been guilty, were juftified by the fuccefs with which Providence had blefied them; they were ready to break out into any new diforder, wherever they had the profpect of a like fanction and authority. WHAT alone gave fome ftability to all these unfettled humours 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 authorityTranfported to a degree of madness with religious extafies, he never forgot the political purposes to which they LX. CHAP. they might ferve. 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. 1649. 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 circumstances of folemnity and juftice, and fo much real violence and even fury, began to affume more the air of a civil, legal power, and to enlarge a little the narrow bottom upon which they ftood. They admitted a few of the excluded and abfent members, fuch as were liable to leaft exception; but on condition that these members fhould fign an approbation of whatever had been done in their abfence 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 dependants. They named a council of ftate, 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 themfelves entirely in adjufting the laws, forms, and plan of a new reprefentative; and as foon as they fhould have fettled the nation, they e Their names were, the earls of Derbigh, Mulgrave, Pembroke, Salisbury, lords Grey and Fairfax, Lifle, Rolls, St. John, Wilde, Bradshaw, Cromwel, Skippon, Pickering, Maffam, Hafelrig, Har rington, Vane jun. Danvers, Armine, Mildmay, Conftable, Pennington, Willon, Whitlocke, Martin, Ludlow, Stapleton, Hevingham, Wallop, Hutchinfon, Bond, Popham, Valentine, Walton, Scot, Purefoy, Jones. profeffed |