commonwealth in Ireland. They then proceeded to deliberate upon chufing a general for conducting the war in Scotland, where they had efpoufed the royal caufe, and placed young Charles, the fon of their late monarch, on the throne. Fairfax refusing this command upon principle, as he had all along declined oppofing the prefbyterians, the command neceffarily devolved upon Cromwell, who boldly fet forward for Scotland, at the head of an army of fixteen thousand men.

The Scotch, in the mean time, who had A. D. invited over their wretched king, to be a 1650. prifoner, not a ruler, among them, prepared to meet the invafion. A battle enfued, in which they, though double the number of the English, were foon put to flight, and purfued with great flaughter, while Cromwell did not lofe above forty men in all.

In this terrible exigence, young Charles embraced a refolution worthy a prince, who was willing to hazard all for empire. Obferving that the way was open to England, he refolved immediately to march into that country, where he expected to be reinforced by all the royalifts in that part of the kingdom.

But he foon found himself difappointed in the expectation of encreafing his army. The Scotch, terrified at the profpect of fo hazardous an enterprize, fell from him in great numbers. The English, affrighted at the name of his opponent, dreaded to join him but his mortifications were ftill more encreafed as he arrived at Worcester; when informed, that Cromwell was marching with hafty ftrides from Scotland, with an army encreafed to forty thousand men. The news fcarce arrived, when that active general himself appeared, and falling upon the town on all fides, broke in upon the difordered royalifts. The streets were ftrewed with flaughter, the whole Scotch army was either killed or taken prisoners, and

the

the king himself, having given many proofs of perfonal valour, was obliged to fly.

Imagination can fcarce conceive adventures more romantic, or diftreffes more fevere, than those which attended the young king's efcape from the fcene of flaughter. After various escapes, and one and forty days concealment, he landed fafely at Fefchamp in Normandy; no less than forty men and womanhaving at different times been privy to his efcape.

In the mean time, Cromwell, crowned with fuccefs,. returned in triumph to London, where he was met by the speaker of the house, accompanied by themayor of London, and the magiftrates, in all their -formalities. His first care was to take advantage of his late fucceffes, by depreffing the Scotch, who had fo lately withstood the work of the Gofpel, as he called it. An act was paffed for abolishing royalty in Scotland, and annexing that kingdom, as a conquered province, to the English commonwealth. It was impowered, however, to fend fome members to the English parliament. Judges were appointed to diftribute juftice; and the people of that country, now freed from the tyranny of the ecclefiaftics, were not much diffatisfied with their prefent government. The prudent conduct of Monk, who was left by Cromwell to complete their fubjection, fervede much to reconcile the minds of the people, harraffed with diffenfions, of which they never, well underftood the cause.

In this manner the English parliament, by the› means of Cromwell, fpread their uncontested authority over all the British dominions. Ireland was to-tally fubdued by Ireton and Ludlow. All the fettlements in America, that had declared for the royal caufe, were obliged to fubmit; Jerfey, Guernsey, Scilly, and the Ile of Man, were brought easily under fubjection. Thus mankind faw, with afton

L 6.

ifhment,

ifhment, a parliament compofed of fixty or feventy obfcure an illiterate members, governing a great empire with unanimity and fuccefs. Without any acknowledged fubordination, except a council of state confifting of thirty-eight, to whom all addreffes were made, they levied armies, maintained fleets, and gave laws to the neighbouring powers of Europe. The finances were managed with oeconomy and exactness. Few private perfons became rich by the plunder of the public: the revenues of the crown, the lands of the bishops, and a tax of an hundred and twenty thousand pounds each month, fupplied the wants of the government, and gave vigour to all their proceedings.

The parliament, having thus reduced their native dominions to perfect obedience, next refolved to chaftife the Dutch, who had given but very flight eaufes of complaint. It happened that one doctor Dorillaus, who was of the number of the late king's judges, being fent by the parliament as their envoy to Holland, was affaffinated by one of the royal party, who had taken refuge there. Some time after alfo, Mr. St. John, appointed their ambaffador to that court, was infulted by the friends of the prince of Orange. These were thought motives fufficient to induce the commonwealth of England to declare war against them. The parliament's chief dependence lay in the activity and courage of Blake, their admiral; who, though he had not embarked in naval command till late in life, yet surpassed all that went before him in courage and dexterity. On the other fide, the Dutch oppofed to him their famous admiral Van Tromp, to whom they never fince produced an equal. Many were the engagements between these celebrated admirals, and various was their fuccefs. Sea-fights in general, feldom prove decifive; and the vanquifhed are foon feen to make head agaift the victors. Several dreadful encoun

ters,

ters, therefore, rather ferved to fhew the excellence of the admirals, than to determine their fuperiority. The Dutch, however, who felt many great difadvantages by the lofs of their trade, and by the total fufpenfion of their fifheries, were willing to treat for a peace; but the parliament gave them a very unfavourable anfwer. It was the policy of that body, to keep their navy on foot as long as they could; rightly judging, that while the force of the nation was exerted by fea, it would diminish the power of general Cromwell by land, which was now become very formidable to them.

This great afpirer, however, quickly perceived their defigns; and from the first faw that they dreaded his growing power, and wifhed its diminution. All his measures were conducted with a bold intrepidity that marked his character; and he now faw, that it was not neceffary to wear the mask of fubordination any longer. Secure, therefore, in the attachment of the army, he refolved to make another daring effort; and perfuaded the officers to prefent a petition for payment of arrears and redrefs of grievances, which he knew would be rejected by the commons with difdain. The petition was foon drawn up and prefented, in which the officers, after demanding their arrears, defired the parliament to confider how many years they had fat; and what profeflions they had formerly made of their intentions to new-model the houfe, and establish freedom on the droadeft bafis.

A. D.

1653.

The house was highly offended at the prefumption of the army, although they had feen but too lately, that their own power was wholly founded on that very prefumption. They appointed a committee to prepare an act, ordaining that all perfons who prefented fuch petitions, for the future, fhould be deemed guilty of high treason. To this the officers

made

made a very warm remonftrance, and the parliament as angry a reply; while the breach between them every moment grew wider. This was what Cromwell had long wished, and had long foreseen. He was fitting in council with his officers, when informed of the fubject on which the house was deliberating; upon which he rofe up in the most seeming furry, and turning to major Vernon, cried out, "That he was compelled to do a thing that made "the very hair of his head ftand on end." Then haftening to the house with three hundred foldiers, and with the marks of violent indignation on his countenance he entered. Stamping with his foot, which was the fignal for the foldiers to enter, the place was immediately filled with armed men. Then addreffing himself to the members: "For fhame, "faid he, get you gone. Give place to honefter "men; to thofe who will more faithfully difcharge "their truft. You are no longer a parliament; I "tell you, you are no longer a parliament; the Lord "has done with you." Sir Harry Vane exclaiming against this conduct: "Sir Harry, cried Cromwell "with a loud voice, O Sir Harry Vane, the Lord "deliver me from Sir Harry Vane." Taking hold of Martin by the cloak, thou art a whore-mafter; to another, thou art an adulterer; to a third, thou art a drunkard; and to a fourth, thou art a glutton. "It is you, continued he to the members, that have "forced me upon this. I have fought the Lord "night and day, that he would rather flay me than "put me upon this work." Then pointing to the mace, "Take away, cried he, that bauble.” After which turning out all the members, and clearing the hall, he ordered the doors to be locked, and and putting the key in his pocket, returned to Whitehall.

The perfons he pitched upon for his next parliament, were the loweft,, meanest, and the moft igno

rant