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ADVERTISEMENT.

THE present volume treats of the Common-
wealth, strictly so called, the subject for the
sake of which the work was undertaken. Its
earlier portions are in a certain sense preli-
minary matter, though indispensible to the
understanding of the whole. It is this sub-
ject which has uniformly furnished a theme
for scurrility to the advocates of prerogative
and despotism. One hundred and seventy-
four
years have now passed over it; and it is
time that it should be made the province of
genuine history, of patient enquiry and sober
judgment. Party annalists have skimmed its
surface, and passed away, as if poison lurked
among its ingredients. An attempt is here
made to analyse its contents, to assign the
motives of the actors, and to trace up effects
to the causes from which they sprung.

Till the period at which this volume commences, the great leaders among the Com

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monwealthsmen may be considered as merely engaged in clearing away obstacles, and obtaining an adequate area for reducing their speculations to practice. In the commencement of the year 1649 they abolished kingship and the house of lords: they had no old institutions standing in the way to impede their efforts. Now it was that they were to erect their republic.

But, if there remained no old institutions to thwart their endeavours, the memory of these institutions still subsisted, and presented a formidable difficulty with which for them to contend. We shall see in what manner they tried to surmount that difficulty. Their ultimate success was not equal to their courage and their talents. But, if they did not build up a Commonwealth as durable as the foundations of the world, they at least subdued every declared enemy, both from within and without, and caused themselves to be respected and feared by all surrounding nations. The five years treated of in this volume may challenge any equal period of English history in the glory of its rule, and perhaps in the virtue and disinterestedness of many of its most distinguished leaders.

I have derived an invaluable accession of authorities, particularly for the present volume of my work, from the collection of records relating to this period, deposited at the State Paper Office in Great George Street, Westminster. Especially, the Order Books of the Council of State have been a guide to me in a multitude of difficult questions. In the mean time it is impossible to speak justly and adequately on the subject, without noticing the singular merits of Mr. Robert Lemon, the Deputy Keeper. Previously to the period of his superintendence, these records were in a state of absolute chaos, incapable of being used or consulted by any one. By the labour of years, by an industry and application indefatigable and unparalleled, he has rescued innumerable documents from oblivion, and has arranged and caused to be bound up in volumes, to the amount of some hundreds, detached memoranda and single leaves of paper, which together form an almost complete record of the pecuniary measures and financial proceedings of the Long Parliament during the arduous and critical period of its government.

Next to these in authenticity, and abound

ing with the most various information, is the collection of Commonwealth Tracts, given by George the Third to the British Museum. They comprise a complete series of the newspapers of the times. They include almost every fugitive pamphlet or sheet printed during that period, purchased at the time by some industrious collector, bound uniformly, and marked on the title-page of each, with the day of the month on which it was bought, which is for the most part the very day of the publication.

June 9, 1827.

ERRATA.

Page 9, Note, line 2. for 1763, read 1653.

109, line 25. for unequivocal, read equivocal.

240, line 15. for branded, read constructed.

431, line 20. for one hundred and twenty, read one hundred

and twenty-two.

538, after the list of the council of state, add, Appointed to sit

till November the Third.