account of the rafhnefs and imprudence of fome

tion, p. 12.

Printers to

his Highnes

along hatching new disturbances, and endeavouring as well by fecret and bloody affaffinations, as by open force to introduce the one, and overthrow and fubvert the other; it will not be thought ftrange upon < any account whatfoever, that we did lately fecure fo many of the men of that intereft, although they were not vifibly in arms upon the late infurrection; nor that we have laid a burden upon fome of their eftates, beyond what is impofed upon the reft of the nation, towards the defraying of that charge which they are the occafion of, with fome other things which we (t) Declara⚫ have found neceffary in this time of danger to direct concerning them, for the peace and fafety of the 4to. Prin 'whole (t).' After this follows a clear and diftinct ted at London, by Hen narrative of the plot, fupported by fuch evidence as ap- ry Hills and peared to the government convincing.But what John Field, was all this to the innocent?--Yes, proceeds the declaration, Admit that fome of that party were as in- the Lord nocent, as they would now have it believed they were, Protector, • enough hath been done by their fellows in a common caufe (which hardly any of them know how to difown, which they love, and of which they glory) to draw the whole party under a juft fufpicion, and the confequences thereof: all that are peaceably minded in the nation are ready to fay, these are the men of whom we go in danger, and certainly it is both juft and neceffary, that all those of whom the people have reafon to be afraid (not only as their profeft enemies, but alfo numerous) fhould pay for fecuring the ftate (4) Id. p. against that danger which they are the authors of (u).' 36. I hat character of difference between them and the rest of the people, which is now put upon them, is occafioned by themselves, not by us; there is nothing they have more induftrioufly laboured in than this, to keep themselves feparated, and diftinguished from the well-affected of this nation: to which end they have kept their converfation apart, as if they

would

1655.

(*) Declaration, &c.

P. 38.

fome of their party. Nor muft it be forgotten

would avoid the very beginnings of union, have bred and educated their children by the fequeftred and ejected clergy, and very much confined their marriages and alliances within their own party, as if they meant to entail their quarrel, and prevent the means to reconcile pofterity; which, with the great pains they take upon all occafions to leffen, and fupprefs the ⚫ esteem and honour of the English nation, in all their actions and undertakings abroad, ftriving withal to ⚫ make other nations diftinguish their intereft from it, • gives us ground to judge that they have feparated ⚫ themfelves from the body of the nation; and there'fore we leave it to all mankind to judge, whether we 'ought not to be timely jealous of that feparation, and 'to proceed fo against them, as they may be at the charge of thofe remedies which are required against the dangers they have bred (x). Such are the principles on which this rigour was juftified! Principles unjuft and tyrannous, and fit to fupport the most arbitrary and deftructive measures! And accordingly they have been made use of by L' Eftrange profeffedly, to inftigate the magiftrate to crush the party that opposed him. That which is fawce to a goofe, fays he, is fawce 6 to a gander. They that thought this proceeding law(y) Obfer-ful and reasonable, from Cromwell to the cavaliers, 367. will certainly never think it hard in return, from a (x) See the rightful prince to a band of traytors (y).' It were to Debates on have been wifhed, fome have thought, that no fuch extraordina- principles had been acted on in a much more modern ry Tax on period, by men who profeffed and gloried, in words at the Estates Pa leaft, in afferting the caufe of liberty (z). It is faid this declaration, was drawn up by the lord commiffioner Fiennes, once governor of Bristol, for the furrender of which he was fentenced to death by a court-martial, but pardoned by the kindness of the Earl of Essex, then viii. p. 285. lord general for the parliament. Lord Clarendon tells us, 8vo. Lond. • That when this declaration was fent to Cologne, the

vator, No.

laying an

pifts, in

Torbuck's

Parliamentary De

bates, vol.

2741.

gotten here to mention his institution of major

fim.

• King caused an answer to be made to it upon the grounds that were laid down in it; and as if it was made by one who had been always of the parliament fide, and who was well pleased to see the cavaliers • reduced to that extremity; but with fuch reflections ⚫ upon the tyranny that was exercifed over the kingdom, and upon the foulness of the breach of truft the • Protector was guilty of, that it obliged all the nation to look upon him as a detestable enemy, who was to (4) Vol, vi, be removed by any way that offered itself (a).' The P. 572. writer of this, it seems, was his lordship himself, who has alfo affumed the merit, fuch as it is, of most of the (b) Clarenanfwers to the parliament's declarations before the war, don's Life, which have been generally given to Charles himself (b), vol. i. p. The letter from a true and lawful member of parlia- 263, & pafment, and one faithfully engaged with it from the beginning of the war to the end,' I believe is the answer intended; it exactly fuiting the defcription given by his lordship, and should therefore be added to the lift of his writings. Sir Peter Pett, I know, in his Future happy ftate of England,' fays it was attributed to Lord Helles; though I cannot find it mentioned by any writer among his works. I will conclude this note with a fpecimen of the answer to this declaration contained in the above letter, that it may appear how deeply Cromwell's proceeding was refented by the royal party. You have, fays the writer, cancelled all obligations of truft, and taken away all poffible confidence from all men that they can ever enjoy any thing that they can call their own during this government; and having fo little pleasure left them in life, they will prefer the lofing it in fome noble attempt to free their country and themselves from the bondage and fervitude they • live under, to the dying ignobly in fome loathfome prifon, when you please to be afraid of them.When the despair you have put them into fhall make them confider, that as the mifery, calamity, fervitude

⚫ and

(c) Letter

from a true

and lawful Member of Parliament, p. 62, 63.

jor-generals (TTT), who in a variety of inftances

and infamy under which the three kingdoms fuffer, proceed entirely from you, fo, that they will be determined by you. That the general hatred and deteftation of you is fuch, that it is very probable that thofe noble patriots, whofe fpirits fhall be raised to deftroy you, fhall not only reap unutterable honour from it, but find fafety in it, either from the confufion that must instantly attend, or from the abhorring your memories to those that shall furvive you. If they thall perish in or upon their attempt, what a glorious fame will they leave behind them? What a sweet • odour will their memories have with the present and fucceeding ages? Statues will be erected to them, and their names recorded in those roles, which have preferved the Bruti, the Horatii, the Fabii, and all those who have died out of debt to their country, by having paid the utmost that they owed it; their merits will be remembred, as thofe of the primitive martyrs, and their children and kindred will be always looked upon as the defcendants from the liberators of their country, and efteemed accordingly; their fate will be like his in the fon of Sirach, If he die, he fhall leave a greater name than a thousand: and if he live, he fhall increase it (c).'

་

(TTT) Major-generals who lorded it over, and oppreffed the country.] At the fame time that Cromwell had determined to decimate the cavaliers, he projected a divifion of the kingdom into feveral diftricts, over which he placed officers of truft and confidence, who were to infpect into the conduct of the inhabitants, and treat them according to orders received from the Protector. The number of thefe men were eleven, diftinguished by the title of major-generals, who prefided over the counties of England, in the manner following.

Kent and Surry, Colonel KELSEY.

Suffex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Colonel GOFFE.

Glou

ftances lorded it over and oppreffed the country.

Gloucester, Wilts, Dorfet, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, General DISBOROWE.

Oxon, Bucks, Hertford, Cambridge, ifle of Ely, Effex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Lord Deputy FLEETWOOD.

London, Major-General SKIPPON.

Lincoln, Nottingham, Derby, Warwick, Leicester, Commiffary-General WHALLEY.

Northampton, Bedford, Rutland, Huntington, Major BUTLER.

Worcester, Hereford, Salop, North Wales, Colonel

BERRY. (d) MercuCheshire, Lancashire, Staffordshire, Colonel WORSLEY. rius Politi Yorkshire, Durham, Cumberland, Weftmorland, Nor- cus, No. thumberland, Lord LAMBERT. Westminster, Middlesex, the Lieutenant of the Tower, Thurloe, Colonel BARKSTEAD (d).

The commiffion given to Diborowe is preferved in Thurloe's collections. As it may be acceptable to fome readers, I will here infert it. Oliver Lord Pro⚫tector of the commonwealth of England, Scotland and

281. p. 5711.

Ireland, and the dominions thereunto belonging, to our right trufty and well beloved major-general John • Difbrowe, greeting. We repofing fpecial trust and confidence in your fidelity, difcretion, courage, experience, and conduct in military affairs, do hereby conftitute and appoint you the faid major-general Difbrowe to be major-general of all the militia forces raised and to be raised within the counties of Cornwall, Devon, Somerfett, Dorfett, Wilts and Gloucester; which faid forces you are by virtue of this commiffion to receive into your charge as major general, and the fame to train and exercife in arms, and to command, lead, and conduct for the fervice of us and the com'monwealth, keeping them in good order and discipline. And all officers and foldiers of the faid forces are hereby required to obey you as their major-general

vol. iv. p.

117.

• for