Advice of his Councill in case of death or Breach of trust to substitute new Privy Counsellors A Competent Revenue to be setled for the maintenance of Ten thousand Horse and 15. thousand Foot and the Navy and not to be altered or lessened but by the Advice of the Council upon the disbanding of them the money to be brought to the Exchequer No new Levies nor Laws to be made without consent in Parliament All forfeited Lands unsold to belong to the Protector The Protectorate to be elective but the Royal Family to be excluded Oliver Cromwell to be the present Protector All places of trust and Office to be in the Protectors disposal if in Interval of Parliament to be approved and confirmed in Parliament The Rest for the purity and toleration of Religion out of which the Papist and Protestant were to be exempted and all Laws in favour of them to be abrogated All Sales of Parliament to be confirmed Articles of War to be made good And lastly the Protector and his Successor to be bound by Oath to observe these present Articles and to uphold the Peace and Welfare of the Nation which Oath was in 〈◊〉 verba I promise in the presence of God not to violate or infâ—inge the matters and things contained in the Instrument but to observe and cause the same to be observed and in all things to the best of my understanding govern the Nations according to the Laws Statutes and Customes to seek their peace and cause Justice Law to be equally administred The Feat needed no more security as good altogether as its Authority in this following Proclamation which was published throughout England Scotland and Ireland in these words Where as the late Parliament Dissolved themselves and resigning their Powers and Authorities the Government of the Common-wealth of England Scotland and Ireland in a Lord Protector and saccessive Triennial Parliaments is now established And whereas Oliver Cromwell Captain General of all the Forces of this Common wealth is declared Lord Protector of the said Nations and hath accepted thereof We have therefore thought it necessary as we hereby do to make Publication of the Premises and strictly to charge and command all and every Person or Persons of what quality and condition soever in any of the said three Nations to take notice hereof and to conform and submit themselves to the Government so established And all Sheriffs Mayor Bailiffs c. are required to publish this Proclamation to the end none may have cause to pretend ignorance in this behalf This Miscellany of the Laws and new projections suted a great many humours and different perswasions of the Phanaticks Independents Anabaptists and others being the second part of the Alchoran And because there is occasion for it we will discourse a little of the present State of Religion and what opinion Cromwel best aspected The Orthodox Protestants were wholly supprest and yet some Reverend persons as Dr. Vsher the Bishop of Armagh and Dr. Brownrig the Bishop of Exeter received some shews of respect and reverence from Him which he more manifestly boasted in the funeral Expences of the Learned Vsher and this to captate a Reputation of his Love to Scholars and the meek modest and vertuous Clergy The Presbyterian was rather tolerated then countenanced and yet such of them as would comply with his Court greatnesse were much in his eye and his favour for others of them he cared not pleasingly expressing himself how he had brought under the Pride and Arrogance of that Sect making those that would allow no liberty to others sue for it for themselves The Independents and Anabaptists he loved and preferred by turns and was most constant to them as the men that would and did support his Usurpation only he could by no means endure the Fifth Monarchy men though by their dotages he had raised himself to this height and therefore Feak and Rogers were by him committed to Prison in the Castle of Windsor where they continued a long while and not only so but he set Kiffin the Anabaptist whom he had taken out of design into his favour with his party together by the ears with Feaks to the raising of a Feud between them the Ballance of his Security in the Government The like he did betwixt the Presbyterian the Independent a subdivided Schisme from the Church of England as Feaks and Kiffins were from Independency whom when out of his zeal to the Unity of Christian Religion he seemed to bring together to compose and accommodate all Differences in the near probability of such expedients he would divide and more irreconciliably sever and alienate And this was all his practical Devotion But to return Great shooting of Guns at night and Volleys of Acclamations were given at the close of this mock solemnity by Cromwell's Janizaries while the Cavaliers were more joyfully disposed at the Hopes of the Kings Affairs but no body of any Account giving the Usurper a good word or miskiditche with his greatness save what was uttered in Fur by my Lord Mayor and the Complices in this Fact who tickled his ears with the Eccho of the Proclamation done with the usual Formalities These Triumphs so disgusted Harrison as also Col. Rich that he withdrew himself from the Gang and turned publique Preacher or Railer against his Comrade Oliver who was glad to be rid of such a busie and impertinent Assistant in the moduling of Government so Cromwell had now two Common-wealth-contradivided Factions against him the old and the new Parliaments and therefore it nearly concerned him to make much of the Anabaptist and Sectary which now succeeded Independency as the Religion maintained and favoured above all other and Kiffin a great Leader and Teacher was now in great request at the Court at White-hall and contrarily Sir Henry Vane jun. was look'd on askue as also Sir Arth. Hazilrig and Bradshaw and Scot and so the Fabel builders were confounded one amongst another The Council appointed by the Officers or taken rather by himself by whose advice he was to govern were 14. at first Lord Lambert Lord Viscount Lisle General Desbrow Sir Gilbert Pickring Major General Skippon Sir Anth. Ashley Cooper Walter Strickland Esq Sir Charles Wolsley Col. Philip Jones Francis Rous Esquire Richard Major Esquire John Lawrence Esquire Col. Edward Montague Col. William Sydenham I should have mentioned the Dutch War in its place which aggrandized him with the usual victorious successe but because he was never personally engaged in the Service but owed this Garland as he did the glory of Dunbar to the noble General Monk and wore but a second-hand Triumphal Robe I will not constellate Him with that Hero's Splendor and Brightness of Fame That which properly concerns Cromwell is rather the Dishonour of that War the Peace that ensued the Conclusion of it for the Stomach of that Nation had been so humbled by several great losses their Trade so spoyled and their Subjects so impoverish'd that
under 9. The chief Officers of Seate as Chancellors Keepers of the Great Seal c. to be approved of by Parliament 10. That his Highnesse would encourage a Godly Ministry in these Nations and that such as do revile or disturb them in the Worship of God may be punished according to Law and where the Laws are defective new ones to be made in that behalf 11. That the Protestant Christian Religion and no other and that a confession of Faith be agreed upon and recommended to the people of these Nations and none be permitted by words or writings to revile or repreach the said Confession of Faith c. Which he having Signed declared his acceptance in there words That he came thither that day not as to a Triumph but with the most serious thoughts that ever he had in all his life being to undertake one of the greatest burthens that ever was laid upon the back of any humane creature so that without the support of the Almighty he must sink under the weight of it to the damage and prejudice of these Nations This being so he must ask help of the Parliament and of those that fear God that by their Prayers he might receive assistance from God for nothing else could enable him to the discharge of so great a duty and trust That seeing this is but an Introduction to the carrying on of the Government of these Nations and there being many things which cannot be supplied without the assistance of the Parliament it was his duty to ask their help in them not that he doubted for the same Spirit that had led the Parliament to this would easily suggest the same to them For his part nothing would have induced him to take this unsupportable burthen to flesh and blood but that he had seen in the Parliament a great care in doing those things which might really answer the ends that were engaged for and make clearly for the Liberty of the Nations and for the Interest and preservation of all such as fear God under various forms And if these Nations be not thankful to them for their care therein it will fall as a sin on their heads Yet there are some things wanting that tend to reformation to the discountenancing vice and encouragement of virtue but he spake not this as in the least doubting their progress but as one that doth heartily desire to the end God may Crown their work that in their own time and with what speed they judge fit these things may be provided for There remained only the Solemnity of the Inauguration or Investiture which being agreed upon by the Committee and the Protector was by the Parliament appointed to be performed in Westminster-hall where at the upper end thereof there was an Ascent raised where a Chair and Canopy of State was set and a Table with another Chair for the Speaker with Seats built Scaffold-wise for the Parliament on both sides and places below for the Aldermen of London and the like All which being in a readiness the Protector came out of a Room adjoyning to the Lords House and in this order proceeded into the Hall First went his Gentlemen then a Herald next the Aldermen another Herald the Attorney General then the Judges of whom Serjeant Hill was one being made a Baron of the Exchequer June 16. then Norroy the Lord Commissioners of the Treasury and the Seal carried by Commissioner Fiennes then Garter and after him the Earl of Warwick with the Sword born before the Protector Bare headed the Lord Mayor Tichborn carrying the City Sword being the special of Coaks of the Protector by his left hand Being seated in his Chair on the left Hand whereof stood the said Titchborn and the Dutch Ambassador the French Ambassador and the Earl of Warwick on the Right next behind him stood his Sons Richard Fleetwood Cleypoole and the Privy Council upon a lower descent stood the Lord Viscount Lisle Lords Montague and Whitlock with drawn Swords Then the Speaker Sir Thomas Widdrington in the name of the Parliament presented to him a Robe of Purple-Velvet a Bible a Sword and a Scepter at the Delivery of these things the Speaker made a short Comment upon them to the Protector which he divided into four parts as followeth 1. The Robe of Purple This is an Emblem of Magistracy and imports Righteousness and Justice When you have put on this Vestment I may say you are a Gown-man This Robe is of a mixt colour to shew the mixture of Justice and Mercy Indeed a Magistrate must have two hands Plectentem amplectentem to cherish and to punish 2. The Bible it is a Book that contains the Holy Scriptures in which you have the happinesse to be well vers'd This Book of Life consists of two Testaments the Old and New the first shews Christum Velatum the second Christum Revelatum Christ vailed and revealed it is a Pook of Books and doth contain both Precepts and Examples for good Government 3. Here is a Scepter not unlike a Staff for you are to be a Staff to the weak and poor it is of ancient use in this kind It 's said in Scripture that The Scepter shall not depart from Judah It was of the like use in other Kingdoms Homer the Greek Poet calls Kings and Princes Scepter-Bearers 4. The last thing is a Sword not a Military but Civil Sword it is a Sword rather of defence then offence not to defend your self only but your people also If I might presume to fix a Motto upon this Sword as the valiant Lord Talbot had upon his it should be this Ego sum domini Protectoris ad protegendum populum meum I am the Protectors to protect my people This Speech being ended the Speaker took the Bible and gave the Protector his Oath afterwards Mr. Manton made a prayer wherein he recommended the Protector Parliament Council the Forces by Land and Sea Government and people of the three Nations to the protection of God Which being ended the Heralds by Trumpets proclaimed his Highness Protector of England Scotland and Ireland and the Dominions thereunto belonging requiring all persons to yeild him due obedience At the end of all the Protector with his Train carried by the Lord Sherrard Warwick's Nephew ahd the Lord Robert's his eldest Son returned in the same posture the Earl of Warwick sitting at one end of the Coach against him Richard his Son and Whitlock in one and the Lords Lisle and Mountague in the other Boot with Swords drawn and the Lord Claypool Master of the Horse led the Horse of Honour in rich Caparisons to White-hall The Members to the Parliament House where they prorogued their sitting to the Twentieth of January He vvas novv setled and established in his first assumed Dignity to the satisfaction of some part of the Army only Lambert vvas gravelled with that clause in it which gave the Protector power to name his Successor Whereby he savv himself deprived and frustrated
Impiety and zeal to Christ or his Worship for he had lately struck a Bargain with the Jews that deny him but the Ministers who were to dispute with Ben Israel their Agent dissenting from his covetous project He only gulled them of their earnest mony By this mixture of subtlety with Cruelty and Rapine of all sorts he had so establish'd himself and his formidable greatness engaging in a forraign War with the French against the Spaniard in Flanders whither he sent Commissary General Reynolds with 6000 men who joyntly took in St. Venant Mardike in the close of the Summer 1647 the latter being put into English hands that the Royal party began truly to dread his mischievous power the effects whereof were felt also in very remote parts of the World in the Polish and Danish War by his partaking with and assisting to the King of Sweden when he pretended a Mediation between them having dispatcht Mr. Rolt of his Bedchamber and Colonel Jephson to Carolus Gustavus and Mr. now Sir Philip Meadows to Frederick King of Denmark to the diverting the German Emperour to the care of his own Dominions and by that means depriving the Spaniard of his aid and consequently frustrating all His Majesties designs of recovering his rights to these Kingdoms I must omit his Successes by Blake at Porta Ferina and Sancta Cruz for which the English valour was famous as also Sir Richard Stayners taking and Spoyling 7. Galleys from the West Indies laden with Plate which were substantial Tropnies and made his power dreadful And therefore now he thought it time to shew his Son Richard to the World whom to â—avoid the Suspicion of designing the Soveraignty to be Hereditary in his Family and to amuse Lambert who would not brook other Successor then himself His Kival if not Superiour now in the affection of the Army He had kept in the Country in Hampshire where he had married the Daughter of one Major of Southampton with a very plentiful fortune the support and maintenance of him now among the Conveâ—e of the Centry Royaâ—sts to insinuate into their affections and good liking by some kind of Offices and Civilities he procured from â—ourt and by his own debonair and affable Dispositions The first publiâ—ue Honour done him was the Chancellorship of Oxford in which he was â—emnly invested after his Father had purposely resigned it at Whitchall next he was â—worn a Pirvy Councellor and made a Colon I in the Army to have an interest in all parties and parts of the body politique and not long after in the next Parliament after their recesse the first Lord of the other House and now styled the most noble Lord Richard and rife discourses there were of Richard the Fourth but it proved no more then the story of Queen Dick. His Son Harry Cromwell lately married to Sir William Russells Daughter he likewise sent in the â—lity of Lord Lieutemant to succeed his Son Law Fleetwood in Ireland only Scotland could not be taken from General Monk and disposed in the hanâ—s of his more consident Relations Flectwood or Desborough being designed for that Government â—s Daughters likewise were all married Elizabeth his Darling before his late Greatnesle to a private Gentleman one Mr. Cleypoâ—e of Warwickshire his Daughter Mary to the Lord Viâ—count Falconbridge the noble Family of the Bellasis and his younger Daughter Frances to Mr. â—obert Rich eldest on to Robert Lord Rich and â—randson to Robert Earl of Warwick all three whereof dyed within one year after this unfortunate and unglorious Match So that he thought he had established his House but the Foundation being laid in Sand tempered with Blood the next gust and boy sterous Wind blew it like Chaffe and seattered and dispersed it to nothing From this haughty confidence he was invited to call another Parliament and to assume from thence the long awaited result of his Ambition the Crown Imperial of England All other things moreover did â—eâ—m to comspire to the same purpose except the Levelling Fifth Monarchy party and Lambert for the Presbyterian and other Sectâ—ries vvho had their hands full of Sacrilegious and Treasonable Penny-vvorths of Ecclesiâ—stical and Crovvn and Delinquents Lands vvere most eagerly desirous of a settlement of the Government by Law that might secure and confirm their purchases the more indifferent Royallists preferred any Legal no manner how or what Authority rather then be continually tisked and oppressed by the outragious unlimited violence of the Major Generals whom Cromwel had on purpose set up as he did the little or foolish Parliament to make another Title he gaped at more acceptable to the people As to the Fifth Monarchy men he had neerly pried into that danger and seized and took the chief of that party among whom was Venner the Wine-Cooper being engaged somewhat after in a Plot in a house in Shorditch where some Arms were taken and and an Ensign with a Lyon couchant of the Tribe of judah painted in it having this Motto Who shall raise him up And hereupon Harrison Carew Rich Vice-Admiral Lawson Courtney Portman Day and the like were imprisoned in remote places as Col. Overton Major Holms and others of the same party had been seized in Scotland and disbanded by Gen. Monck according to Cromwell's Order and sent up Prisoners to the Tower of London As to the Levellers he had lately discovered their practices and combinations against him and had likewise clapt up the chief of them one Major Wildman in order to his Tryal being taken at Marleborough inditing and drawing Declarations against him so that they were at a stand and a loss which â—ay to proceed to the unsetling and overthrow of his Tyrannical power procured by so many tricks and cheats put upon them by him so that afterwards when they began private Subscriptions to Petitions and Addresses to the Parliament against the Kingship he peremptorily upon their peril forbid them to intermeddle with their Consultations and so awed and dashed them that they never offered any more afterwards to hold up so much as a Finger against him Lambert was the only impediment and we shall see him neatly and quietly removed and discarded like the rest of his former Confidents This Olivarian Parliament brought together by these means was not lesse awed in its Election by the Major Generals they themselves and all their friends being returned for Members while the Gentry and other Honest men being confined or under some qualification or other could not or dared not appear particularly Col. Berkstead and Kiffin the Anabaptist by Voyces of Redcotes got themselves returned Knights of the Shire for Middlesex with Sir William Roberts and Mr. Chute 4 as the Instrument directed then in the Admission to the House where a Recognition of his Highness and the Government by a single person with a Guard of Soldiers was ready placed and unless each Member swallowed the one he might not pass the other by which means almost 200. were at the