courteous and obliging, affable and condescending,

faid that it intermitted: at which fuddenly startled, he looked pale, fell into a cold sweat, almost fainted away, and orders himself to be carried to bed, where ⚫ being refreshed with cordials, he made his will, but only about his private and domeftic affairs. Next morning early, when one of his phyficians came to vifit him, he afked him, why he look'd fo fad? and when he made answer, that fo it becomes any one, who had the weighty care of his life and health upon him: Ye phyficians, faid he, think I fhall die. Then the company being removed, holding his wife by the hand, to this purpose he fpoke to him, I tell you I 'fhall not die of this diforder,—I am fure of it. And because he obferved him to look more attentively upon him at these words, Don't think, faid he, that I am mad; I fpeak the words of truth, upon furer 'grounds than your Galen or Hippocrates furnish you

with. God Almighty himfelf hath given that an'fwer, not to my prayers alone, but also to the prayers of those who entertain a ftricter commerce, and greater intimacy with him. Go on chearfully, ba'nishing all fadnefs from your looks, and deal with Ye may have. can do more

me as you would with a ferving-man. fkill in the nature of things, yet nature ⚫ than all physicians put together; and God is far more above nature.'

I(7) Hiftory

of his own times, vol. i.

p. 130.

Burnet confirms this account of the affurance of the divines concerning Cromwell's recovery (q). will reft the evidence of the enthusiasm of Oliver here) (though many more proofs can be brought of it) tot doubting but it will appear ftrong and convincing; and account, in fome degree, for those actions and expreffions which we fhall meet with in the following fheets: account in fome degree, I fay; for whoever thinks him wholly under the power of this principle, will be greatly mistaken. Cromwell ranks in this reC 4 fpect

(r) Memoirs, p. 247.

scending, and even strongly, at times (G), inclin'd

(t) Id. p. 384.

(s) Memorials, p. 627.

fpect with Mahomet, and Aurengzebe, who were great mafters of themfeives, though, by nature, ftrongly tinctured with enthusiasm.

<

C

·

6

(G) He was courteous and affable, and inclin'd to buffoonery.] Here are the authorities. Sir Philip Warwick does honor to this part of his character in the following paragraph. In his converfation towards me he was ever friendly; tho' at the latter end of the day finding me ever incorrigible, and having fome ⚫ inducements to fufpect me a tamperer, he was fufficiently rigid (r).' Whitlock, even under a fense of an injury done him by Cromwell, owns he was goodnatured (s). His affability and condefcenfion will appear alfo from the fame writer. As they [Cromwell and Ireton] went home from my houfe, their coach was stopped and they examined by the guards, to whom they told their names; but the captain of the guards would not believe them, and threatned to carry thefe two great officers to the court of guard. Ireton grew a little angry, but Cromwell was chearful with the foldiers, gave them twenty fhillings, and • commended them and their captain for doing their duty (t). In another place he writes as follows: The Protector often advis'd about this [The petition and advice] and other great bufineffes with the Lord Broghill, Pierpoint, myfelf, Sir Charles Wolfely and Thurloe, and would be fhut up three or four hours together in private difcourfe, and none were admit'ted to come in to him; he would fometimes be very chearful with us, and laying afide his greatnefs he would be exceeding fan.iliar with us, and by way of diverfion, would make verfes with us, and every one must try his fancy; he commonly call'd for tobacco, pipes, and a candle, and would now and then take tobacco himfelf; then he would fall again to his ferious and great bufinefs, and advife with us

inclin'd to practise fome little arts of buffoonery.

But

in thofe affairs; and this he did often with us, and ⚫ our counsel was accepted and followed by him, in moft of his greatest affairs ().' Thefe paffages, fimply and artlefly told, ftrongly indicate the chearfulness and pleafantry of Cromwell, and fhew how well qualified he was to conciliate the affection and regard of those whom he thought it worth his while to court (x).

Let us now proceed to the buffoonery which is mentioned in the text. Mr. Waller lived moftly at Bea

consfield, where his mother dwelt in her widowhood, ⚫ and often entertained Oliver Cromwell there, during his ufurpation, he being related to her. But notwithstanding her relation to the ufurper, and Colonel • Hampden, the was a royalift in her principles; and when Oliver vifited her at Beaconsfield, fhe would frankly tell him how his pretenfions would end. The ufurper us'd merrily to throw a napkin at her in < return, and faid he would not enter into further dif

(z) Memorials, p. 656.

- pro

putes with his aunt; for fo he us'd to call her, though

not quite fo nearly related (). Mr. Cowley fpeaks () Waller's

Life, p. 4.

of his flinging of cushions, and playing at fnowballs

6

P. 95.

with his fervants (2).' And Mr. Ludlow, relates (*) Difthat Cromwell contriv'd a conference to be held in courfe concerning the Kingftreet, between those call'd the Grandees of the government house and army, and the Commonwealths-men, in of Oliver which the Grandees, of whom Lieutenant-general Cromwell, • Cromwell was the head, kept themfelves in the clouds, ⚫ and would not declare their judgments either for a monarchical, ariftocratical, or democratical government; maintaining that any of them might be good in themselves, or for us, according as Providence fhould direct us. The Commonwealths-men declared that monarchy was neither good in it elf, nor for us. Notwithstanding what was faid, Cromwell

(x) See note [PPT].

(a) Ludlow's Me

(6) Hiftory

of Great Britain, vol. ii. p 74.

moirs, vol. i.

Switzer

land, 1698

profefs'd himself unrefolved, and having learn'd what he could of the principles and inclinations of thofe prefent at the conference, took up a cushion and flung it at my head, and then ran down the ftairs; but I overtook him with another, which made him haften down fafter than he defired (a).' p. 40. 8vo. This fact occurr'd to Mr. Hume, but he could not relate it as it was. Hear his words. After debates, fays he, on this fubject [government] the most important which could fall under the difcuffion of human creatures, Ludlow tells us, that Cromwell, by way of frolic, threw a cushion at his head; and when Ľudlow took up another cushion, in order to return the compliment, the General ran down ftairs, and had almost broke his bones in the hurry (b).'-But to proceed. At the figning of the warrant for the King's execution, we are told that Cromwell with his pen 'mark'd Harry Marten in the face; and Marten did an impar- the like to him (c);' and alfo that whilft Hugh

(c) Exa&

6

tjal account

of the Trial

cides, p.

24. 4to.

Peters was fhewing the lawfulness of the faid execuof the Regi.tion, and, in his way, exciting them to it from the pulpit, he laughed (d).' I will add but one paffage Lond. 1660. more. Minores ductores congiariis frequentius de'vincire, nonnunquam in media cibatione, fame nondum pacata gregarios milites pulfatis tympanis intromittere ut femefas rapterent reliquias. Robuftos ac vere militares nocivis & validis exercitiis tractare, • veluti prunà candente nonnunquam ocreis injectâ, vel culcitris hinc inde in capita vibratis. Semel autem præludiis hujufmodi probe laffos & rifu laxatos præfectos ad cordis apertionem provocavit; eoque modo ab incautis elicuit arcana quadam, quæ perpetuis tenebris optabant poftmodùm involuta; dum iple, fententias omnium fcrutatus, celaret fuam (e).' i. e. He would often make feafts for the inferiour officers, and whilst they were feeding, before they had

(

C

• fa

(d) Id. p. 163.

(c) Bates's

Elenchi, pars 2da. P. 179.

But on neceffary occafions he kept ftate

to

-

to the full (H); appear'd with the pomp and

fatisfied their hunger, caufe the drums to beat and let in the private foldiers to fall on, and fnatch away the half-eaten difhes. The robuft and sturdy foldiers • he loved to divert with violent and hazardous exercifes; as by making them fometimes throw a burning coal into one anothers boots, or cushions at one anothers heads. When the officers had fufficiently laugh'd, and tired themfelves with thefe preludes, he would wheedle them to open their hearts freely; and by that means he drew fome fecrets from the unwary, which afterwards they wifhed might have been wrapp'd up in everlating darknef; whilst he, in the mean time, pumping the opinion of all others, con•cealed his own.' Thus even diverfions were made fubfervient to his policy!

(H) He kept fate to the full, and appear'd on proper occafions with pomp and magnificence.] Cromwell was one of thofe genius's who are oftimes buried in obfcurity, through want of occafion of being known. Thoufands fpend their lives in retirement who are capable of greater things than most of those whofe names are tofs'd from every tongue, and voic'd for wife, fkilful, able, or valiant. In times of peace these men are little notic'd or known; but they are overlook'd among the herd, or treated with a coolness or difregard which damps their ambition, and eftablishes their virtue. But when civil commotions arife, when the ftruggle is for liberty or enflavement, then a free and active

fpirit is rais'd which overfpreads the country; every 'man finds himself, on fuch occafions, his own mal

८

ter, and that he may be, whatever he can make himself: he knows not how high he may rife, and is unaw'd by laws, which are then of no force: he finds his own weight, tries his own ftrength, and, if there is any hidden worth, or curbed mettle in him, ' certainly fhews and gives it vent. Accordingly we