(f) Enquiry into the Life and

Homer.

and magnificence becoming the head of a

rich

fee, that the genius's produc'd at thefe times, give great proof of reach and capacity, especially in politic managements and civil affairs in the largeft fenfe (f).' Writings of Cromwell verified thefe obfervations. I will give Warwick's account at large as a proof of it, efpecially as it will afford pleafure to fuch of my readers as delight in anecdotes, as, I believe, most do. The first time I ever took notice of him [Oliver] was in the very beginning of the parliament held in Nov. 1640, when I vainly thought myself a courtly young gentleman: (For we courtiers valued ourfelves much upon our good cloaths.) I came into the houfe one morning well clad, and perceived a gentleman fpeaking (whom I knew not) very ordinarily apparelled; for it was a plain cloth fuit; which feemed to have been made by an ill country taylor; his linen was plain, and 6 not very clean; and I remember a fpeck or two of blood upon his little band, which was not much larger than his collar; his hat was without a hatband: his ftature was of a good fize, his sword ftuck close C to his fide, his countenance fwoln and reddish, his voice fharp and untuneable, and his eloquence full ⚫ of fervour; for the fubject matter would not bear • much of reafon; it being in behalf of a fervant of Mr. Prinne's, who had difperft libels against the Queen for her dancing, and fuch like innocent and courtly fports; and he aggravated the imprisonment of this man by the council table unto that height, that one would have believ'd, the very government • itself had been in great danger by it. I fincerely profels it leffened much my reverence unto that great council, for he was very much hearkned unto. yet I liv'd to fee this very gentleman, whom out of no ill will to him I thus defcribe, by multiplied good fucceffes, and by real (but ufurpt) power; (having had a better taylor, and more converse among good

·

And

com

rich and powerful people, and behav'd fuita

bly

company) in my own eye, when for fix weeks together I was a prifoner in his ferjeant's hands, and daily waited at Whitehall, appear of a great and majestick () Medeportment and comely prefence (g).'

moirs, p.

Lord Clarendon, in the account lately published of his 247• own life, gives us a reprefentation of Oliver's behaviour in a committee, very little to his advantage. Here are his words: Mr. Hyde was often heard to mention one private committee, in which he was put accidentally into the chair, upon an inclosure which had been made of 6 great waftes belonging to the Queen's manors, without the consent of the tenants, the benefit whereof • had been given by the Queen to a fervant of near truft; who forthwith fold the lands inclosed to the Earl of Manchester, Lord Privy Seal; who, together • with his fon Mandevil, were now moft concerned to • maintain the inclosure; against which, as well the ❝ inhabitants of other manors, who claimed common in those wastes, as the Queen's tenants of the fame, made loud complaints, as a great oppreffion, carried upon them with a very high hand, and fupported by 'power. The committee fat in the Queen's court; and Oliver Cromwell being one of them, appeared • much concerned to countenance the petitioners, who were numerous, together with their witneffes; the Lord Mandevil being likewife prefent as a party, and by the direction of the committee, fitting covered. Cromwell (who had never before been heard to speak in the House of Commons) ordered the witneffes and petitioners in the method of the proceed ing; and feconded, and enlarged upon what they faid with great paffion; and the witneffes, and per• fons concerned, who were a very rude kind of people, interrupted the council, and witnefles on the other fide, with great clamour when they faid any thing that did not please them; fo that Mr. Hyde

• (whose

(6) Life of

Lord Cla

rendon,

vol. i.p 78.

1709.

ably to the high rank in which he had plac'd

himself.

6

Elo

(whofe office it was to oblige men of all forts to keep order) was compelled to ufe fome fharp reproofs, and fome threats, to reduce them to fuch a temper, that the bufinefs might be quietly heard. Cromwell in great fury reproached the chairman for being partial, and that he difcountenanced the witneffes by threatning them; the other appealed to the committee, who juftified him, and declared that he behaved as he ought to do; which more inflamed him, who was already too much angry. When upon any mention of matter of fact, or the proceeding before, and at the inclosure, the Lord Mandevil delired to be heard, and with great modefty related what had been done, or explained what had been faid, Mr. Cromwell did anfwer, and reply upon him, with fo much indecency, and rudeness, and in language, fo contrary, and offenfive, that every man would have thought, that as their natures and their manners were as oppofite as it is poffible, fo their intereft could never have been the fame. In the end his whole carriage was fo teinpeftuous, and his behaviour fo infolent, that the chairman found himfelf obliged to reprehend him; and to tell him, if he proceeded in the fame manner, he would prefently adjourn the committee, and the next morning complain to the houfe of him, which he never forgave; and took all occafions afterwards to purfue him with the utmoft malice and revenge, to his death (h).'

If one were to judge by this, Cromwell's manners 8vo. Oxford were as rude as his drefs uncourtly. But however, this fame writer in another place confeffes the alteration which was vifible in him after he rofe to dignity and power. As he grew into place and authority, fays he, his parts feemed to be raifed, as if he had concealed his faculties, till he had occation to use them;

• and

and when he was to act the part of a great man, he did it without any indecency, notwithstanding the (i) Hift. of ⚫ want of custom (i).

6

Whitlock has defcrib'd him two or three times in his public appearances: an account of thefe will explain what I mean by his keeping state to the full. His inauguration was magnificent. On the 26th of June, 1657, a place being prepared at the upper end of Westminfter-hall, in the midst of it was a rich cloth of ftate fet up, and under it a chair of state upon an ascent of two degrees, cover'd with carpets; before it a table and a chair by it for the speaker; on each fide of the hall were feats built one above another, and cover'd for the members of the parliament; below them feats on the one fide for the judges, and on the other fide for the Lord Mayor and aldermen of London. About two of the clock in the afternoon the Protector met the parliament, and gave his confent to some bills; then the fpeaker and members went to their places in Westminster Hall, and the judges and aldermen took their places: a little time after this his Highnefs came attended with his own gentlemen, and with the heralds ferjeants at arms: the officers, commiffioners of the feal, and of the treafury, and his council: the Earl of Warwick carried the sword be'fore him, and the Lord Mayor of London carried the 'city fword.

'

His Highnefs ftanding under the cloth of ftate, the fpeaker in the name of the parliament presented to him,

the Rebel

lion, vol. vi.

p. 649.

1. A robe of purple velvet, lined with ermin, which the fpeaker, affifted by me and others, put upon his Highness; then he delivered to him the Bible richly gilt and boffed; after that the fpeaker girt the fword about his Highness, and delivered into his hands the fcepter of maffy gold, and then made a speech to him upon those several things prefented to him, wifhing him all profperity in his government, and gave him (4) See the oath; and Mr. Manton (k) by prayer recommend- note [B].

ed his Highness, the parliament, the council, the

forces by land and fea, and the whole government, and people of the three nations, to the bleffing and ⚫ protection of God. After this the people gave feveral fhouts, and the trumpets founding: the Protector fat in the chair of ftate, holding the fcepter in his hand; on his right fide fat the ambassador of France, on the left fide the ambaffador of the United ProvinC ces. Near to his Highnefs ftood his fon Richard, the Lord Deputy Fleetwood, Claypole, mafter of the horse, his Highneffes council and officers of ftate; the Earl of Warwick held the fword on the right fide of the • chair, and the Lord Mayor of London held the city fword on the left hand of the chair; near the Earl of • Warwick stood the Lord Viscount Life, general Mountague, and I, each of us having a drawn fword in our hands. Then the trumpets founded, and an ⚫ herald proclaimed his Highneffes title; and procla⚫mation was made, and loud acclamations of the people, God fave the Lord Protector. The ceremonies being ended, his Highnefs having his train carried by the Lord Sherwood, Mr. Rich, the Earl of Warwick's grandchild, and by the Lord Roberts's fon, accompanied by the ambaffadors, and attended as before, went in ftate to Westminster Hall gate, where he took his rich coach. In the upper end of it himself fat in his robes, in the other end fat the Earl of Warwick, in one boot fat his fon Richard, and I with a drawn fword in my hand; and in the other boot fat the Lord Viscount Lifle, and General Mountague, with fwords drawn in their hands; Claypole led the horse of honour in rich caparifons, the life guard and other (Memo-guards attended the coach, the officers and the reft rials, p. 652. following in coaches to Whitehall (1).'-Cromwell's reception of the Swedish ambaffador will give us ftill a clearer idea of his capacity for acting in the pompous fcenes of life. Take it from the author juft cited. His [the ambaffador's] people went all bare, two and two before him in order, according to their qualities; the best men laft; and next to him, the master of the ceremonies next; before him, I on his right hand

• and