(d) Thur loe, vol. vii. P. 373. (e) Id. P. 375. (f) Id. vol. i. p. 766. (g) Age of Lewis XIV. vol. i. 12mo, P. 70. (6) Id. p. 77. . rently (cccc) reprefented by different per fons i (cccc) His character has been very differently reprefented.] Mr. Thurlor, in a letter to H. Cromwell, the day after his father's deceafe, tells him, it is not to be faid, what affection the army and all people fhew to his late highnefs; his name is already precious. Never was there any man foe prayed for as he was duringe his ficknef, folemne aflemblies meetinge every day, to befeech the Lord for the continuance of his life; foe that he is gone to heaven, embalmed with the tears of his people, and upon the wings of the prayers of the faints. He lived defired, and dyed lamented, every body bemoaning then.felves, ad faying, a great man is fallen in Irael (d). Lord Fauconberg files him the greatest perfonage and inftrument of happiness, not only our own but indeed any age elfe ever produced (e). I do believe, fays Mr. Maidftene, if his ftory were impartially tranfmitted, and the unprejudiced world well pofleft with it, fhe would add him to her nine worthies, and make up that number a Decemviri. He lived and died in comfortable communion with God, as judicious perfons near him well obferved. He was that Mordecai that fought the welfare of his peop e (ƒ).'-Thefe are high eulogiums from his friends, and, doubtlefs, proceeded from the affection and gratitude of those who uttered them. Mr. Voltaire ftiles Cromwellan ufurper worthy to reign (e);' and tells us, he died in the midst of the projects he was forming to ftrengthen his own power, and increafe the glory of his nation.'-—— And that he left behind him the reputation of a dextrous villain, an intrepid commander, a bloody ufurper, and a fovereign that knew the art of governing (b).' Mazar ne, who had abjectly courted Cromwel during life, and received the law in almoft all things from him, after his death, is faid to have characterized him (i) Vol. vi. as a fortunate fool (i). Lord Clarendon does him lefs P. 653. injuftice, I am perfwaded, moft readers will think, whea fons; though his memory was celebrated 6 by when he defcribes him as a brave wicked man.' I will add no more but the following description of this extraordinary man, drawn by a celebrated and illuftrious pen. Europe, fays he, had granted the furname of Great to three fovereigns, who reigned almoft at the fame time, namely, Cromwell, Lewis XIV. and Frederick-William. To Cromwell, for having facrificed every civil duty to the defire of reigning; for hav-, ing proftituted his talents, which, inftead of being ufeful to his country, were fubfervient only to his ambition; for having concealed his impoftures under the mask of fanaticifm; for having enflaved his country under a pretence of fighting for her liberties; for becoming the executioner of his King, whom he facrificed to his fury: to Cromwell, a bold, cunning, and ambitious man, but unjuft, violent, and void of virtue; a man, in fine, who had great qualities, but never a good one. Cromwell, therefore, did not deferve the furname of Great, which is due only to virtue; and it would be degrading Lewis XIV. ́ and Frederick-William, to compare them to fuch a ri- (4) Memoirs val (k).' What degradation it might be to Frederick- of BrandenWilliam to compare him with the protector, I pretend burg, P. 153. not to fay: but, with all due fubmiffion, if Cromwell did not deferve the furname of Great, much lefs did Lewis XIV. What were the faults imputed to Cromwell? Diffimulation, hypocrify, bringing Charles to the block, and ingratitude towards the Long parliament.- -Let thefe crimes be weighed in the niceft balance, they must be light as air when oppofed to those of Lewis, who was an adulterer, who was not ashamed to confefs that he waged war meerly for his glory (dif daining fo much as even to avow any reasonable pretence for overrunning Holland, and fubjecting its inhabitants to innumerable woes) and wafted the finest country with fire and fword. Two cities and twentyfive towns in flames at one time, were a fpectacle (ufficient K k p. by the finest pens (DDDD) of his age; and he Lewis XIV. vol. i. 154. P. -Nor () Voltaire's ficient to imprint the worst ideas of the immortal Lewis Age of and the godlike Turenne (1). Where, but among barbarians, was fuch a fcene ever exhibited ?was this all-Lewis broke through all oaths and treaties, every thing facred. Nothing, in a word, was ever equal to his villany. Witnefs his wars in Flanders, his breach of the Partition Treaty, and, above all, his revocation of the edict of Nantz (at the inftigation of priests) whereby thousands of his innocent fubjects were ruined, his kingdom impoverished, and its manufactures carried abroad. Was there any thing in Cromwell's character to be compared with all this?- -Cromwell, with (m) Canta all his faults, had many real virtues. Not fo Lewis: he was a bigot; he was prieft-ridden; fuperftitious; with little perfonal valour, and much vanity; who, but for his love and encouragement of the fine arts, would have been ranked with the Neros, the Caligulas, the Domitians, the tyrants and deftroyers of mankind. He did not deferve then the furname of Great, which is due only to virtue.' The painting out fuch enemies of liberty and mankind in the fineft colours, by the fineft pens, is the greateft reproach of letters, and most dangerous to the interefts of common humanity; and what, I hope, will juftify the warmth of thefe reflections. (DDDD) His memory was celebrated by the finest pens of his age.] The verfes of Mr. Waller, Dryden and Sprat, afterwards bifhop of Rochester, are well known. Befides thefe, I have now before me a pamphlet, inbrigi: a titled, Mufarum Cantabrigienfium Luctus & Gratula pud Johan- tio: Ille in Funere Oliveri Angliæ, Scotia & Hibernem Field, Protectoris; Hæc de Ricardi fucceffione feliciffima ad eundem (m).' In the first copy of verfes, by pographum. Tuckney, mafter of St. John's college, England is introduced fpeaking in the following ftrains : Alma Aca demiæ Ty 1658. ni Ergò Jaces, Dux magne? Jaces, Pater alme? nec ultrà Ser he left behind him a never-dying fame. Serpere? Pacificos an dedignaris honores? Dr. Whichcot celebrates his mild government and peaceful end in thefe lines: Sobrius aufculta veterum quid pagina narrat. Horton, Minful, Seaman, celebrate his character in the highest terms, as did Worthington, Dillingham, Arrow/mith, and others. Dr. Cudworth has an Hebrew poem in this collection. There was also published on this occafion, Beatis Manibus invictiffimi Herois Oli 6 varii Magni, magnæ Britanniæ Protectoris Parentatio, (2) MercuScripta ab Equite Polono,' which I have not feen (n). rius Politi Thus was the fame of Cromwell founded abroad; cus, No. thus was he lamented on his decease. At the restora548. p. 141. tion, indeed, his afhes were trampled on (0), and his (0) See Apmemory was branded; but time, the great friend to pendix. truth, has, in fome measure, cleared up his character, and done juftice to his abilities; and, if he cannot be ranked amongst the beft, he, undoubtedly, is to be placed amongst the greatest of princes. |