th of July 1654. And on the same day Col. Gerard was beheaded on Tower-hill presently after Emanuel Say the Portugal Ambassadors brother put to death for killing one in a fray in the New-Exchange this Col. Gerard being the chief man that opposed the said Ambassadors brother at that time with the hazard of his life yet both came to suffer in one day upon one Scaffold for different Crimes For this Colonel suffered onely for the Crime of Loyalty and was sacrifised to Oliver's Fear and Policy He dyed with great bravery courage and undauntedness This was Cromwell's first bloudy remarke and like an Usurper who must maintain his illegal greatness by illegal Arts. But dominion founded in innocent bloud cannot long stand before the Avenger for bloud visits it in his wrathfull Justice About this time he takes care there shall be a faithfull ministry to his interest he means therefore he sets up a Company of Tryers the chief of which were Nye Goodwin Hugh Peters Manton and others named as Commissioners These make a Reformation among the Ministry for humane Learning was rather a Crime than an help to any for the question was had they Grace in their hearts Many good Livings were disburthened of their Pastours and others of more Grace and less Knowledge put in I heard of one who had been Hebrew and Chaldee Reader in Oxford and knowing in all the Eastern Tongues put out of a good living for insufficiency He had it seems not Grace equal to his Learning or his Living had more Grace than he But such as agreed with Nol's Principles and were ready to maintain his Government to be jure divino were put into the best Livings throughout England and the favourers of the Church of England though they had conformed every where thrust forth In Ireland all was subdued and he sent Cook over as a Judg who with a kind of Itinerant Court of Justice hung up many of the Irish Rebels at Dublin Waterford Kilkenny and in Vlster and those that escaped of the Irish were confined to the Province of Conaught and the rest banished But in Scotland at the mediation of Argile whom he had tyed to his Interest and by whose power he held a great part of the Highlands in subjection the Presbyterians were allowed their Religion and had their own Kirk Government and the power of Excommunication but the rigor of it was taken off for such as were excommunicated were not onely forbid the Communion but they had all their Estates confiscated to the Church which was not allowed them nor the meeting of their general Assembly Cromwell was jealous of Lambert and of the Love he had among the Sectaries of the Army so that as yet he was forced to caress him and to delude him with vain hopes of succeeding him in the Protectorate and therefore made him Commander in chief of the Army next himself with the allowance of 10 l. a day Abroad he confederates with most of the Potentates and upon his making a Peace with France the King is obliged to leave that Court where he had been neer two years and had done many good offices for that King with his neighbour Princes but Interest sways more than Gratitude He retires into Germany where all his designs and private Councils in his Cabinet were betray'd to Cromwell by one Manning who was Clerk to his Secretary bribed by the Usurper who had a knack that way of expending vast summs for intelligence and by this means many of the Royalists designs in England came to be discovered and many brought into trouble about it but at last the Traytour was detected and shot to death for his perfidiousness About this time he sends over 6 Counsellors for Ireland Steel who was mâ—de Lord Chancellour there and Pepys Lord Chief justice there Miles Corbet Robert Hamond Matthew Tomlinson and Robert Goodwin About June this year Cromwell seeing he was able to rule 3 Kingdoms believed he was as well able to govern 6 Horses sent him by the Count of Oldenburg and in a frollick being in Hide Park leaving his Engine Thurlo alone in the Coach he gets into the Box and would needs play the Coach-man but the Horses feeling the lash and not so well yoaked as his English Slaves ran away with Coach Coach-man and Thurlo and at last dismounted him from his Box an ill omen of his fall and had like to have broke his Neck And now according to the Instrument on the 3 d of September the Parliament was to meet and great care was taken by Oliver that none of the Cavaliers should be chosen Writs were issued out in his name and Elections made as heretofore onely the Burrows sent but one Burgess and there were 6 or 7 Knights for some Shires all of them under sure qualifications Scotland and Ireland also according to the Instrument sent their number most being English Commanders The day came they meet and in Westminster Abby Marshall gave them a Sermon The next day the Protector went to them in great state in his Coach attended by Cleypool Master of his Horse Strickland Captain of his Guards bareheaded on both sides and at his entrance Lambert carried the Sword and Whitlock the Purse and in the painted Chamber he made to them a Speech after his old method with God in his mouth He told them this was an healing day for before there was neither Nobleman Gentleman nor Yeoman known by any distinction nor was there any bore rule or authority but the Magistracy and Christ's Ordinances were had in contempt that the fifth Monarchy was highly cry'd up by such persons as had a mind to assume the government to themselves Then in an extolling way he shewed what great things he had done during his Government and then he told them they were upon the edge of Canaan and that he spoke not as their Lord but Fellow-servant And so dismist them to choose their Speaker which they did without presenting to him his name Their Speaker was Lenthal the Speaker to the old Long Parliament This Parliament began to be very brisk upon the Government and fell upon the Instrument on which they made so bad musick questioning Oliver's power that he could not indure it and immediately sent them a Recognition for every Member to take before they sat whereby they were not to meddle with the Government as it was settled in a single person and the Parliament nor with the militia nor with perpetuating Parliaments nor taking away Liberty of Conscience He told them also that a Free Parliament was but a term of Reciprocation for that power which made him Protector made them a Parliament and therefore he was sorry they went about to destroy the Settlement and was forced to send them a Recognition for every Member to sign and seal to prevent it This startled most of them especially the Commonwealths men who all flew off and of 400 scarce 200 appeared though at last several came dropping in and
Hand and into the hands of his own Creatures of the Councel of State altogether ruled by him and therefore it may be wondred at that he did not immediately seize the Crown and set himself in the Throne which he now aspired to But things were not yet ripe and the subtil Fox found such a Levelling party in the Army which he saw must first be Crushed who would never indure it for they were for dividing and sharing all as a Land subdued by them among themselves and for owning no Authority but the Saints who were themselves These begin to rip up the Miscarriages of the Parliament and Cromwell to make them the more Odious puts them upon all Things he believed would make them so to the People and Army One of which was the new Erection of their most Tyrannical Court of Justice for the Tryal of some of the Lords and others whom they had still imprisoned for their Loyalty The first was Duke Hamilton who had invaded England as you have heard with him they at first deal gently hoping to have screw'd out of him the Names of some Eminent men in England that they thought might have invited him in But he either not able or willing in that point to give them Satisfaction and finding the Scots and Argile's party to hate him and to desire his Head he was Condemned tho he pleaded he had Quarter given him by Lambert upon Articles and would have given a hundred Thousand pound to save his Life After him was also tryed and Condemned the Earl of Holland and that most Noble and Heroick Peer the Lord Capel who had escaped out of the Tower but was retaken by means of a perfidious Water-man ever after hated for it He pleaded Articles of surrender but that was denyed him then he pleaded to be tryed at Common-Law put them in mind of Magna Charâ—a Petition of right and of the Fundamental Laws of the Land and that of right he ought to be tryed by his Peers urging them to shew a President of any such Tryal by an Arbitrary Court of Justice as they called it He talk'd to deaf Statues for he was too gallant a Man and too Active and Loyal to be permitted to Live On the 9 th of March these three Lords Duke Hamilton the Earl of Holland and this Noble Lord much lamented were put to Death on a Scaffold in the Pallace-yard in Westminster by severing their Heads from their Bodies It is remarkable that this Lord dyed with much Courage and Christianity being nothing daunted at Death The Earl of Norwich and Sr. John Owen were pardoned by Vote of the House the Earl of Norwich having his Life by the casting Voyce of Lenthal the Speaker only Thus they proceed dipping their hands in Blood growing thereby more Odious to the People and about this time the Scots begin to stir and made a Protest against the Actions of the Parliament of England and on the third of February proclaim the King by the name of Charles the second at Edenborough by Lyon King at Arms. The Scotch Commissioners who had been long here were called home and at their departure they left an Expostulary Declaration putting the Junto in mind of all their Vows and Oaths in maintenance of the Kings Rights and defence of his Person and upbraided them with their shameful Abjuration and Infringment of them by their late horrid Proceedings This paper they Vote Scandalous and Seditious imprison the Messâ—nger who brought it and sending after the Commissioners secure them till the Parliament in Scotland send to justifie the Action and require their Commissioners being imprisoned Contrary to the Law of Nations upon which they were permitted to depart into Scotland and thus Jealousies of a breach began Troublesome John Lilburn an Active Leveller began now to stir delivering a Petition in the Names of many Thousand well affected c. with a Book intituled Englands new Chains discovered in which they find fault with many things done by this Junto and especially the Councel of State and with the erecting an high Court of Justice and altering the Fundamental Laws of the Land for Tryals by Juries Complain of the Excise and of several other things And after this another called a second Part of Englands new Chains which shewed the Hypocrisie and Perfidiousness of the Grandees of the Army and the Councel of State in Cheating all Interests King Parliament People Soldiers City Agitators Levellers c. Upon the back of this comes forth another Book called the Hunting of the Fox which spake against the Army and Councel of State set up by Cromwell and Ireton to erect a new Tyranny worse than the thirty Tyrants at Athens the Star-Chamber the High Commission or house of Lords c. These coming forth one upon the Neck of another shewed the troublesome Spirit that began to ferment in the Army which was now to be Purged as well as the Parliament had been or else Cromwell found he should not be able to work them to his ends And now he had an opportunity offerr'd him for Ireland being in a manner wholly lost excepting Dublin then besieged eleven Regiments were ordered by the Rump to be Transported for its relief by which means Cromwell hoped to purge out this Turgent humour of the Army But some of these bold Petitioners were seized and tryed by a Councel of War of which Barksted was President in which they were Cashiered the Army their Swords ordered to be broken over their Heads and to Ride with their Faces to the Horses Tails with Papers of their Crimes pinned to their Breasts at the head of the Regiments which Sentence was executed accordingly to the great Exasperation of the Army And not long afâ—er several Regiments began to Mutiny and to wear White Colours for distinction in their Hats which might have proved fatal to Cromwell's designs had he not with an undaunted Boldness at that time appearing in Person overawed them and causing two of them to be shot to Death before their Faces But this could not purge out the Humour which 〈◊〉 increasing two more of the Levelling Tribe were 〈◊〉 one of which was named Lockyer a Trooper shot in St. Paul's Church-yard but buried in great State by the 〈◊〉 Faction wearing green and black Ribbons in â—â—â—ir Hats And now the peoples Eyes daily began 〈◊〉 be opened finding what Keepers of Englands Liberties they had got The Regiments ordered to march at Salisbury make an Eruption alledging that this was a Trick to divide the Army and that they were not Mereenaries but took up Arms upon a righteous Principle of Government and therefore would not divide upon which several Regiments revolt and Collonel Scroop's laid aside their Officers and with Colours flying march'd to joyn Harrison's Regiment and Ireton's and Skippon's who had confederated But Fairfax and Cromwell by hasty marches with the whole Army follow them who at Burford in Oxford-shire made up about five Thousand Horse and Foot
on by the secret and forcible Machinations of Oliver and his Cabal The second day being Monday the 22 d. of January the Court met again and the Solicitor Cook urged extreamly for judgment against the Prisoner unless he would own the Authority of the Court which the King constantly denyed to do and offered his reasons against them but they would not be heard The 3 d. day being January 23 d. the King was brought again before the Court who had in the Painted Chamber the day before Resolved That the King should not be suffered to argue the Courts Jurisdiction and had ordered That in case he offer'd to dispute the Authority of the Court that the President should let him know that he ought to rest satisfied with this Answer That the Commons of England assembled in Parliament have Constituted this Court whose Power may not nor should be permitted to be disputed by him And that in case he should refuse to answer or acknowledge the Court the Lord President should let him know his Contumacy should be recorded But the King still persisted in the denyal of their Authority upon which the Clark reads Charles Stewart King of England you are accused in the behalf of the Commons of England of divers high Crimes and Treasons which Charge hath been read unto you the Court now requires you to give your positive and final Answer by way of Confession or denial of the Charge But the King told them he could not acknowledge a new Court set up contrary to the Priviledges of the People to alter the fundamental Laws of the Land The 4 th and last day was the 27 th of January 1648. where appeared about fifty six of those Commissioners who sate when judgment was given against the King by their President Bradshaw But the King having moved to be heard before the Lords and Commons in the painted Chamber promising after that to abide the judgement of the Court they withdrew for half an hour and returning they told the King This was but another denial of the Courts jurisdiction and therefore if he had no more to say they would proceed to Judgement Upon this after Bradshaw had made a long Speech endeavouring to justifie their Proceedings on this false point That the People are the supream Power whom the Commons represented he commanded the Clark to read the Sentence which was drawn up in Parchment in these words Whereas the Commons of England in Parliament have appointed them an High Court of Justice for the trying of Charles Stewart King of England before whom he had been three times convented and the first time a Charge of high Treason and other Crimes and Misdemeanors was read in the behalf of the Kingdom of England c. Here the Charge at length was read after which the Clark proceeds which Charge being read unto him as aforesaid He the said Charles Stewart was required to give his Answer but he refused so to do For all which Treasons and Crimes this Court doth adjudge the said Charles Stewart as a Tyrant Traytor Murtherer and a publick Enemy shall be put to Death by the severing his Head from his Body After this wicked Sentence passed by these Miscreants the King was had away to Sr. Robert Cotten's and thence to St. James's the rude Soldiers in his passage by them blowing Tobacco in his Face and one spit on it which he wiped off with his Hand-kerchief without taking notice of it But when he heard some of them to Cry out Justice Justice he said alas Poor Souls for a piece of Money they will do as much for their Commanders On the 29 th a Committee met in the paintâ—d Chamber to consider on the time and place of the Kings death which they ordered to be the next day before his own Palace Gate which was approved of by the Commissioners and a Warrant Signed and Sealed by them directed to Hacker Hunts and Phare and order that Marshal Nye Caryl Salway and Dell should attend on his Majesty and to administer to him spiritual help but the King would not be troubled with them and at his desire Doctor Juxon Bishop of London was admitted to Pray with him in private in his Chamber and to administer to him the Sacrament and his Children permitted to come to see him But John Godwin was also sent to be an over-looker of their Actions In the mean time the Junto Pen a Proclamation which they afterwards caused to be published making it high Treason for any man to proclaim or publish Charles Stewart the Son to be rightful Heir and Successor to the Crown of England after his Fathers death or any other of that Line King of England and that no man under Pain of imprisonment or other Arbitrary punishment which they should think fit to inflict shall Preach Write or speak any thing contrary to the present Proceedings of the supream Authority of this Nation the Commons of England assembled in Parliament The Sunday before the King dyed it is reported that some of the chief of the Army and Parliament tendred the King a paper to sign with promise of Life and some shew of a King the Power being wholly invested on themselves and was Destructive to the Fundamental Laws of the Land to the Religion established to the Liberties and Properties of the People one Proposition whereof was To continue the Power of the Sword to the Army and to have as a standing Force under the same general Officers forty Thousand Horse and Foot they to have the Choice of their own Officers among themselves by a Councel of War and to settle a constant Tax upon the People by way of a Land rate for the payment of the said Army and to be collected and levyed by themselves and a Court martial to be Erected of an exorbitant Extent and Latitude But his Majesty disdaining to read them all flung them aside and told them He should rather become a Sacrifice for his People and dye by their Hands than so to betray their Laws Liberties Lives and Estates the Church and Honour of his Crown and so to make all Slaves to the Arbitrary Will and Tyranny of an Army O Glorious Prince Oh height of Impudence of armed Arbitrariness See yet how they proceed on the 29 th of January the Junto Vote That it be enacted by this present Parliament and by the Authority of the same That in all Courts of Law Justice Equity and in all Writs Grants Patents Commissions Inditements Informations Suits Returns of Writs Fines Recoveries Exemplificationr Recognizances Processes and Proceedings at Law c. Within the Kingdom of England and Ireland and Dominion of Wales c. Instead of the Name Style or Title of King heretofore used should thence forward be used and no other than the Name Style or Title Custodes Libertatis Aâ—glie Authoritate Parliamenti The keepers of the Liberty of England by Authority of Parliament and the date of the Year of our Lord and no
General Monk whom he had a desire to send further from him But before this last Fight the Parliament called by Cromwell under his Hand and Seal directed to each man such as he picked out godly men as he calleâ— them fit for his turn about One hundred and forty-two of them in all assembled at White-Hall on the Fourth of July where they chose one Mr. Rous a Cornish man Speaker one that had been by the laâ—e Parliament made Provost of Eaton Cromwell in a set Speech declares to them the occasion of their Meeting with his old way of Canting full of Scripture To these men a company of obscure fellows most of them 〈◊〉 Phanaticks the Council of State surrender 〈◊〉 their Power that they might afterwards give it to Cromwell These Adjourn themselves to Westminster where they sit and call themselves the supreme Authority of the Nation and begin to form Committies for the dispatch of Business But this Parliament called Barebones Parliament from a Leatherseller a Member thereof and consisting as I have said of such obscure Persons that most of them were hardly known in the Counties where they were born began to make such ridiculous Acts and so displeasing to the people that some thought Cromwell had called together this little Parliament to bring Parliaments into contempt the better to devolve the Ruling Power on himself as a Monarch One of their Acts was that none should be married without a Justice of Peace and the Banes asked in the Market-place three several Market-daies Thus the Priesthood was invaded and placed in the Civil Magistrate Then they took off the Penal Law of the Engagement to acknowledge the late Rump whereby it was ordered that no man should be admitted to sue in Law in any Court that had not taken it They voted against Tythes and the Universities as Antichristian They also were going in hand with cancelling the Law and all Law Books and so make a new Code more besitting their own turns and for the establishing of the Saints as they called themselves They were also upon making an Act that one Parliament should upon their dissolving have power to call another and so to make Parliaments perpetual This was not to be endured by the Oliverian Party who expected now to solace themselves under the shadow of his greatness And on the twelfth of December this Party in the House with the Speaker made a Motion for their dissolution declaring that their sitting any longer would not be for the good of the Nation Many of the Committee Blades hardly warm in their seats were startled at it these began to stand up stifly pleading for the Cause of God as they called it and shewing they could not leave the Commonwealth and the People of God committed to their charge so soon which would leave them to utter ruine and Harison and Squib a great Sequestrator were very zealous in defence of their own Authority But Oliver's Party being the greater arose and with their Speaker Rous left the House and the Fifth-monarchy Saints sitting in it who having sought God resolved to continue sitting Rous in the mean time with the Mace before him and his Followers go to Whitehall and there resign to Oliver the Instrument of Power he had given them that made them a Parliament with notice how they had left their fellows sitting Oliver returns them his thanks and kindly receives their Present and presently dispatches a Confident of his Colonel White with a Guard of Red-coates to turn the fag end or Rump of this little Parliament out of the House who entring the House commanded them in the name of the General to depart declaring them to be dissolved but they told him they were upon earnest business and therefore desired that he would not disturb them for they were seeking God to which he replied pish is that all 't is to no purpose for God has not been within these walls this twelve years and so fairly compelled them to go out of the House and to seek God somewhere else About four days after the Officers of the Army had prepared an Instrument of Government on which foundation they erected their new Dominion in a single Person entreating their General to accept of the Government under the Title of Protector of the Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland and thus a Rotation is made from a Republick to a single Person and Arbitrary Tyranny not the Monarchy is restored and instead of the many Tyrants one as boundless is constituted by a Military Power Good man with his usual dissimulation and Hypocrisie he refused it with much seeming modesty what he so long had sought and ambitioned but being pressed and by being made sensible of the great necessity of it for the upholding the Nation he at last accepts it and is installed with great pomp in Westminster Hall attended by the Lords Commissioners of the great Seal all the Judges in their Robes the Serjeants and learned Counsellors at Law the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Recorder of London in their Scarlets and all the chief Officers of the Army Being seated in a great Chair of State and the Instrument read unto him this Oath was administred I promise in the presence of God not to violate or infringe 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 Nation according to the Laws Statutes and Customes thereof and to seek their peace and to cause Justice and Law to be equally administred But how well he kept this Oath you may perceive by the sequell of his Reign Having taken this Oath putting on his Hat the Commissioners surrender into his Hand the great Seal and the Lord Mayor the City Sword and Cap of maintenance which he respectively returned to them again and then returned in the same pomp to Whitehall The chief Heads of this Instrument as they called it of Government were First That a Parliament should be called every three years Second That the first should assemble the third of September 1654. Third That no Parliament should be dissolved till they had sate five Months Fourth That such Bills as should be offered to the Protector by the Parliament if he assented not in twenty dayes should be Laws without him Fifth That his Council should not exceed the number of twenty one nor be less than thirteeâ— Sixth That immediately after the death of the present and succeeding Protectors the Council shall choose another Protector before they rise Seventh That no Protector after the present should be General of the Army Eighth That the Protector should have power to make War or Peace This they denyed to the King Ninth That in the Intervals of Parliaments the Protector and his Council may make some Laws that should be binding to the Subject Here is a prerogative granted beyond any of the Kings of England Tenth That in the Parliament should be
known and most agreeable Government to the people of England this was hotly pursued by the Court-party of the House which after several hot debates produced The Humble Petition and Advice of which â—e shall speak anon The horrible licentiousness of these times had ripened the birth of strange and monstrous Opinions and Heresies and all places swarm'd with these kind of creatures of an hundred different perswasions The Ranters grew numerous and committed their beastialities under the notion of Liberty of Conscience publickly turning debauchery and all manner of wickedness into a Religion some lying with their Wives or other women openly in the Market-place several both men and women running stark naked without the least rag to hide their shame about the streets and into Churches pretending a Command from the spirit for these Actions Then the Socinians encreased who denied the Divinity of Christ one Biddle being infamous for those Opinions and one Erbery once a Minister for Ranting Then the Quakers began to grow numerous under George Fox their head and so troublesome that they disquieted Oliver himself who liked not their Antiministerial principles But above the rest James Naylor was at this time remarkable who grew to that height of delusion and phrensie as to personate our Saviour and procured a divine worship or adoration to be given to him by some women attending him He had been formerly a Soldier under Lambert who stickled much to save him from punishment but the Parliament now sitting take the matter into their cognisance being sent up from Bristol where he was he appears before them with a composed countenance his hair hanging after the fashion of those pictures made for our Saviour and with a forked beard often answering the questions put to him with Thou sayest it He was accused of Blasphemy and for assuming to himself divine Honours he having had Hosanna's sung before him and such expressions used to him as the people of the Jews used towards our Saviour when he rode into Jerusalem a little before his Crucifixion He used several evasions but the House sentenced him to be both at London and Bristol publickly Whipt through both the Cities to stand in the Pillory to have his Tongue bored thorow and to be stigmatized in the forehead with the letter B for a Blasphemer and then to remain in Bridewell during pleasure which sentence was with great severity inflicted upon him and which he underwent with a more than ordinary patience and resolution The Parliament having made an Act for Preventing of Multiplicity of Buildings within ten miles of London and that every house within that compass built upon a new foundation should pay a years Rent to the Protector they fall upon the Petition and Advice In the mean time Cromwell designing the Succession of his Usurpation for his Son Richard begins to shew him to the World but that he might give Lambert no Umbrage of his Intentions he keeps him for some time in the Country in Hamshire where he had Married the Daughter of one Major with whom he had a plentiful Fortune Here he grows familiar and kind to the Royalists insinuating into them by his debonare Carriage and serving many of them in several requests to his Father endeavouring to get their good liking by his Civilities and afâ—able Disposition The first publick Honour done him was in making him Chancellor of Oxford which his Father had resigned for that purpose then he was Sworn a Privy-Counsellor and made a Colonel in the Army that he might have an Interest in all Parties and not long afterwards was made the first Lord of the other House after the re-meeting of the Parliament and stiled the Noble Lord Richard Cromwell to prepare his way had likewise his News-writer Marchiamount Needham who tells the people there is no everlasting principle in Government which is but a temporary expedient and that in the hazard of a Common-wealth the next shift might be made use of which was a King as most agreeable and necessary He had likewise an ill Poet Pagan Fisher who in a Rodomontado stile sung his Atchievements in Latin Verse together with the Vertues of the pious Bradshaw Oliver having prepared things for them as well as he could the Parliament proceed hotly upon the Petition and Advice which was their new Model of Government and with which on the 9 th of April 1657 the Parliament having desired a meeting with the Protector they wait upon him in the Banqueting-house at White-Hall where Sir Thomas Widdrington in a set Speech commended the office of a King as setled here ever since Christianity approved by our Ancestors agreeing best with our Laws and temper of the People a Model of which Government as most proper for the good and security of the Nation he there presented him with The old Fox returns That 't is a weighty Matter and therefore desired time to seek God in it for without his Assistance the charge would be too great for him to bear That the English were the best people in the world and therefore all tenderness imaginable should be shewed to them and nothing done without due consideration of their benefit with much more of the like nature The next day a Committee was appointed to attend him for his Answer which being delivered after a dubious manner they resolve to force it upon him and adhering to their Petition frame a Committee of near half their House to attend him both to hear and give satisfaction to his doubts and scruples in this case The chief of these were Whitlock Lord Chief Justice Glyn Lord Broghill Lenthal Lisle Philip Jones Fiennes Strickland Thurlo Sir Richard Onslow and Sir Charles Woosley And now it might be wondred at that Cromwell having this fair opportunity did not accept of this proffer so much urged no doubt but he most eagerly desired it yet was he so cautious and fearfull lest that like the Dog in the Fable he should snatch too greedily at the shadow of Royalty and should lose the boundless power or substance of his Tyranny or in seeking to fortifie his title lose his tenure for he well understood the temper of the Army and that by the means of Lambert who began to smell out his design and fearing to lose the Succession promised him was ready to Mutiny which if he should lâ—se he were undone knowing all his title was maintained by the power of their Swords and that therefore he must wear such title as they please or would be contented with therefore considering that it would not be safe for him at this time to accept it he was forced with reluctancy to put it off to a more convenient season Many meetings and debates however they had about it and many Arguments held Pro and Con between them The Committee alledged that the title of King had been confirmed by Parliaments for above 1300 years and that neither the Person or Name of King had been displeasing to them That it