fight which

continued

the firft.

P. 562.

1653. After this battle, the English fleet being reinforced to the number of a hundred hips, faw itself, fome time, Another miftrefs of the fea, and gave frequent alarms to the coafts of Holland. At laft, Trump having repaired his fleet as three days, much as poffible, though it was inferior to the English both in the number and largenefs of the fhips, attacked the July 29, Id. p. 381. enemy's fleet again near the Texel. The fight lafted from Whitelock, morning till night without any confiderable advantage to either fide, It was renewed the next day with the fame Phillips. fury, Trump being reinforced with twenty seven ships, nor P. 346, 348.did this fecond day decide the victory. The third day opened Trump with a fresh engagement, in which Trump was killed by a musket ball. But vice admiral de Witzen continued the fleets retire. fight, till the two fleets, as if by confent, retired to their Whitelock, own coafts, unable to fight any longer. The lofs on both P. 564. fides was very confiderable, and neither could juftly boast of the victory; but the lofs of admiral Trump was irreparable to Holland.

Heath,

killed.

The two

The English

put to fea again.

Cromwell took care fpeedily to repair the English fleet, in hopes of receiving fome advantage from the confternation caufed by the death of Trump, the lofs of fo mary fhips, and the divifion then reigning amongst the Unit d Their fleet Provinces. But a violent ftorm fo damaged his fleet, that he damaged by was under a neceffity of either making a peace, or loading the people with new taxes, which, in his prefent fituation, Peace nego. Was very improper. He liftened therefore to the propofitions of the ftates, and the whole following winter was London. spent in the negotiation.

a form.

tiated at

The parliaBarebone's parliament did nothing confiderable in a feffion mentreturns of more than five months ".. Nor was it called for that thefovereign purpose. At laft, the 12th of December, the speaker, with power into the hands of a good number of the members, who knew Cromwell's inthe officers. tentions, being affembled fooner than ufual, one of them rofe up and faid, that they were unequal to the burden laid III. p. 378. Whitelock, upon them, and therefore propofed a diffolution of themp. 570, 571, felves, and a refignation of the fovereign authority into the Phillips.

Clarendon,

z The Dutch had ninety men of war, and the English one hundred and fix. See Whitelock, p. 562. Phillips, p. 619.

a Twenty-feven Dutch hips were fired or funk and above one thousand prifoners taken. The English loft four thips, four hundred common failors, and eight captains. And had above

hands

feven hundred men, and five captains wounded. Clarendon, tom. III. p. 388.

b They made an act for marriages, ordering the banes to be published in the next market, three feveral days, and the ceremony to be performed by ajuftice of the peace. And that there fhould be a register appointed in every parish tô keep an account of them. Scobell

hands from whom it was received. This propofal met with 1653. a ready and unanimous approbation. Then the speaker and all the prefent members, without waiting for those who were not yet come, left their feats, and went directly to Cromwell and the council of officers: To whom they declared, that they found themselves incapable of the truft reposed in them, refigned the inftrument they had received, and befought them to take care of the government. Thus Cromwell and his council of officers were once more invested with the supreme power, by that parliament on which themselves had conferred their pretended authority. It is manifeft, this had been refolved from the calling of the parliament, in order to derive a parliamentary authority to thofe, who had by their own power diffolved the former parliament. This artifice was fo grofs, that Cromwell's belief to impofe upon the people, is amazing. But an abfurdity is fwallowed by means of an irrefiftible power.

? invetts

Two days after, the council of officers, by virtue of the The conncil authority lately given them by the parliament, declared, of officers that for the future the government of the republick fhould Cromwell refide in a single perfon, namely, Oliver Cromwell, captain with the general of the forces of England, Scotland and Ireland, who dignity of protector. Thould have the title of protector of the three kingdoms, and be affifted by a council of twenty-one perfons..

III. p. 378.
Whitelock,

P. 57%.

ment.

P. 57. Clarendon, III. p. 379.

The 16th of December the council of officers fent for the commiffioners of the great feal, with the lord mayor and Inftrument aldermen of London, and informed them that Cromwell of governwas made protector, caufed to be read in their presence a Whitelock, writing called the inftrument of government, the substance whereof was: I. A parliament to be called every three years. by the protector. II. The firft to affemble on the 3d of Sep- BP tember 1654. III. No parliament to be diffolved till they have fat five months. IV. Such bills as are offered to the protector by the parliament, if not confirmed by him in twenty days, to be laws without him. V. That his council hould not exceed the number of one and twenty, nor be less than thirteen. VI. That immediately after the death of Cromwell,

takes an

oath to obferve it.

1653. Cromwell, the council fhall chufe another protector before they rife. VII. That no protector after the present shall be general of an army. VIII. The protector fhall have power to make war and peace. IX. That the protector and his council may make laws, which shall be binding to the fubCromwell ject, during the intervals of parliament. After the reading of this inftrument, Cromwell took an oath to obferve it to the utmost of his power. Then he was conducted to WhiteWhitelock, hall with great ceremony, Lambert carrying the fword of ftate before him, and from that time the title of highnefs and Affumes the lord protector was given him. Immediately after, he was proclaimed as fuch at London, and then in the three kingdoms, which formed but one commonwealth. The city of London invited him to a fplendid entertainment, where the folemnity of his reception was fuch as had been at any time performed to the king,

P-577

title of

highness. Invited by the city to

an entertainment.

February 8.

Idem.

Thus Cromwell, whofe birth feemed to have placed him Clarendon, at an infinite diftance from fovereignty, found means to be IL. p. 379. Reflections invefted with the fupreme power. When the proceedings of upon Crom- the long parliament against the late king, the methods ufed well's ad- to effect his ruin, their obftinate refufal of peace without the

vancement.

abolition of epifcopacy and reduction of the regal power, the
policy of the independents in concealing themselves many
years among the prefbyterians, and in not discovering them-
felves, till the king was unable to hurt them, their artifices
to gain the army, their tyranny against the prefbyterians and
the king himself, and laftly, Cromwell's early adherence to
that party, (when these things I fay) are confidered, one is
apt to believe, the project of his advancement was formed
from the beginning of the long parliament, and that the fub-
fequent tranfactions flowed folely from that project. Accor-
dingly this is infinuated by fome, their aim being to show,
that Charles I. was perfecuted only to render that project the
more practicable. But when it is confidered, on the other
hand, that it was almoft impoffible for Cromwell to have
any
fuch views, at a time when he had but little credit, and
was scarce known in the parliament; that his reputation in-
creafed by a series of contingent events entirely out of his
power, and by battles which he might have loft, it is difficult
to believe, he could have formed fuch a defign before his
victory at Worcester. He had, very probably, even before
that battle, his own advancement in view, but not to the
fupreme power. There were in his party men of too great
a penetration not to difcover fuch a defign, had it been en-

tertained

75

tertained by him. But as they thought not of his ruin till 1653. after that victory, very likely, his defigns were not fooner perceived, and that it was only from that time, or perhaps not fo early, that he began to ruminate on his grand project. For being then general, he had lefs way to go, than if he had formed the defign while he was but lieutenant neral d

d Cromwell faid to Mr. Bellievre : L'on ne montoit jamais fi haut, que quand on ne fcait ou l'on va. That is,

ge

a man never rifes fo high, as when he
knows not where he is going. Retz.
Mem. tom. I. p. 385.

THE