January, 1649, in the 49th year of his age, and the 24th of his reign.

Charles had many virtues, but he fuffered himself to be guided by counsellors much inferior to himself in knowledge and judgment; whilft he paid too much deference to the advice of his confort, who was superftitiously attached to the errors of popery.

The diffolution of the monarchy in England, foon followed the death of their monarch. The peers met, and fent down their votes, as ufual, to the commons, who did not deign to take the leaft notice of them; and in a few days, the lower houfe paffed a vote, that the houfe of peers was ufelefs and dangerous, and was

therefore to be abolished. The commons then ordered a new great feal to be engraved, on which that affembly was reprefented, with this legend,. On the first year of freedom, by God's bleffing, restored, 1649. And the forms of all public bufinefs were changed, from the king's name, to that of the keepers of the liberties of England.

1

The confufions which overfpread England after the death of Charles, and the unfettled humours of the people, were only to be controuled by the great influence, both civil and military, acquired by Oliver Cromwell. This man, fuited to the age in which he lived, and to that alone, was equally qualified to gain the affection and confidence of men, by what was mean, vulgar, and ridiculous in his character, as to command their obedience by what was great, daring and enterprifing. Familiar even to buffoonery with the meanest centinel, he never loft his authority. Tranfported to a degree of madnefs, with religious extafies, he never forgot the political purposes, to which that might ferve. So that in a fhort time, the commonwealth, of which, even at this early period, he was the chief conductor, found every thing compofed into a seeming tranquillity.

Being the fon of a private gentleman, at Huntingdon, Cromwell was chofen member for Cambridge in the long parliament, and being endowed, with unfhaken intrepidity,

intrepidity, and much diffimulation, he rofe, through the gradations of preferment, to the poft of lieutenantgeneral under Fairfax. In 1649 he was fent general into Ireland, when, in about nine months, he fubdued almost that whole kingdom, and leaving his fon-in-law, Ireton, to complete the conqueft, returned to England. In 1650, he was appointed commander in chief of all the commonwealth, and fet out on his march against the Scots, who had efpoufed the royal cause, and placed young Charles, the fon of their late monarch, on the throne. In 1651, he totally defeated the royalifts at Worcester, when the king himself was obliged to flee.

Numberlefs were the difficulties which Charles encountered in order to elude the fearch of his enemies. At Bofcobel, a lone house on the borders of Staffordfhire, he was fecreted by one Penderell, a farmer. And for his better concealment, he got up into an oak, where he sheltered himself twenty-four hours. This tree was afterwards denominated The Royal Oak, and for many years was regarded by the neighbourhood with great veneration. At length, after a variety of adventures and fufferings, he landed fafely at Fef-camp, in Normandy, no lefs than forty perfons having at different times been privy to his escape.

Admiral Blake, and other naval officers, now carried the terror of the English name by fea to all quarters of the globe, while Cromwell, having but little employment, began to be afraid that his fervices would be forgotten. He went therefore without any ceremony, with about 300 mufqueteers, and diffolved the parliament, after having loaded the members with the vileft reproaches, for their tyranny, ambition, oppreffion, and robbery of the public. He next annihilated the council of ftate, with whom the executive power was lodged, and transferred the adminiftration of government to 140 perfons whom he fummoned to Whitehall. Being in a fhort time declared lord protector of the commonwealth, Cromwell exercised greater power under that title, than had ever been annexed to

the

the regal dignity. He gave the command of all the forces in Scotland to general Monk, and fent his own fon, Henry, to govern Ireland..

The court of Spain having long cousted in vain the friendship of the fuccefsful ufurper, applied at laft to king Charles, who had removed his fmall court to Bruges; and that prince raised four regiments of his own fubjects, whom he employed in the Spanish fervice. The protector fent over into Flanders 6000 men, who joined the French army under marshal Turenne. A battle was fought, in which the Spaniards were totally defeated, and Dunkirk, being foon after furrendered, was by agreement delivered to Cromwell.

The protector, however, reaped very little fatisfaction from the success of his arms abroad. The fituation, in which he stood at home, kept him in perpetual inquietude. Having deceived every party, he had lost the confidence of all. But what gave him most con, cern was the eftrangement of his family. Fleetwood, his fon-in-law, was enraged to difcover that he entertained views of promoting his own grandeur, more than of encouraging piety and religion, of which he made fuck fervent profeffions. Mrs. Fleetwood, his eldest daughter, was fo violent a republican, that the could not with patience behold power lodged in a fingle perfon, even in her indulgent father. His other daughters were no lefs prejudiced in favour of the royal cause. Above all, the sickness and death of Mrs. Claypole, his peculiar favourite, who, on her death bed, upbraided her father with all his fanguinary meafures, added to his anxiety.

All composure of mind was now for ever fled from the protector. The aspect of ftrangers was uneasy to him. He never moved a ftep without guards, and feldom flept above three nights together in the fame chamber. Society terrified him, and folitude was not to be born. His health fenfibly declined, and he was feized with a flow fever, which terminated in his death, in the 60th year of

A. D. 1658.

his age, and the 5th of his protectorfhip. As he had, when nearly fpeechlefs, expreffed a with that his fon Richard fhould fucceed him, the council immediately recognised his fucceffion. Fleetwood, in whofe fa,vour, it was fuppofed, Cromwell had formerly made a will, renounced all pretenfions to the protectorfhip. Henry, Richard's brother, who governed Ireland with popularity, enfured him the obedience of that kingdom. Monk proclaimed him in Scotland. The army and fleet acknowledged his title. Foreign minifters paid him the ufual compliments. And Richard, whofe unambitious character would never have led him to contend for empire, was tempted to accept of fo rich an inheritance, which feemed to be tendered to him by the confent of all mankind. But as he wanted refolution, and poffeffed none of thofe arts which were proper to gain an enthufiaftic army, he foon figned his own abdication.

Thus fuddenly fell the family of the Cromwells. Richard continued to poffefs a moderate eftate, and extended his peaceful and quiet life to an extreme old His focial virtues, more valuable than the greateft capacity, met with a recompenfe more precious than noify fame.

age.

The refloration of monarchy was effected by a gene-: ral concurrence of the people, who feem to have thought that neither peace nor protection were to be obtained, till the ancient conftitution was established. General Monk, a man of military abilities, had the fagacity to obferve this, and, having rendered himselfabfolute mafter of the parliament, re- A. D. 1660.

ftored Charles II. after an exile of twelve

years, in France and Holland. Being born on the. 29th of May, 1630, Charles was now thirty years of age, poffeffed of a good shape, a manly figure, and a graceful air. His whole demeanour and behaviour› was well qualified to fupport and increase the popula-') rity he had acquired. To a lively wit and quick comprehenfion, he united a juft understanding, and a general obfervation both of men and things. The eafieft

manners,

manners, the moft unaffected politeness, the most engaging gaiety, accompanied his converfation and -addrefs. Accuftomed, during his exile, to live among his courtiers rather like a companion than a monarch, he retained on the throne the fame open affability. And being totally devoid of refentment, as well from the natural lenity as carele ffness of his temper, he infured pardon to the moft guilty of his enemies.

One of the firft fteps of Charles's government was to pass an act of general indemnity. Those who had an immediate hand in the late king's death, were excepted. Even Cromwell, Ireton, Bradshaw, and others, now dead, were attainted, and their estates forfeited. Vane and Lambert, though none of the regicides, were also excepted. Ten only out of four-fcore were devoted to immediate deftruction. And these were all the feverities which followed fuch furious civil wars and convulfions. Charles knew and cultivated the true interefts of his kingdom, till he was warped by pleasure, and funk in indolence. He has. been feverely cenfured for felling Dunkirk to the French king for 250,000l. fterling, to fupply his neceffities, after he had fquandered the immenfe fums granted him by parliament. Among the evidences of his degeneracy as a king may be mentioned his giving way to the popular clamour against the lord chancellor Clarendon, as the chief advifer of the fale of Dunkirk. Though his lordfhip was a man of extenfive knowledge and great abilities, and more honeft in his intentions than most of his other minifters, Charles facrificed him to the fycophants of his pleafurable hours. The great feal being taken from him, he withdrew into France, where he lived in a private manner, and furvived his banishment fix years.

The first Dutch war, which began in 1665, was carried on with great refolution and spirit under the duke of York; but Charles having mifapplied the publie money which had been granted for the profecution of it, the Dutch, while a treaty of peace was depending, infulted the royal navy of England. They failed:

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