Zoo Mr. N E A L 'S IF Vol. of the to his Majefty's Service, and gave Votes for ' Men of the new Religion, and notorious Op- ' pofers of the King and Clergy, whofe Names ' they had before privately lifted ; by which divers Citizens and Lawyers were chofen Members for thofe Corporations, which never fo much as ' heard of them. Thefe, and many other uncom- ' mon PraEtices were made ufe of, to defeat the c King's Friends.' Neal, ibid. But both he [Mr. Echard] and Lord Clarendon admit, that there were many great and worthy Patriots in the Houfe, and as eminent as any Age had ever produced; Men of Gravity, of Wifdom, and of great and plentiful Fortunes, who would have been fatisfied with fame few Amendments in Church and State. Mr. Echard's Words, (p. 189.) ' Yet this ought ' to be declared, that there were fill many great ' and worthy Men, as eminent as any Age ever produced : but molt of them came with Relent- ments, which, tho' grounded on juft Keafons, ' proved too thong for their Wifdom and Fore- ' fight, and help'd to overwhelm themfelves in 4 the common Ruin. They had unqueftionably feveral Grievances to redrefs; but few of them were able to apply the right Cures, or to fop 4 when the End was atually obtain'd. In fhort, they could not enough guefs at the Confequences 4 of violent Methods, nor yet fee, that while they ' were defeating their Enemies, they were hafen- ing on their own Ruin.' .Milton (our Hiftorian cannot but know) was far from being a Friend to the Royal Çaufe, being á' Latin Secretary to the Rump Parliament, and af- terwards to Oliver Cromwell ; and having wrote in defence of Sme8ymnuus ; Iconoclafles, in anfwer to EoxWv Ba.atT.ixn 3 a Defence of the King's Murder, * Tolan4's Life of Milton, p. 8o, 81, againft
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=