428 T/.;e HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANs. VoL. II. Oliver •• tu re confideration had of the form of government hereunto annexed Protetlor " b . [; . fi d h l r h h d' . rr.ft ' 6 • emg atiS e t at t 1e 1ame, t roug Ivme au> ance, may anfwer the ~ " ends aforementioned, and having alfo been deflred and advifed, as " well by feveral perfons of intereft and fidelity in the commonwealth, as " the officers of the army, to take upon me the protection and govern– " ment of thefe nations in the manner expreffed in the fa id form of govern– ,, ment,. I have accepted the.reof. and do hereby declare my acceptance " accord111gly; and do prom1fe, 111 the prefence of God, that I will not '' violate or infringe the matters and things contained therein, but to my " power obferve the fame, and caufe them to be obferved; and !hall in all " other things. to the beft of my underftanding, govern thefe nations ac– " carding to the laws, ftatutes, and cuftoms, feeking their peace, and '' caufingjuf1ice and law to be equally adminiftered." After this he fat down in the chair of .flate covered, and the commif– fioners delivered him the great feal, and the lord mayor his fword and cap· of maintenance; which he returned in a very obliging manner. The ce– remony being over, the foldiers with a iliout cried out, God b!efs the lord protetlor of the commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland. In their return to Whitehall, the lord mayor carried the fword before his high– uefs uncovered, and prefently after he was proclaimed in the city of Loll~ don, and throughout all the !Jritijh dominions. Thus did this wonderful man, by furprizing management, fupported only by the fword, advance him[elf to the fupreme government of three· k ingdoms, without confent of parliament or people. His birth feemed tO' promife nothing of this kind ; nor does it appear that he had formed the project, till after the battle of 11/orce/ler, when he apprehended the parli– ?,ment had projected his ruin by difbanding the army, and perpetuating· their authority among themfelves :. which of the two ufurpations was moft. eligible muf1 be left with the reader; but how he brought the officers into. his meafures, and fupported his fovereignty by an army of enthuliafis,. ::mabaptifts, fifth monarchy men, and republicans, will be the admiration of all poflerity; and though by this ad venturous act, he drew upon him– felf the plots and confpiracies of the feveral factions in the nation, yet his u<:nius and refolution furmounted all difficulties, his !hort empire being ~ne continued blaze of glory and renown to the britijh i!les, and of terror. to the reil: pf Europe. Ranarl<s on The reader will make his own remarks upon the new.il!ftrmnent ofgo· the injiruvermnent, and will neceifarily obferve, that it was a creature of Crom~IJell's ment •f gtoand his council of oflicers and not drawn up by a proper reprefentative of iltrnmen . ' . . . the people. How far the prefent CJrcumftances of the natiOn made thisneceffary, muft be concluded from the remarks we have.made upon the chan~f,
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