Chap. HI. The HISTORY of the PuRITANS. 441 were fo far from (hewing refpeCl: to the court, that they held no manner OJi,•cr f fi d · I · 1· h h · 1 h · · h ProteCtor. o corre pan ence wlt 1 1t; w 11c , toget er wtt 1 t etr votmg, t at .no one 1654 . c!a11(e if ·u.·bat they had agreed upon jhou/d be binding, unlefs the whole were <./"'V"'..J' co1d'mtcd to, provoked the protec7or, as derogating from his power of con - Life Of feming to or refufing particular bills, and therefore hav!ng di~covered fe- ~.'~;~~ell, Vet"al plots againll: his government ready to break out, ll1 wh1ch fame of the mtmbers were concerned, he fent for them into the painted chamber Jan. 2 2, and after a long and intricate fpeecb, in which, after fome fl:rong expreffioos in favour of liberty to men o.f the fame faith , though of d iff~ rent judgments inlei1cr matters, he complained, that they · had .taken no more notice of him, either by mdLge or addrefs, th an if there had been no fu ch perfon in being; that they had done nothing for the honour ~:nd fupport of the government, bot [pent their time in fru itlefs debates of little confequence, wl1ile the nation was bleed ing to d,eath; and infiead of making things eafy, that they had laid a foundation for future diltltisfac- Protetlor tions; he therefore diffolved them, without confirming any of their aCts, rlif{oives f I I r fi . I ..n ,/' them. a ter t 1ey Jad 1<.\t ve n1onths, accordwg to t Je 1l!J.rument O; government, reckoning twenty· eight dc~ys to a month. This was deemed an unpopular aCtion, and a renounci ng the additional title the parliament would have given him; but this GREAT MAN with the [word in his hand was not to be joflled out of the [addle with votes and refolu tions; and if one may credit his fpeech, his affuming the government was not fo much the efteet of his own ambition, as of a bold refolution to prevent the nations falling back into anarchy and blood. Upon the riling of the parliament, major-general Harrifon one of the P lot ofth, chiefs of the republicans, was taken into cull:ody; and Mr. J· ohn Wi!dmarz ~-,Vplubllrcan,, 1 I V lit. P· w 0 1ad been expelled the hou fc , was apprehended as he was draw ing up 6oo. a paper, entitled a declaration if the free and 7oell afjcCled people q/England II07V in arms againfl the tyrant 0LIVER CRoMWELL; which prevented the riling of that party. The ro)'alijls were buying up arms at the f.tme time, and preparing to And oftht rife in fcveral parts of the kingdom. Thev had procured commifilons zyalifl~ from the young king at Co!ogn, and delired I{is majdl:y to be ready on the ulr.p. 5~~. fea coall: by the I Hh of Marcb , when there would be a revolt in the army, and w~Jen Dover cajile would be delivered into their hands. The king ~ccor?mgly removed to M1ddleburgh in Z ealand; but the protector had Jllt~IIJgenc~ .of it. fr:or:' his fpie~, and declared it openly as foon as he was arnve:d, wnrch mtumdated the confpirators, and made them fear they were di~covered: howe~er about the time appointed, fome [mall p2rties of roya!lfls got together 10 Shropjhire, wi th anintent to furprize Shre·wjbury and Chtrk cajtle. A cart load of arms was brought to a place of rendez. vous for the northern parts, wher.e they were to be headed by Wilmot earl VoL. II. . L I 1 of
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