:SIZ T!Je HISTORY of the PuRITANs: Vot. II. Olivet a~ai~ feems no more than an artifice to get a little money out of the pool' Pr~:~or. kmg s purfe, ~ The proteCtor's health was now declining, through his advanced age <Jbe Protec and exefiive toils and fatigues. The refl:lefs fpirits of the royalifls and re: tor}!}ckhefs publicans put him upon his guard, infomuch that he ufually wore under Rn cat • his cloaths a piece of armour, or a coat of mail. The lo(s of his beloved daughter Claypole, who died this fummer, had alfo a very fenii ble influ– ence on his health. About the middle of Augufl he was feized with a flow fever, which turned to a tertian ague; but the diil:emper appeared [o favourable for a while, that he walked abroad in the gardens at Hamp– ton- court. Ludlow fays, the proteCl:or had a humour in his leg, which he defired the phyticians to difperfe, by which means )t was thrown into his blood : At length his pulfe began to intermit, and he was advifed t0 keep his bed ; and his ague fits growing il:ronger, it was thought proper to remo1•e him to Whitehall, where he began to be light-headed; upon which his phyficians declared his life in danger, and the council being fummoned to defire him to nominate his fuccefior, he appointed his eldeft fon Richard. In the intervals of his fits, he behaved with great devo– tion and piety, but manifefied no remorfe for his public aCl:ions; he de– clared in general, that he defigned the good of the nation, and to preBaxter's lijr. ferve it from anarchy and a new war. He once afked Dr. Goodwin, P· g8. who attended at his bed-fide, and is faid to have expreifed an unbecom– ing affi1rance to Almighty God in prayer of his recovery, ~vbether a man could fall from grace? which the doCl:or anfwering in the n~gative, the proteCtor replied, thm I am Jafe, for I am Jure I was once in a jfate if grace. About twelve hours before he died he lay very quiet, wheu major Butler being in his chamber, fays he heard him make his lafl: prayer to this purpofe: " Lord, I am a poor fooliih creature; this pea– ,, ple would fain have me live; they think it be~ ~or them, a_nd that it " will redound much to thy glory, and all the fbr JS about th1s. Others '"' would fa in have me die; Lord pardon them, and pardon thy fooliG1 " people, forgive their fins, and do not forfake them, but love and " blefs, and give them refi:, and bring them to _a confiil:ency, and give " me reil:, for Jefus Chriil:'s fake, to whom w1th thee, and thy Holy " Spirit, be all honour and glory, uow an~ for ever, Amen." The pro– tector died, Sepr. 3-, 1658, about three m the afternoon, the day on which be had triumphed in the battles of Dmzbar, and_Worcejler, when he had lived fifty nine years, four months, and e1ght days: four years and eigbt months after he had been declared protector _by the inflrummt qj go·vernment; ~n? one year .and three months_ after hrs con– firmation by the humble ~etztzon and advtce. As ~e had hved moil: part of his life in a fi:orm, h1s. death was attended With one of the greate~ hurn,.
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