Chap. nr. The HISTORy of t!Je PuRITANS. 5'5 The prohteClo_r had 1 an~ncommon 1 c1omm~d of hhis pahffi?ns, ~nd knl~fiw p?a)!~.~. how to be ave m c 1arauer upon a occa.wns; t oug m pnvate 1e 6 8 he would be jocofe and merry with his inferiors ;. yet no princ~ was~ more jealous of his dignity on public occafions. H1s ambaffadors m fo- H" publtc reign comts had all the refpeCls paid them that thofe of our kings ever charafle.r. had. All Europe trembled at his name ! And though he could conve.rfe with no foreigners but in broken Iatin, yet no man ever had better mtelligence, nor underfiood the views and interefis of the feveral courts of Europe better than himfelf. He had fpies at Madrid and Paris, and was fo happy as to fix upon perfons who never failed him. Mr. Algernoon SJ•dney, who was not inclined to think or fpeak well of kings, cornmended him to bilhop Burnet as one who had jufi: notions of public liberty ; and though he made fome fevere and cruel laws againfi: the epif- <:opal clergy, it was not for their religious profeffion, but becaufe they were open and declared enemies to his perfon and government. The proteCtor was a protefiant, but affeCted to go under no denomina- H is religim• tion or party : He. had chaplains of all perfuafions; and though he was by principle an independent, he eil:eemed all reformed churches as part of the catholic church; and without aiming to eil:abli!h any tenets by force or violence; he witneffed, on all occafions, an extream zeal for the proteftant religion, and a jufi: regard for the liberty of con~ fcience. As to his moral charaCler, his greateft enemies have not charged him and moral with any public vices. Dr. Welwood admits, that he was not addiCted to 2_ar~tler. [wearing, gluttony, drunkennefs, gaming, avarice, or the love of wo- ·p.a~r~B~ton, men, but kept clofe to his marriage bed. Nor is he chargeable with co– vetoufnefs, for it has been computed (fays the writer of his life), that he dill:ributed forty thoufand pounds a year out of his privy purfe to chari• table ufes. He promoted virtuous men, and was inflexible in his punilh~ ment of ill actions. His court was regulated according to a moft ftric:t difcipline (fays Mr. Eachard), where every vice was baniihed 9r feverely punilhed. He maintained a confiant appearance of piety, and was re~ gul~r in his p~ivate and public devotions: He retired confrantly every day to read the fcnptures and prayer; and fome who watched him narrowly have reported, that after he had read and expounded a chapter, he profirat~ ed himfelf with his face on the ground, and with tears poured out his foul to God for a quarter of an hour. He was a ftric:t obferver of the fah~ bath, and an encourager of goodnefs and aufierity of life. Mr. Baxter admits, that " he kept as much hone fly and god1inefs as his caufe and in- " ~erefr wo~ld allow; that he had a zeal for religion, meant honeftly " tn the mam, and was pious in the main courfe of his life till prof- " perity corrupted him" ' But
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