Chap. III. ne HIs T 0 R y of tbe PuRITANS. are of opinion, it wads ~dwi~g th~ ha~d nec11fbty 1 anhd Je!f.Phrefibervati~n. I p~~~~;r., will not venture to ect e tn t ts ca1e; pou1 y t ere mtg t ea mtxture 6 8 of both. When he was in poff'effion of the fovereign power, no man ~' ever ufed it to greater public advantage, for he had a due veneration for the laws of his country, in all things wherein the life o£-his jur.ifdietion was not concerned: And though he kept a fianding army, they were under an exaCt difcipline, and very little l-urden to the people. The charge of cruelty, which is brought againfl: him, for having put Cruelty•. fome men to death for confpiring againfl: his perfon and government, deferves no confutation, unlefs they would have had him fit frill, till fome confpiracy or other had fucceeded. Cruelty was not in his nature; he was not for unnecelfary effuffion of blood. Lord Clarendon aff'ures m, that when a general maff'acre qf the royalifis was propofed by the officers in council, he warmly oppofed and prevented it. Dr. We/wood compares the protector to an unufual meteor, which with p. 1021 its furprizing influences over-awed not only three kingdoms, but the moft powerful princes and fiates about us. A great man he was (fays he), and pofierity might have paid a jufi homage to his memory, if he had not embrued his hands in the blood of his prince, and trampled upon the liberties of his country. Upon the whole, it is not to be wondered, that the charaCter of this Sum of hii· great man has been tranfmitted down to pofierity with fame difadvantage, ,haraCler. by the feveral factions of royalijts, prejbyterians, and republicam, becaufe each were difappointed, and enraged to fee the fupreme power wrefled from them ; but his management is a convincing proof of his great abilities: He was a~ the helm in the moll fiormy and tempefluous Jeafon that England ever faw·; ·but by his confummate wifdom and valour, he difconcert"ed the meafures and defigns of his enemies, and preferved both himfelf and the commonwealth from fhipwreck. I {hall only obferve further, with Rapin, that the confufions which prevailed in Englandafter the death of Cromwell, clearly evidence the neceffity of this ufurpation, at leafi till the conflitution could be refiored. After his death his great at– chievements were celebrated in verfe, by the greatefi wits of the age, as, Dr. Sprat afterwards bifhop of Rochefler, Wailer, Dryden, and others,, who in their panegyricks out-did every thing, which till that time had been. wrote in the englifb language. Four divines of the aff'embly died this year : Dr. John Harris, [on Deatho[Dr. of Ric~ard. Harris of Buckingbamjbire, born in the parfonage houfe of.John Harris~ Hardwtck 111 the fame county, educated in Wickham fchoo! near Win~ · chefler, and in the year I 6c6 admitted perpetual fellow of New college. He was fo admirable agrecian, and eloquent a preacher that Sir Henry Savi!le called him a fecond St. Chryfoftom. In I 619 he ~as chofen greek pro:
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