Chap. IV. The HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANs; Wallingford-Houfe having carried their point, publiilied a declaration Inter– about twelve days after, without fo much as a!king the proteCtor's leave, Regnum; inviting the remains of the long parliament to t.:fume the government, ~ who immediately declared their refolutions for a commonwealth without a fingle perfon, or houfe of p~ers. Thus was the grandeur of C~omwell's R:ump par– famity defi:royed by the pnde and refentment of fame of' ItS own ltamcnt branches : Fleetwood had married the widow of Ireton, one of 0/i~Jer's rejlmd. daughters, and being difappointed of the proteCl:or!hip by his !all will, was determined that no fingle perfon {hould be his fuperidr. Dejborough, who had married Oliver's fifi:er, joined in the fatal confpiracy. Lambert, whomOliver had difmiifed the army, was called from his retirement to take his place among the council of officers. Thefe, with Sir H. Vane, and one or two more behind the curtain, fubverted the government, and were the fprings of all the confufions of this year, as is evident by the letters of Mr. Henry Cromwell, lord-lieutenant of Ireland, now beforo me, who faw farther into their intrigues at that dillance, than the proteCtor who was upon the fpot. I iball take the liberty to tranfcribe fome paifages out of them to my prefent purpofe. Upon the furprizing news of Oliver's death he writes to his brother, H. Crom– Sept. 18, 1658.--" I am foallonifued at the news ofmy dear fa_well's/ettm " ther's ficknefs and death, that I know not what to fay or write on [o[iMroSm Irenland. d . r. I . . pe lli " fad an gnevous an occa,wn ; but t 1e happy news of leavmg your me. '' highnefs his fucceifor gives fome relief, not only on account of the " public, but of our poor family, which the goodnefs of God has pre- " ferved from the contempt of our enemies. I may fay without vanity, cc that your highnefs has been proclaimed here with as great joy, and " general fatisfaetion (I believe), as in the beO: affeCted places of Eng- " land; and I make no doubt of the dutiful compliance of the army: " Now, that the God of your late father and mine, and your high- " nefs's predeceifor, would fupport you, and pour down a double par- " tion of the fame fpirit that was fo eminently in him, and would en- .cc able you to walk in his fi:eps, and do worthily for his name-fake and " people, and continually preferve you in fo doing, is the prayer of,", Yours, &c. H. C. In another letter of the fame date, fent by an exprefs inel!enger, he writes, that " he had caufed a very dutiful addrefs to be fent to the army, " which had been already figned by feveral of the field officers, and ~· when perfeCted~ !hould be fent to him as a witnefs againll any fingle y_ oL. II. X x x ~· ofi1cer
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