man then no longer an "Incarnate Word," as Novalis calls him, sent into this world to utter out of him, and by all means to make audible and visible what of God's-Message he has; sent hither and made alive even for that, and for no other definable object? Is there no sacredness, then, any longer, in the miraculous tongue of man? Is his head become a wretched cracked pitcher, on which you jingle to frighten crows, and make bees hive? He fills me with terror, this two-legged Rhetorical Phantasm! I could long for an Oliver without Rhetoric at all. I could long for a Mahomet, whose persuasive-eloquence, with wild-flashing heart and scimitar, is: "Wretched mortal, give up that; or by the Eternal, thy Maker and mine, I will kill thee! Thou blasphemous scandalous Misbirth of Nature, is not even that the kindest thing I can do for thee, if thou repent not and alter in the name of Allah ?” ’–

4*

LETTERS CXXVIII., CXXIX.

CONCERNING this Puritan Convention of the Notables, whicn in English History is called the Little Parliament, and derisively Barebones's Parliament, we have not much more to say. They are, if by no means the remarkablest Assembly, yet the Assembly for the remarkablest purpose who have ever met in the Modern World. The business is, No less than introducing of the Christian Religion into real practice in the Social Affairs of this Nation. Christian Religion, Scriptures of the Old and New Testament: such, for many hundred years, has been the universal solemnly recognized Theory of all men's Affairs; Theory sent down out of Heaven itself: but the question is now that of reducing it to Practice in said Affairs;—a most noble, surely, and most necessary attempt; which should not have been put off so long in this Nation! We have conquered the Enemies of Christ; let us now, in real practical earnest, set about doing the Commandments of Christ, now that there is free room for us! Such was the purpose of this Puritan Assembly of the Notables, which History calls the Little Parliament, or derisively Barebones's Parliament.

It is well known they failed: to us, alas, it is too evident they could not but fail. Fearful impediments lay against that effort of theirs the sluggishness, the slavish half-and-halfness, the greediness, the cowardice, and general opacity and falsity of some ten million men against it;-alas, the whole world, and what we call the Devil and all his angels against it! Considerable angles, human and other: most extensive arrangements, investments, to be sold off at a tremendous sacrifice ;-in general the entire set of luggage-traps and very extensive stock of mer. chant-goods and real and floating property, amassed by that assi duous Entity above-mentioned, for a thousand years or more! For these, and also for other obstructions, it could not take effect

at that time;

and the Little Parliament became a Barebones's Parliament, and had to go its ways again.

Read these two Letters, of small or no significance as to it or its affairs; and then let us hasten to the catastrophe.

LETTER CXXVIII.

IN the Commons Journals,* while this Little Parliament sat, we find that, among other good services, the arrangement of the Customs Department was new-modelled; that instead of Farmers of the Customs, there was a 'Committee' of the Parliament appointed to regulate and levy that impost; Committee appointed on the 23d of September, 1653: among whom we recognize 'Alderman Ireton,' the deceased General's Brother; 'Mr. Mayor,' of Hursley, Richard Cromwell's Father-in-law; 'Alderman Titchborne;' 'Colonel Montague,' afterwards Earl of Sandwich; and others. It is to this Committee that Oliver's Letter is addressed. It has no date of time: but as the Little Parliament ended, in Self-dissolution and Protectorship, on the 12th of December, the date of the Letter lies between the 23d September and that other limit. My Lord General,-who is himself a Member of the Parliament, he and his chief Officers having been forthwith invited to sit,-feels evidently that his recommendations, when grounded in justice, ought to be attended to.

For my honored Friends, the Committee for Regulating the

Customs: These present.

'Whitehall, October, 1653.'

GENTLEMEN,

I am sorry after recommendation of a Friend of mine the Bearer hereof,-considering him in relation to his poor Parents an object of pity and commiseration, yet well deserving and not less qualified for employment, he should find such cold success amongst

you.

His great necessities and my love once more invite me to write unto

vii., 323, 23 September, 1653

you, in his behalf, To bestow on him, if it may not be in the City by reason of multiplicity of suitors, a place in the Out-ports: and I doubt not but his utmost abilities will be improved to the faithful discharging of such trust as you shall impose on him, for the good of the Commonwealth. And thereby you will engage him who remains,

Your affectionate friend,

OLIVER CROMWELL.*

LETTER CXXIX.

WHO 'Henry Weston' is, or his 'Brother Ford,' or whether 'his House' is in the Rutlandshire Oakham' or another, I do not in the least know. Neither has Mr. Draper' elsewhere come across me. Happily we can hope he officiates well in Kent; and read this Letter without other light than its own.

For my honorel Friend, Henry Weston, Esquire, at his House
in Oakham: These.

SIR, MY NOBLE FRIEND,

'Whitehall,' 16th November, 1653.

Your Brother Ford was lately with me, acquainting me with my presumption in moving for, and your civility in granting, the Advowson of Speldhurst to one Mr. Draper, who is now incumbent there, and who, it seems, was there for three or four years before the death of the old incumbent, by virtue of a sequestration.

Sir, I had almost forgot upon what account I made thus bold with you; but now have fully recollected. I understand the person is very able and honest, well approved of by most of the good Ministers thereabout; and much desired by the honest people who are in a Religious Association in those parts thereabouts. Wherefore I now most heartily own and thank you for your favor showed Mr. Draper for my sake; beseeching the continuance of your respects to the Gentleman,-who shall be very much tied to pay you all service; and so shall, in what lieth in his power

Your affectionate friend to serve you,

OLIVER CROMWELL.†

* Letter genuine, teste me; reference unfortunately lost.

† Additional Ayscough мss., no. 12,098. A Copy, in an old hand, with

And now to Parliament affairs again, to the catastrophe now nigh.

On the whole, we have to say of this Little Parliament, that it sat for five months and odd days, very earnestly striving; earnestly, nobly, and by no means unwisely, as the ignorant Histories teach. But the farther it advanced towards real Christianism in human affairs, the louder grew the shrieks of ShamChristianism everywhere profitably lodged there; and prudent persons, responsible for the issue, discovered that of a truth, for one reason or another, for reasons evident and for reasons not evident, there could be no success according to that method. We said, the History of this Little Parliament lay all buried very deep in the torpors of Human Stupidity, and was not likely ever to be brought into daylight in this world. In their five months time they passed various good Acts; chose, with good insight, a new Council of State; took wise charge of the needful Supplies; did all the routine business of a Parliament in a quite unexceptionable, or even in a superior manner. Concerning their Council of State, I find this Note; which, though the Council had soon to alter itself, and take new figures, may be worth appending here.*

Routine business done altogether well by this Little Parlia

this endorsement: The Generell Cromwells letter about Spelderst living;' and this Note appended: In an old Bible I had from England with other Books, March, 1726.' Some Transatlantic Puritan, to all appearance.

* Council of State elected,-Tuesday 1st November, 1653 (Commons Journals, vii., 344). The Election is by ballot, 113 Members present; 'Colonel Montague' (Sandwich), 'Colonel Cromwell' (Henry), and Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper,' are three of the Four Scrutineers. Among the Names reported as chosen, here are some, with the Numbers voting for them: Lord General Cromwell (113, one and all); Sir Gilbert Pickering (Poet Dryden's Uncle,-110); Desborow (74); Harrison (58); Mayor (of Hursley,-57); Colonel Montague (59); Ashley Cooper (60); Lord Viscount Lisle (Algernon Sidney's Brother,-58); Colonel Norton, idle Dick, recovered from the Pride's Purge again, but liable to relapse again,-57). The Council is of Thirty-one; Sixteen of the Old or Interim Council (above referred to in Cromwell's Speech) are to continue; Fifteen new: these mentioned here are all among the Old, whom the Lord General and his Officers had already nominated.