The House in fact is busy, day and night, modelling, manipulating its Petition and Advice. Amid the rumor of England, all through this month of March, 1659. Chief Magistrate for the time being is to name his successor;' so much we hear they have voted. What Title he shall have is still secret; that is to be the last thing. All men may speculate and guess!-Before March ends, the Petition and Advice is got ready; in Eighteen well-debated Articles ;* fairly engrossed on vellum: the Title, as we guessed, is to be King. His Highness shall adopt the whole Document, or no part of it is to be binding. SPEECH VII. ON Tuesday, March 31, 1657, 'the House rose at eleven o'clock, and Speaker Widdrington, attended by the whole House, repaired to his Highness at Whitehall,† to present this same Petition and Advice,' 'engrossed on vellum,' and with the Title of "King" recommended to him in it. Banqueting House, Whitehall; that is the scene. Widdrington's long flowery Speech is omissible. As the interview began about eleven o'clock, it may now be past twelve; Oliver loquitur : MR. SPEAKER, This Frame of Government which it hath pleased the Parliament through your hand to offer to me,-truly I should have a very brazen forehead if it did not beget in me a great deal of consternation of spirit; it being of so high and great importance as, by your opening of it, and by the mere reading of it, is manifest to all men; the welfare, the peace and settlement of Three Nations, and all that rich treasure of the best people in the world|| being involved therein! I say, this consideration alone ought to beget in me the greatest reverence and fear of God that ever possessed a man in the world. ditional Ayscough мss., no. 6125; printed in Burton, i., 382-4), a Fragment of a Letter, bearing date 7 March, 1656-7;-to the effect abridged as above. * Copy of it in Whitlocke, p. 646, et seq. † Commons Journals, vii., 516. § In this long florid speech. Us and all the Gospel Protestants in the world. Burton, i., 397-413. Truly I rather study to say no more at this time than is necessary for giving some brief general answer, suitable to the nature of the thing. The thing is of weight; the greatest weight of anything that was ever laid upon a man. And therefore, it being of that weight, and consisting of so many parts as it doth,-in each of which much more than my life is concerned, truly I think I have no more to desire of you at present, but that you would give me time to deliberate and consider what particular answer I may return to so great a business as this. I have lived the latter part of my age in,-if I may say so,—the fire; in the midst of troubles. But all the things that have befallen me since I was first engaged in the affairs of this Commonwealth, if they could be supposed to be all brought into such a compass that I could take a view of them at once, truly I do not think they would 'so move,' nor do I think they ought so to move, my heart and spirit with that fear and reverence of God that becomes a Christian, as this thing that hath now been offered by you to me!-And truly my comfort in all my life hath been that the burdens which have lain heavy on me, they were laid upon me by the hand of God. And I have not known, I have been many times at a loss, which way to stand under the weight of what hath lain upon me:-except by looking at the conduct and pleasure of God in it. Which hitherto I have found to be a good pleasure to me. And should I give any resolution in this matter' suddenly, without seeking to have an answer put into my heart, and so into my mouth, by Him that hath been my God and my Guide hitherto,—it would give you very little cause of comfort in such a choice as you have made [Of me to. be King] in such a business as this. It would savor more to be of the flesh, to proceed from lust, to arise from arguments of self. And if,— whatsoever the issue of this 'great matter' be,—' my decision in' it have such motives in me, have such a rise in me, it may prove even a curse to you and to these Three Nations. Who, I verily believe, have intended well in this business; and have had those honest and sincere aims* towards the glory of God, the good of His People, the rights of the Nation. I verily believe these have been your aims: and God forbid that so good aims should suffer by any dishonesty and indirectness on my part. For although, in the affairs that are in the world, things may be intended well, as they are always, or for the most, by such as love God, and fear God and make Him their aim (and such honest ends and purposes, I do believe, yours now are);—yet if these considerations+ fall * Subaudi, but do not insert, ، which you profess. † Means 'your choice in regard to such purpose;' speaks delicately in an oblique way. upon a person or persons whom God takes no pleasure in; who perhaps may be at the end of his work; [Growing old and weak? Say not that, your Highness!--A kind of pathos, and much dignity and delicacy in these tones.] who, to please any of those humors or considerations which are of this world, shall run upon such a rock as this is,*—without due consideration, without integrity, without approving the heart to God, and seeking an answer from Him; and putting things to Him as if for life and death, that such an answer may be received 'from Him' as may be a blessing to the person [Me] who is to be used for these noble and worthy and honest intentions of the persons [You] that have prepared and perfected this work:-' why then,' it would be like a match where a good and worthy and virtuous man mistakes in the person he makes love to; and, as often turns out, it proves a curse to the man and to the family, through mistake! And if this should be so to you, and to these Nations, whose good I cannot but be persuaded you have in your thoughts aimed at,-why then, it had been better, I am sure of it, that I had never been born! I have therefore but this one word to say to you: That seeing you have made progress in this Business, and completed the work on your part, I'on my side' may have some short time to ask counsel of God and of my own heart. And I hope that neither the humor of any weak unwise people, nor yet the desires of any who may be lusting after things that are not good, shall steer me to give other than such an answer as may be ingenuous and thankful,-thankfully acknowledging your care and integrity;-and such an answer as shall be for the good of those whom I presume you and I serve, and are made for serving. And truly I may say this also: That as the thing will deserve deliberation, the utmost deliberation and consideration on my part, so I shall think myself bound to give as speedy an answer to these things as I can.† SPEECH VIII. Friday, 3d April, 1657. Three days after the foregoing Speech, there comes a Letter from his Highness to Mr. Speaker, the purport of which we gather to have been, that now if a Committee will attend his Highness, they shall have answer to the Petition and Advice. Committee is nominated, extensive Committee of persons already engaged in this affair, among whom or may be this of the Kingship ↑ Burton's Diary, i., 413-16. are Lord Broghil, General Montague, Earl of Tweeddale, Whalley, Desborow, Whitlocke and others known to us; they attend his Highness at three o'clock that afternoon; and receive what answer there is, a negative, but none of the most decided.* MY LORDS, I am heartily sorry that I did not make this desire of mine known to the Parliament sooner; 'the desire' which I acquainted them with, by Letter, this day. The reason was, Because some infirmity of body hath seized upon me these two last days, Yesterday and Wednesday. [It is yet but three days, your Highness.] I have, as well as I could, taken consideration of the things contained in the Paper, which was presented to me by the Parliament, in the Banqueting-House, on Tuesday last; and sought of God that I might return such an answer as might become me, and be worthy of the Parliament. I must needs bear this testimony to them, That they have been zealous of the two greatest Concernments that God hath in the world. The one is that of Religion, and of the just preservation of the professors of it; to give them all due and just Liberty; and to assert the Truth of God; which you have done, in part, in this Paper; and do refer it more fully to be done by yourselves and me. And as to the Liberty of men professing Godliness, you have done that which was never done before! And I pray it may not fall upon the People of God as a fault in them, in any sort of them, if they do not put such a value upon this that is now done as never was put on anything since Christ's time, for such a Catholic interest of the People of God! [Liberty in non-essentials; Freedom to all peaceable Believers in Christ to worship in such outward form as they will; a very Catholic interest indeed.] The other thing cared for is the Civil Liberty and Interest of the Nation. Which though it is, and indeed I think ought to be, subordinate to the more peculiar Interest of God,—yet it is the next best God hath given men in this world; and if well cared for, it is better than any rock to fence men in their other interests. Besides, if any whosoever think the Interest of Christians and the Interest of the Nation inconsistent, or two different things,' I wish my soul may never enter into their secrets! [We will take another course than theirs, your Highness !] 6 These are things I must acknowledge Christian and honorable; and they are provided for by you like Christian men and also men of honor, -like yourselves, English men. And to this I must and shall bear my testimony, while I live, against all gainsayers whatsoever. And upon * Commons Journals, vii., 519, 20; Burton, i., 417. these Two Interests, if God shall account me worthy, I shall live and die. And I must say, If I were to give an account before a greater Tribunal than any earthly one; if I were asked, Why I have engaged all along in the late War, I could give no answer that were not a wicked one if it did not comprehend these Two ends !-Meanwhile only give me leave to say, and to say it seriously (the issue will prove it serious), that you have one or two considerations which do stick with me. The one is, You have named me by another Title than I now bear. [What SHALL I answer to that!] You do necessitate my answer to be categorical; and you have left me without a liberty of choice save as to all. [Must accept the whole Petition and Advice, or reject the whole of it.] I question not your wisdom in doing so; I think myself obliged to acquiesce in your determination; knowing you are men of wisdom, and considering the trust you are under. It is a duty not to question the reason of anything you have done. [Not even of the Kingship: say Yes, then!] I should be very brutish did I not acknowledge the exceeding high honor and respect you have had for me in this Paper. Truly, according to what the world calls good, it hath nothing but good in it,-according to worldly approbation of* sovereign power. You have testified your value and affection as to my person, as high as you could; for more you could not do! I hope I shall always keep a grateful memory of this in my heart;—and by you I return the Parliament this my grateful acknowledgment. Whatever other men's thoughts may be, I shall not own ingratitude.—But I must needs say, That that may be fit for you to offer, which may not be fit for me to undertake. [Profound silence.] And as I should reckon it a very great presumption, were I to ask the reason of your doing any one thing in this Paper,-(except 'in' some very few things, the 'new' Instrument, 'this Paper,' bears testimony to itself), so you will not take it unkindly if I beg of you this addition to the Parliament's favor, love and indulgence unto me, That it be taken in tender part if I give such an answer as I find in my heart to give in this business, without urging many reasons for it, save such as are most obvious, and most to my advantage in answering: Namely, that I am not able for such a trust and charge. [Won't have it, then!] And if the "answer of the tongue as well as the preparation of the heart be "from God," I must say my heart and thoughts ever since I heard the Parliament were upon this business-[ Sentence breaks down] -For' though I could not take notice of your proceedings therein without breach of your privileges, yet as a common person I confess I heard Means value for.' |