CROMWELL. "I have not, I affure you, the leaft diftruft of your faithfulness and friendship to me, and to the cause of "this Commonwealth; and I think you have much reafon for "what you propound; but it is a matter of fo high importance and difficulty, that it deferves more time of confideration and debate than is at prefent allowed us: we shall therefore take a further time to difcourfe of it."

Cromwell, however, was by no means fatisfied with Whitlocke's difcourfe; and he foon took occafion to remove him by an honourable employment abroad.

Thus finding that he could not reafon men into an acquiefcence with his defigns, he refolved to accomplish them by force. Accordingly he foon after came to the House, attended with Soldiers, and turned all the Members out. He bid one of his Soldiers take away that Fool's Bauble, the Mace; and he stayed himself to fee all the Members out of the House, and then caused the doors to be fhut. The next day a paper of the following import was pafted on the Parliament-house door;

This Houfe is to be Lett, now unfurnished.

Having now deftroyed all appearance even of legal and civil authority, he and his Council of Officers, exercised the supreme 'power. In this fituation of affairs, it was not difficult for him to practice upon his creatures in the army, in such a manner as to get the fole poffeffion of this power. This he foon effected, and got it to himself under the title of Lord Protector of England. The form and manner of his inauguration being an unprecedented ceremonial, our Authors have given us the following defcription of it.

On the 16th of December, [1653,] his Excellency came from Whitehall, attended by the Lords Commiffioners of the Great Seal of England; the Judges and Barons of the feveral • benches in their robes; and most of the Council of the Commonwealth: the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the city of London, in their fearlet gowns, with the Recorder, TownClerk, and Sword Bearer with the Cap of Maintenance and Sword, but not erected, paled immediately before his Excellency; all in their coaches. Laft of all came his Excellency himself, in his own coach, dreffed in a black velvet fuit and cloak, with his Life-guard, and divers Gentlemen bare before him; many of the chief Officers of the army, with their cloaks and fwords, and hats on, paffed on foot before and about his coach..

In this equipage his Excellency and attendants came to the court of Chancery in Wef minfter-Hall; where was placed a

.

rich chair of ftate, with a large cufhion and carpets on the Alcor. The Lords Commiffioners of the Great Seal stood on . each fide of the chair, and his Excellency on the left-hand of it, all bare-headed: round about the chair flood all the Judges and the Council of State; the Lord-Mayor and Aldermen were placed on the right fide of the Court, and the chief Offcers of the army on the left.

Then Major-General Lambert, after declaring the dissolu'tion of the Parliament, and the great exigency of the times, did, in the name of the army, and of the three nations, desire the Lord General to accept of the Protectorfhip; to which, 'with feemingly great reluctance, having given his confent, the 'following inftrument was read aloud by Mr. Jeffop, one of 'the Secretaries of the Council.'

The inftrument here spoken of, is too tedious for our infertion. But they who are acquainted with the hiftory of those times know, that as Cromwell gained his power by the Sword, fo he altogether ruled by that inftrument alone.

Thus the arbitrary and unjuftifiable attempts of the ill-fated King Charles, brought a train of calamities on the nation, and led the unhappy fufferers from one fpecies of tyranny to another. They felt in their turns all the inconveniencies of an Oligarchy, a Democracy, and a Stratocracy; till at length they were obliged to fubmit to the abfolute will of a fellow fubject and ignoble Ufurper, after they had bravely refused to stoop to a King.

With refpect to Cromwell, he was undoubtedly fubtle, a perfect mafter of diffimulation, active, vigilant, and intrepid. But we cannot difcover in him thofe refined marks, or that deep fyftem of policy which fome Writers attribute to his character. He feems rather to have been led by a train of accidents to the power he ufurped, than guided to it by a feries of defign. His chief merit, was the artifice he employed to raise himself to the fole command of the army; when he had gained that point, in a ftate quite unfettled, and where the Government was upon no legal foundation whatever, it was eafy for a victorious Commander to change the Sword for the Sceptre.. Nay, to an ambitious mind, the transition was almost involuntary: But we are not perfuaded that he planned his fchemes from a forefight of events; we rather think that he was taught by the occafion as it offered. Thus much is certain, that his fyftem of foreign politics was, in many respects, erroneous in its principles, and narrow in its foundation: and that he confulted how to gratify his own pride, by raifing what he called the Honour of the nation, while he neglected its Intereft.

With

With regard to our Hiftorians, it is but juft to acknowlege, that in the course of these twenty volumes, they have acquitted themselves with diligence, judgment, and impartiality. They appear to be as little warped by prejudices, or biaffed by party attachments, as any Writers we have met with. We do not doubt but that, in the ensuing volumes, they will exert the fame care and attention; and then we may venture to pronounce, that the whole will be the most perfect Collection of the kind which has hitherto appeared.

R-d

The Conduct of a noble Commander in America, impartially reviewed. With the genuine Causes of the Difcontents at NewYork and Hallifax. And the true Occafion of the Delays in that important Expedition. Including a regular Account of all the Proceedings and Incidents in the Order of Time wherein they happened. 8vo. Is. 8vo. Is. Baldwin.

I

T were to wifhed, for the honour and intereft of the nation, that we could greet our Commanders with panegyricks and fongs of triumph, inftead of their greeting us with Apologies and Juftifications. Nevertheless, as in the uncertain operations of war, unforeseen and unfortunate events will happen, without any fault in the Commanders; the public ought patiently to hear their vindication, and receive it with candour, let it come from what quarter it will. For to condemn any man's conduct, without a thorough knowlege of facts, is a difgrace to our understanding, and a reflection upon our integrity.

The profeffed defign of the pamphlet before us, is, to vindicate Lord Loudon from fome imputations which have been thrown out against his conduct in America. It must be confeffed, that the Writer has acquitted himself like an able Advocate, and, admitting his facts, he feems, in moft points, to have clearly exculpated his Client.

The two caufes which, he tells us, were the chief grounds. of difcontent against his Lordfhip, were his laying an embargo on the outward bound veffels, and his quartering the forces in a manner inconfiftent with the rights and privileges claimed by the people of New York.

Our Writer undertakes to prove, that laying the Embargo was a prudent ftep; and attended with very good confequences, by preferving fecrefy in regard to the enemy. I know,' fays he, this embargo has been an occafion of much complaint at

home,

home, for fome caufe of diffatisfaction must be affigned; and this was beft, for it was popular. Far be it from those who • intereft themselves in Lord Loudon's caufe, to endeavour to deny, to extenuate, or even to excufe this proceeding. If there be blame laid on it, what is the caufe? was it not neceflary to the fervice? none would difpute it, that would be too hardy: it would betray an ignorance no man would charge upon himself. Had he not a right and juft authority to do it? there is no queftion but he had. His orders were abfolute: he was fuppofed to understand the fervice; he was confidered as • a brave and an honest man: and he will be confidered as such ⚫ a one when even the deteftation fhall cease, which will long • pursue their memories who now affect to think him otherwise."

It must be owned, that the laying an embargo on the outward bound veffels was a neceffary meafure, and that Lord Loudon had juft authority to do it. Of what then is it that men would complain! Is there any one will fay a Commander is to blame, who does a neceflary action by his proper pow• er? there is none fo abfurd! Let them, on the other hand, fay, whether they would not have blamed him if he had omitted it? They would have had just reason.

This embargo was attended with many inconveniences to • private perfons: it is allowed; but it could not be avoided. • Public measures of the most useful kind often are fo, and when ⚫ the people's voice is left to its free course, the neceffity is feen, and there is no complaint.

• None will difpute the neceffity of it in this inftance. It is impoffible. At the fame time it must be owned, it was at⚫tended with particular inconveniences. England was in want of corn; at least the public by bad men were made to think fo; and to fuffer as much as if the scarcity was real: there ⚫ was corn in the colonies that could be fpared; and the embargo prevented for the time its exportation. The circumftances are certain. But did Lord Loudon create these circumstances? was he the Author of our imaginary famine, or in the plan of his enterprize could he forefee it?

It is allowed, thofe perfons in the Colonies who had fhipped corn for England, loft an advantage: but it was a lofs that could not be avoided: and if those who have been loudeft in complaints would make out a fair lift of the fufferers, the quantity shipped, and the time delayed, it would be found that very little occafions, when it is thought convenient, can raise great clamours. This is the fair way of ftating the ac'count: it is very plain why they will not be brought to do

it;

it; but if we hear more of it, it is not impoffible that we may do it for them.

In plain truth the inconvenience was much less than has been pretended; and the importance of the measure greater than can be well imagined. The candid Reader fees the fair ftate of the cafe; and he will perhaps fay for himself, what, • after the measures that have been taken, it would be indecent for me to say to him.'

With respect to quartering the forces, our Author endeavours to justify that measure by the plea of neceffity.

<

If it be a crime,' fays he, to prefer the public fervice to • the conveniences of a few private perfons, it cannot be denied that Lord Loudon has been guilty. If the care of those forces which are expected to perform the greatest exploits, be criminal in their Commander, this Nobleman is without excuse. He had before this great affair of the Embargo, incurred the ill will of fome individuals on this account: and it must be owned, that he feems on that firft occafion to have confidered the foldiery not only as valuable members of a state, but as human creatures. These are his crimes: for he is not accufed of others, except by perfons who are too low for anfwering; and to all these I believe he will plead guilty. Eng• land had refused to give quarters to the Heffians, whom the had called over for her immediate defence, at a season when the field prefented only death to them: and New-York, faithful to the difgraceful example of the mother country, would have expofed to death, with as little remorfe, the troops this • Government fent thither for her protection; and for the enterprize defigned by this Commander.

On this occafion, if Reafon be allowed to judge, Lord Lou<don's conduct may be fet as a model for all future Officers in the like circumftance.

The troops the Government had fent in pursuance of the plan, arrived after the worst hardships of a winter's voyage: and after all their fufferings, they had the fpirit to fay, that they complained of nothing, fince they knew the fervice required it.

The people, though they had been fenfible enough of thefe dangers, and though they looked upon the troops as deftined for their lafting fecurity, yet would have treated them. with a rigour difgraceful, even if fhewn toward the prisoners of an enemy: the public houses were by no means fufficient for their reception; and to the most mild remonftrances, the Magiftracy answered with as little decency as feeling, that

they