594 



BRITAIN. 



Britain. 



1652. 



War v/'nh 

 the Dutch. 



Naval 

 battles 

 with the 



Dutch. 



Aug. 16. 



Feb. 15. 



J6S3. 



The Dutch 

 cue for 

 peace. 



envoy could obtain an audience of the states-general. 

 Dorislaus, a Dutchman by birth, but who had re- 

 sided in England, and taken an active share in the 

 king's death, had .been assassinated by some Eng- 

 lish royalists in Holland, who had not been pursued by 

 the Dutch government with such rigour as was ex- 

 pected. The prospect of rich prizes from the Dutch, 

 and of diverting men's minds from tyranny at home 

 by splendid achievements, determined Cromwell and 

 his parliament to change their proposed alliance with 

 their fellow-Protestants into a furious war. 



The Dutch, though they dreaded and deprecated 

 a war, prepared a fleet of 4-2 sail to protect their na- 

 vigation, which their famous admiral, Tromp, com- 

 manded. Blake, the English admiral, met him in 

 the straits of Dover, and a battle was fought, in 

 which it is not known which party commenced hos- 

 tilities, with no decisive victory on either side. The 

 Dutch fleet, however, retired to their own coast, 

 and their government still negotiated for peace. The 

 English demanded immediate reparation for all the 

 damages they had sustained ; on the refusal of which, 

 they declared war. 



Sir George Ayscue and the gallant De Ruytcr 

 fought another and etill severer battle off Plymouth, 

 in which theDutch had the superiority of bringing off 

 their convoy, and leaving the English so shattered, 

 that they could not pursue them. Blake was more 

 successful in an action off the Kentish coast with the 

 squadron of De Ruyter and De Wit, in which he 

 took three of their ships, blew up one, and obliged 

 the enemy next day to sail for their own harbour. 

 Tromp, seconded by De Ruyter, met near the 

 Goodwins Sands with Blake, whose fleet was infe- 

 rior to the Dutch, but who resolved not to decline 

 the combat. The Dutch had the advantage, and 

 night came opportunely to save the English fleet, 

 after two of their ships were taken, two burnt, and 

 one sunk. But preparations were instantly made to 

 wipe, off thii disgrace ; and, in a battle which was 

 fought early in the spring of the succeeding year be- 

 tween Blake and Tromp, with De Ruyter under 

 his command, the Dutch lost eleven ships, whilst 

 only one of the English was sunk. 



The Dutch were so far humbled by these and 

 other disasters, as to sue for peace. The Parlia- 

 ment, however, gave them a very unfavourable an- 

 swer. They studied to keep their navy on foot as 

 long as possible, judging that, while the force of the 

 nation was exerted by sea, it would diminish the 

 power of Cromwell by land. Cromwell perceived 

 their designs ; but, being secure in the attachment 

 of the army, resolved to seize the sovereign power. 

 By his instigation, the officers presented a petition, 

 demanding their arrears, and redress of grievances, 

 desiring the parliament to consider how many years 

 they had sat, and what promises they had made to 

 establish a free constitution. The house was highly 

 offended ; they appointed a committee to prepare an 

 act, pronouncing such petitions high treason. The 

 officers made a warm remonstrance, and the parlia- 

 ment an angry reply. Cromwell, on being informed 

 of this reply, started up in the council with an ap- 

 pearance of fury, and, turning to Major Vernon, 

 cried out that he was compelled to do a thing that 



made the very hairs of his head stand on end. Then 

 hastening to the house with 300 soldiers, and with 

 the marks of violent indignation on his countenance, 

 he entered, took his place, and attended to the de- 

 bates for some time. When the question was ready 

 to be put, he suddenly started up, and began to load 

 the parliament with reproaches for their robbery and 

 oppression of the public. Then stamping with his 

 foot, he gave the signal for the soldiers to enter ; 

 and, addressing himself to the members, " For shame! 

 (said he), get you gone: give place to honester men. 

 I tell you, you are no longer a parliament ; the 

 Lord has done with you." Sir Harry Vane ex- 

 claiming against his conduct, " Sir Harry Vane !" 

 (cried Cromwell with a loud voice), " O Sir Harry 

 Vane! the Lord deliver me from Sir Harry Vane!" 

 Taking hold of one of the members by his cloak, 

 " thou art a when-master," cried he ; to another, 

 " thou art an adulterer ;" to a third, " thou art a 

 drunkard and a glutton ;" and " thou an extortioner," 

 to a fourth. " It is you," continued he, to the 

 memberi, " who have forced me to this." Then, 

 pointing to the mace, he exclaimed, " take away 

 that bauble !" after which, turning out all the mem- 

 bers, he ordered the doors to be locked, and return- 

 ed to Whitehall with the keys in his pocket. 



Though Cromwell had, by this transaction, seized 

 in effect upon unlimited regal power, he was willing 

 to give his subjects a parliament. It was such a par- 

 liament, however, as should be entirely at his devo- 

 tion, and one of his own nomination. By the advice 

 of his creatures, his council of officers, he sent sum- 

 monses to 144' persons in England, Scotland, and 

 Ireland, to assemble as the representatives of the na- 

 tion. This parliament, composed of the dregs of 

 fanaticism and ignorance, was denominated Bare- 

 bones parliament, from the name of one of its mem- 

 bers, a leather seller, whore assumed name, by a ri- 

 diculous usage of the age, was Praise God Barebones. 

 They began by choosing eight of their number to 

 seek the Lord in prayer, while the rest deliberated 

 on substituting the law of Moses, instead of the esta- 

 blished code. 



The usurper did not find even this miserable assem- 

 bly entirely flexible to his will, and as the nation des- 

 pised them, Cromwell had no motive for retaining 

 them. He had carefully chosen many among them, 

 who were entirely devoted to his interests, and these 

 he commanded to dismiss the assembly. They ac- 

 cordingly met by consent earlier than the rest, and 

 observing to each other that this parliament had sat 

 long enough, they hastened to Cromwell, with Rouse 

 their speaker at their Jiead, and resigned their autho- 

 rity into the hands which had conferred it. Crom- 

 well accepted their resignation with pleasure; but 

 being told that some of their number were refrac- 

 tory, he sent Colonel White to clear the house of such 

 as ventured to remain. They had placed one Moyer in 

 the chair by the time that the colonel arrived, and he 

 being asked, by White, what they did there ? replied, 

 " seeking the Lord." " Then you may go elsewhere," 

 cried White, " for, to my knowledge, the Lord has 

 not been here these many years." Cromwell was 

 now declared the protector of the commonwealth of 

 England, and instituted ia his new office in the pa- 



Biitai 



CromwJ 



I'iall'ISSt 



I he parl 

 nicnt b] 

 force. 



He ass 



hies th 

 Barebo 

 parlian 



which 

 soon <] 

 solved. 



