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lace of the kings of England. He was addressed by 

 the title of Highness : A council was appointed, which 

 were not to exceed 21, nor to be under 18 persons. 

 They were to enjoy their offices for life, or during 

 good behaviour; and, in case of a vacancy, the re- 

 maining members named three, of whom the protec- 

 tor chose one. The protector was appointed supreme 

 magistrate of the commonwealth ; from him were all 

 magistracy and honours derived ; he could pardon all 

 crimes but murder or treason, and all forfeitures de- 

 volved to him. The right of peaee, war, and alliance, 

 rested in him ; but in making these, he was to act by 

 the advice of his council. The power of the sword 

 was vested in him jointly with the parliament ; and 

 he was obliged to let a parliament sit, at least for 

 five months, every three years. The bills of parlia- 

 ment were to pass as law, even if the protector did 

 not give his assent to them after 20 days. A stand- 

 ing army of 20,000 foot and 10,000 horse were to be 

 maintained, and in preventing their diminution alone, 

 the protector was to have a negative. During the 

 intervals of parliament, himself and his council were 

 to exercise a power of passing laws. To this contra- 

 dictory constitution it is evident that Cromwell never 

 needed to pay deference, as long as the army remain- 

 ed at his disposal. 



As he was feared at home, so he made himself re- 

 spected abroad. The Dutch, after many severe con- 

 flicts, were completely humbled at sea, in a battle 

 fought the 2.9th of July, between Blake and Tromp, 

 in which the latter fell, and the enemy lost 30 ships. 

 They sued for peace, and obtained it, on consenting 

 to pay deference to the British flag, to abandon the 

 interests of young Charles, and to pay a fine to the 

 English East India Company. 



Either from want of pecuniary resources, or from 

 a wish for popularity, Cromwell resolved to give the 

 nation a parliament of a much more respectable na- 

 ture than the last. But this parliament, from the 

 circumstance of its being fairly elected, so as to re- 

 present the feelings of the nation, became only the 

 organ of its discontents. And so severe was their 

 investigation of his conduct, and so free their cen- 

 sures, that, after having extorted from them, by force, 

 a recognition of his authority, he was obliged to dis- 

 miss them before they had sat the time ordained by 

 the new constitution. The royalists, in their joy at 

 the odium which this arbitrary measure occasioned, 

 forgot that there was either a terror of the protec- 

 tor's arms in the country, or men less attached to 

 royalty than themselves, they projected a conspiracy, 

 which the dexterity of the protector crushed in the 

 bud. Only 200of them convened at Salisbury, who 

 were speedily suppressed by a troop of horse. The 

 affair was a sufficient pretext to Cromwell for raising 

 aheavy tax, by way of punishment, on the whole party 

 of suspected royalists, or rather on all individuals 

 whom this rapacious officer chose to pronounce dis- 

 affectfd. Ten major generals were appointed to 

 raise this tax, and the kingdom wa< divided into so 

 many m.Utary jurisdictions. The iniquitous tax was 

 levied, -without proof or trial of delinquency, at the 

 mercy of those minions of his usurpation. 



Cromwell's -ambition was not satisfied with the 

 barren and disputed glories of the Jiutch war ; but 



he was impelled, by the hopes of plunder and of ad- 

 ditional renown, to signalize his arms against Spain. 

 After he had equipped two squadrons on the unknown 

 destination, of which the attention and fears of all 

 Europe were fixed, one of them, consisting <( 'M ca- 

 pital ships, sailed to the Mediterranean, and overawed 

 the powers of Italy. Then returning westward, re 

 strained the piracies of the African States. Blake, 

 who commanded this armament, having received a 

 defiance from the Dey of Tunis, who shewed him 

 his three castles and bade him do his utmost, drew 

 up his ships close to the fortress, and tore tlu-m in 

 pieces with his artillery ; after which he burned 

 every ship that lay in the Tunisian harbour. The 

 other squadron under Venables and Pcnn, was not so 

 splendidly successful. Those commanders having 

 made an attemnt on Hispaniola with 9000 men, were 

 repulsed with foss by the Spaniards ; but afterwardg, 

 steering to Jamaica, they took that island without a 

 blow. Yet so little was this valuable conquest es- 

 teemed, that, on their return home, the commanders 

 were committed to the Tower for their failure of the 

 primary object of the expedition. 



The Spaniards having declared war, in consequence 

 of this unwarrantable violation of the treaty, Admi- 

 ral Blake lay for some time off Cadiz, in expectation 

 of intercepting the Plate fleet ; but was at last obli- 

 ged, for want of water, to sail towards Portugal. 

 Hearing that the Spanish fleet of 16 ships of immense 

 value had taken shelter in the Canaries, he pursued 

 them thither, and sailing into the port of Santa Cruz, 

 burnt them in the face of seven castles which defend- 

 ed the harbour. A sudden change of the wind 

 brought him safe back from before the batteries. 

 Leaving Europe astonished at this act of fortunate 

 temerity, Blake returned home, and died within 

 sight of his native shore, (see BLAKE.) The whole 

 of Europe was either overawed by the arms of the pro- 

 tector, or willingly courted his alliance. He obliged 

 the Duke of Savoy to abstain from the persecution of 

 the Protestants, and dictated the same toleration to 

 France. Yet when Catholic powers interceded for the 

 Catholics in Britain, he gave them an imperious refusal. 



Amidst external successes, the protecter's domes- 

 tic administration was in general upright. He erect- 

 ed, it is true, high courts of justice, for the trial of 

 offensive persons, whom he knew that an English 

 jury would not be servile enough to condemn. He 

 set aside the verdicts of juries ; and in the case of 

 Lilburne and others, inflicted unlawful punish- 

 ments ; but his treatment of those enemies of his 

 government, is not to be compared, in the mc;\ Dis- 

 tant degree, with the enormities of the star chamber; 

 and except in some political instances, the adminis- 

 tration of justice was unexceptionable. He main- 

 tained a national church, which was neither Episco- 

 pal nor Presbyterian. A number of commissioners 

 called triers, laymen, ecclesiastics, presbyterians, 

 and independents, examined those who receive:' holy 

 orders, presented to all livings, and inspect 

 doctrine, and behaviojr of the clergy. Tht cr.adi- 

 dates were not puzrL-d with questions in Greek and 

 Ko'vaii erudition 'vl .''cir advances in grace werr 

 severely scrutinised. Tne independents were chiefly 

 favoured by him, and such of that sect as eould di 



Britain. 

 i i 



COMMON- 

 WEALTH. 

 165G. 



Success*? 

 of the Bri- 

 tish fleet. 



The Spa- 

 niards de- 

 clare war. 



Blake burin 

 the Spanish 

 fleet in 

 Santa Cruz. 



Domestic 



ri'lministra 

 tion of 

 Cromwell, 



