PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY OF TRURO. 219 



only. This was tlie last parKament in which Eous represented 

 Truro; lie was now seventy-five years of age, and five years 

 later lie died. The Protector showed his appreciation of the loss 

 of so valued a friend, by giving him a splendid public funeral ; 

 he was buried in Provost Lupton's Chapel in the church of Eton 

 College, and his portrait still hangs on the college walls. 



Naturally, he was much disHked by the Poyalists, who 

 called him "the illiterate old Jew of Eton," and other bad names; 

 and Clarendon, referring to his election as speaker says — "They 

 (the members) repair'd to the Parliament House, and made choice 

 of one Eouse to be their Speaker, an old gentleman of Devon- 

 shire, who had been a member of the former Parliament, and in 

 that time been preferr'd, and made Provost of the College of 

 Eaton, which office he then enjoy'd, with an opinion of having 

 some knowledge in the Latin and Creek tongues, but of a very 

 mean understanding, but thoroughly engaged in the Guilt of the 

 Times." But, like everybody else who has detractors, Eous had 

 his admirers, some of whom expressed their admiration in verse ; 

 thus one Nicholas BiUingsly wrote a sonnet to extol his virtues ; 

 it is entitled " Annagrama, Erancis Eoose, Pise Car of svn," and 

 commences thus : — 



" Rise Car of svn, convey thy purer light 

 Into our souls, so shall they know no night." 



The Protector's last parliament assembled 17th September 

 1656; the official returns for Cornwall are wanting, but Browne 

 Willis gives Walter Vincent as the sole representative of Truro. 

 Walter formerly lived at Tregavethan, and afterwards at the 

 family seat. He was a barrister-at-law, clever, upright, and 

 popular ; and throughout the whole of his career was devotedly 

 attached to the Stuarts. This election was a significant sign 

 of the time. The country was becoming tired of Cromwell's 

 administration, and was casting longing eyes across the water 

 to Prince Charles, and, like many other constituencies, Truro 

 now replaced an ardent parUamentarian by an equally ardent 

 royalist. Charles II., in recognition of his loyalty, created him 

 one of the Barons of the Exchequer, and he set out on a journey 

 to London, in 1680, to be sworn. On reaching Exeter, however, 

 he was taken suddenly ill, and died at the early age of 47. He 



