He was dressed in a plain suit, after the fashion of a country gentleman, and was chiefly distinguished from his attendants by his superior simplicity, and the privilege of wearing his hat.  After sermon, he placed himself in the chair of state in the Painted Chamber, while the members seated themselves, uncovered on benches ranged along the walls.  The protector then rose, took off his hat, and addressed them in a speech which lasted three hours.  It was, after his usual style, verbose, involved, and obscure, sprinkled with quotations from Scripture to refresh the piety of the saints, and seasoned with an affectation of modesty to disarm the enmity of the republicans.  He described the state of the nation at the close of the last parliament.  It was agitated by the principles of the Levellers, tending to reduce all to an equality; by the doctrines of the Fifth-monarchy men, subversive of civil government; by religious theorists, the pretended champions of liberty of conscience, who condemned an established ministry as Babylonish and antichristian;

[Sidenote a:  A.D. 1654.  Sept. 4.]

and by swarms of Jesuits, who had settled in England an episcopal jurisdiction to pervert the people.  At the same time the naval war with Holland absorbed all the pecuniary resources, while a commercial war with France and Portugal cramped the industry of the nation.  He then bade them contrast this picture with the existing state of things.  The taxes had been reduced; judges of talent and integrity had been placed upon the bench; the burthen of the commissioners of the great seal had been lightened by the removal of many descriptions of causes from the court of Chancery to the ordinary courts of law; and “a stop had been put to that heady way for every man, who pleased, to become a preacher.”  The war with Holland had terminated in an advantageous peace; treaties of commerce and amity had been concluded with Denmark and Sweden;[1] a similar treaty, which would place the British trader beyond the reach of the Inquisition, had been signed with Portugal, and another was in progress with the ambassador of the French monarch.  Thus had the government brought the three nations by hasty strides towards the land of promise; it was for the parliament to introduce them into it.  The prospect was bright before them; let them not look

[Footnote 1:  That with Sweden was negotiated by Whitelock, who had been sent on that mission against his will by the influence of Cromwell.  The object was to detach Sweden from the interest of France, and engage it to maintain the liberty of trade in the Baltic, against Denmark, which was under the influence of Holland.  It was concluded April 11.  After the peace with Holland, the Danish monarch hastened to appease the protector; the treaty which, though said by Cromwell to be already concluded, was not signed till eleven days afterwards, stipulated that the English traders should pay no other customs or dues than the Dutch.  Thus they were enabled to import naval stores on the same terms, while before, on account of the heavy duties, they bought them at second hand of the Dutch.—­See the treaties in Dumont. v. part ii. p. 80, 92.]