[Sidenote a:  A.D. 1657.  Nov. 19.]

from a place where his experience and eloquence rendered him a formidable adversary, Cromwell had called him to the upper house; but he refused to obey the writ, and took his seat among the Commons.[1] That a new house was to be called according to the articles of the “petition and advice,” no one denied; but who, it was asked, made its members lords? who gave them the privileges of the ancient peerage? who empowered them to negative the acts of that house to which they owed their existence?  Was it to be borne that the children should assume the superiority over their parents; that the nominees of the protector should control the representatives of the people, the depositaries of the supreme power of the nation?  It was answered that the protector had called them lords; that it was the object of “the petition and advice” to re-establish the “second estate;” and that, if any doubt remained, it were best to amend the “instrument” by giving to the members of the other house the title of lords, and to the protector that of king.[a] Cromwell sought to soothe these angry spirits.  He read to them lectures on the benefit, the necessity, of unanimity.  Let them look abroad.  The papists threatened to swallow up all the Protestants of Europe.  England was the only stay, the last hope of religion.  Let them look at home:  the Cavaliers and the Levellers were combined to overthrow the constitution; Charles Stuart was preparing an invasion; and the Dutch had ungratefully sold him certain vessels for that purpose.  Dissension would inevitably draw down ruin on themselves,

[Footnote 1:  Hazlerig made no objection to the oath which bound him to be faithful to the protector.  But the sense which he attached to it is singular:  “I will be faithful,” said he, “to the lord-protector’s person.  I will murder no man.”—­Burton’s Diary, ii. 347.]

[Sidenote a:  A.D. 1658.  Jan. 25.]

their liberties, and their religion.  For himself. he called God, angels, and men, to witness that he sought not the office which he held.  It was forced upon him; but he had sworn to execute its duties, and he would perform what he had sworn, by preserving to every class of men their just rights, whether civil or religious.[1] But his advice, and entreaties, and menaces were useless.[a] The judges repeatedly brought messages from “the Lords to the Commons,” and as often were told that “that house would return an answer by messengers of their own."[b] Instead, however, of returning answers, they spent their whole time in debating what title and what rights ought to belong to the other house.[2]

Never, perhaps, during his extraordinary career, was Cromwell involved in difficulties equal to those which surrounded him at this moment.  He could raise no money without the consent of parliament, and the pay of the army in England was five, and of that in Ireland seven, months in arrear; the exiled king threatened a descent from the coast of Flanders, and the royalists throughout the