a more recent adventure, published on Mondays.  Just after the order, I note, the Mercurius Politicus enlarged its size somewhat, to match with the Public Intelligencer, and in the first number of the new size (Sept. 22-Oct. 4, 1655) the Editor speaks with great approbation of the Order of Council “silencing the many pamphlets that have hitherto presumed to come abroad.”  Needham seems now to have assumed the editorship of both papers; and after the twenty-third number of the Intelligencer (March 3-10, 1655-6) the publisher of it, as well as of the Mercurius Politicus, was Thomas Newcome.  The newspaper press of the Protectorate was thus pretty well consolidated by Mr. Thurloe.  There were two papers only, under one management, or rather there was a single bi-weekly newspaper with alternative names.[1]

[Footnote 1:  Council Order Books of 1655 and 1658 passim; Merc.  Pol. and Public Intelligencer of dates given.]

It was part of the duty of the Major-Generals to assist, so far as might still be necessary, in the execution of the Ordinance of Aug. 1654 for the ejection of scandalous and insufficient ministers and schoolmasters (Vol.  IV. p. 564 and p. 571), The County Committees of Ejectors under that Ordinance had already performed their disagreeable work in part, but were still busy.  On the whole, though they turned out many, they seem not to have abused their powers.  “I must needs say,” is Baxter’s testimony, “that in all the counties where I was acquainted, six to one at least, if not many more, that were sequestered by the Committees were, by the oaths of witnesses, proved insufficient or scandalous, or both—­especially guilty of drunkenness or swearing,—­and those that, being able godly preachers, were cast out for the war alone, as for their opinions’ sake, were comparatively very few.  This, I know, will displease that party; but this is true.”  Baxter admits, indeed, that there were cases in which the Committees were swayed too much by mere political feeling, and ejected men from their pulpits whom it would have been better to retain.  Other authorities assert the same more strongly, but rather fail in the proof.  The most notorious instance produced of a blunder on the part of any of the Committees was in Berkshire.  The Rector of Childrey in this county was the learned orientalist Pocock, who had lost his Professorship of Hebrew in the University of Oxford for refusing the engagement to the Commonwealth, but still held the Arabic lectureship there, because there was no one else who knew Arabic sufficiently.  Not liking his look, or not seeing what Orientalism had to do with the Gospel, the rude Berkshire Committee were on the point of turning him out of his Rectory, when Dr. Owen interfered manfully and prevented the scandal.  About the same time, it is said, Thomas Fuller was in some trepidation about his living of Waltham Abbey, in Essex, but acquitted himself before the Committee handsomely.[1]