and with vehement expressions of his Highness’s personal abhorrence of Spain and her policy.  He represented her and her allies and dependents as the anti-English and anti-Christian Hydra of the world, while France, though Roman Catholic too, stood apart from all the other Catholic powers in not being under the Pope’s lash and so able to be fair and reasonable.  He urged the most energetic prosecution of the war that had been begun.  But with the Spanish war he connected the dangers to England from the Royalist risings and conspiracies of the last two years, announcing moreover that he had now full intelligence of a compact between Spain and Charles II., a force of 7000 or 8000 Spaniards ready at Bruges in consequence, and other forces promised by Popish princes, clients of Spain.  There were English agents of the alliance at work, he said, and one miscreant in particular who had been an Anabaptist Colonel; and, necessarily, all schemes and conspiracies against the present government would drift into the Hispano-Stuartist interest.  He acquitted some of the opponents of his government, calling themselves “Commonwealth’s men” and “Fifth Monarchy men,” from any intention of that conjunction; but so it would happen.  His arrests of some such had been necessary for the public safety.  He knew his system of Major-Generalships was much criticised, and thought arbitrary; but that had been necessary too, and a most useful invention.  He had called this Parliament with a hope of united constitutional action with them for the future, and would recommend, in the domestic programme, under the general head of “Reformation,” certain great matters to their care.  There was the Sustentation of the Church and the Universities; there was Reformation of Manners; and there was the still needed Reformation of the Laws.  On the Church-question he avowed, more strongly than ever before, his desire to uphold and perpetuate an Established Church.  “For my part,” he said, “I should think I were very treacherous if I took away Tithes, till I see the Legislative Power settle maintenance to Ministers another way.”  He knew that some of the ministers themselves would prefer some other form of State-provision; but, on the whole, believing that some distinct State-maintenance of the Clergy, whether by tithes or otherwise, was “the root of visible profession.” he adjured the Parliament not to swerve from that.  He expounded also his principle of comprehending Presbyterians, Independents, Baptists, and all earnest Evangelical men amicably in the Established Church, with small concern about their differences from each, other, and expressed his especial satisfaction that the Presbyterians had at length come round to this view, and given up much of their old Anti-Toleration tenet.  “I confess I look at that as the blessedest thing which hath been since the adventuring upon this government.”  Towards the end of the speech there was just a hint that he stood on his Protectorship for life, and regarded