guilty of new offences, it is just to subject them 'to new penalties, and they to be dealt with as if they had made no composition, nor had any such pardon granted them. But then the greater question is, what these men have done which may justly cancel their former grants, and how this comes to be a common cause? If some of them have offended, must all suffer?

In answer to this, I would premise two things:

1. The question is not about confiscation of life and estate, which the former war subjected them to, and which, without their composition or pardon might have. been inflicted; that offence was capital: but it is only, whether they shall pay somewhat more to the public charge then those that have been of the other party?

2. Exception is propounded to those who either have, or shall give evidence of, their having forsaken their former interest.

The onus probandi is put on their side, and many have had the fruit of this. His highness and the council having had good satisfaction concerning many of them, have discharged their decimation, and I suppose this bill is not, or ought not to reach to these; so that the question will not be of every individual man, but of such only as have not, nor can give, any testimony of their having changed their interests and principles; on the contrary, have given a just ground of suspicion that they do retain them.

For those who have actually had a hand in designing, contriving, acting, or abetting in the late insurrection, and can be convicted thereof by testimony, that is under another consideration, and will not be pertinent to be spoken of under this head.

Then to answer that question, What have they done? It's true, there was an insurrection, and of some of the party, Wagstaffe, Wilmott, &c.; but are all therefore to be punished? What hath the whole party done? This I would say in general, that the old de linquent party have not only the same intentions that

they had when they were in open arms, and notori. ously manifested it to the consciences of all men who will consider it, but they do retain their old principles, and still adhere to their former interest, (what that is I have spoken before,) and have been all along hatching new disturbances to trouble the peace of the state. And although the testimonies do not extend to such a proof as is necessary to a legal conviction, yet so much is known of the actions and conversation of the whole party as may satisfy any indifferent man, (especially a state who ought rather be too jealous than too secure,) that they were generally involved in the late design, and ought in reason to have the charge laid upon them.

To evince that, take a view of this party ever since the battle of Worcester. There you know their hopes were broken, and the lives and estates of that whole party in the three nations subjected to your power. What! doth the parliament apply themselves to heal and cement, and to take away the seeds of division? Hence it is, that not only justice is done them all, but an act of grace is granted to them, and that by the government! What do they meditate? The overthrow of those whose favour they were by the providence of God compelled to seek; for from that very day, until the late insurrec. tion broke forth, they have been in agitation of ill designs,

MR. LENTHALL.

The Speaker (Lenthall's) Speech on the Inauguration of Cromwell.

May it please your Highness,

You are now upon a great theatre, in a large choir of people; you have the parliament of England, Scotland,

and Ireland, before you; on your right hand, my lords the judges; and on your left hand, the lord mayor, aldermen, and sheriffs of London, the most noble and populous city of England. The parliament, with the interposition of you suffrage, makes laws; and the judges and governors of London, are the great dispensers of those laws to the people.

The occasion of this great convention and intercourse is to give an investiture to your highness in that eminent place of lord protector. A name you had before, but it is now settled by the full and unanimous consent of the people of these three nations, assembled in parliament. You have no new name, but a new date added to the old name; the 16th of December, is now changed to the 26th of June.

I am commanded by the parliament to make oblation to your highness of four things, in order to this inauguration.

The first is, a robe of purple, an emblem of magistracy, and imports righteousness and justice. When you put on this vestment, I may say, (and I hope without offence,) that you are a gown man. This robe is of a mixed colour, to shew the mixture of justice and mercy, which are then most excellent when they are well tempered together. Justice without mercy, is wormwood and bitterness; and mercy without justice, is of too soft a temper for government; for a magistrate must have two hands, plectentem et amplectentem.

The next thing is a bible, a book that contains the holy scriptures, in which you have the honour and happiness to be well versed. This is the book of life, consisting of two testaments, the old and new. In the first we have Christum velatum, Christ in types, shadows, and figures; in the latter we have Christian revelation, Christ revealed. This book carries in it the grounds of the true Christian protestant religion; it is a book of books; it contains in it both precepts and examples for good government.

Alexander so highly valued the books of his master, Aristotle, and other great princes other books, that they have laid them every night under their pillows. These

are but legends and romances to this one book; a book to be had always in remembrance. I find it is said in a part of this book, which I shall desire to read, and it is this:

Deut. 17. "And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write a copy of this law in a book, out of that which is before the priests and levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord God, and to keep all the words of his law, and those statutes to do them.

"That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand or to the left; to the end he may prolong his days in this kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel."

The next thing I am to offer to your highness, is a sceptre not unlike a staff; for you are to be a staff to the weak and poor. 'Tis of ancient use in this kind; 'tis said in scripture, in reference to Judah, the royal tribe, that the sceptre shall not depart from Judah. It was of like use in other kingdoms and governments: Homer, the prince of the Greek poets, calls kings and princes, sceptre-bearers.

The last thing is a sword, not a military, but a civil sword; a sword rather for defence than offence; not to defend yourself only, but others also. This sword is an emblem of justice. The noble lord Talbot, in Henry the Sixth's time, wrote upon his sword, Ego sum Talboti propter occidendum inimicos meos. This gallant lord was a better soldier than a critic. If I might presume to fix a motto upon this sword, it should be this: Ego sum domini protectoris, ad protegendum populum meum.

I say this sword is an emblem of justice, and it is to be used as king Solomon used his; for the discovery of

the truth in point of justice. I may say of this sword, as king David said of Goliah's sword, there is none like this. Justice is the proper virtue of the imperial throne, and by justice the thrones of kings and princes are established. Justice is a royal virtue, which, as one saith of it, doth employ the three cardinal virtues in her service. 1. Wisdom, to discern the nocent from the innocent. 2. Fortitude, to prosecute and execute.

3. Temperance, so to carry justice, that passion be no ingredient, and that it be without confusion or precipitation.

You have given ample testimony in all these particulars; so that this sword in your hand will be a right sword of justice, attended with wisdom, fortitude, and temperance.

When you have all these together, what a comely and glorious sight it is to behold a lord protector, in a purple robe, with a sceptre in his hand, a sword of justice girt about him, and his eyes fixed upon the bible! Long may you prosperously enjoy them all, to your own comfort, and the comfort of the people of these three nations.

OLIVER CROMWELL.

I HAD very comfortable expectations that God would make the meeting of this parliament a blessing; and the Lord be my witness I desired the carrying on the affairs of the nation to these ends. The blessing which I mean, and which we ever climbed at, was mercy, truth, righteousness, and peace; and which I desire may be improved.

That which brought me into the capacity I now stand in, was the petition and advice given me by you; who,