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Leader (1850-1860), 26th April 1856, Edition 2 of 2, Page 19

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      Eighae13: Cromwbtl. The History Of Richa...

      J'QCho causes * < f & tiie-infatuateei reaction wtateli placedthe Stuarts a- second t fmfeott the'English throne-are Explained' in this s « nse by M . © Uteot ' . ' Jfe allows' softie ^ importance , also , to th « personal'Character of Richard , at man unfitted for government , who might have been a respectable hereditary ^ n gf with responsilile ministers , but who never acted witli vigour ;' exempt , i « Kv > ottldseem , wh « n seized by the idea , habitual * to men who govern by virtue 4 > f an'inherited glory , tlrat he must copy His father . "M-. de Bordeaux , ^ witrng fio Mazarin * says , " He has , in . imitation of the deceased Protector , Spenttsoine days in prayer . " In his fitAil'confcests -with the parliament he appeared to be harassed by the notion that he should break down if he did ' not ? exert '^ ttie vigour and decision of his predecessor ; and ; when-he made tile attempt , usually chose the wrong method , and stopped-short in time for failure : His want " of will was probably owing , inpart ^ to his original want of ambition , He was acclimatised to state authority and grandeur in the

      pnlace & of'HamptoTi and Whitehall . Before Oliver ; had made him a privycouinciHdr Richard enjoyed a free and rural-life , kept up a studj gave jovial parties ^ paid little attention to political affairs ^ was hospitable to the Cavaliers , was idle by day , and , says Mi Giiiziot , somewhat debauched by aaigfttv and even drank the health of ^ the landlord , ? 1 when a toast to the Stuarts was illegal . He went ? to Whitehall -at ' his father ' s invitation-, and , « when his father died , became Lord ' Protector at the invitation' of his father ' s councillors-. Uj > on-succeeding to the dignity an-d the power he was not inclined to part with either ^ and being in -want of funds , sought to postpone fthfeJaBsenibling ofla parliament which might be troublesome , by requesting-a loan of ^ fiffy thousand pound * from the'French king . The French , king ; « tnder the ' advice "' of Maza , rin ^ deolined it , pleading poverty ' ¦ . But Richard ' s Aisfeer and brother-in-law—Lord and Lad y Faulcoribiidge—were more iiumble ^ in 1 their desires , and took small gratuities from tlie French minister ^ sana ' -e jewels' for the' lady and' fwo Barbary horsefs for- tfae lord : — >

      Thus / witfiin three ittonths after the death of Cromwell , bis Son , the apparent inheritor of his power , had applied in vain to Mazarin for assistance to'maintain himself ; -and his son-in-law and daughter - \ Vere ~ receiving bribes from the Cardinal , and promising faithfully to serve bun . The downfal i & rapid when tottering greatness is not sustained by virtue . ' ' itichard' Crotnwell ; embarrassed at home , saw nothing but confusion ^ Tjroad ; Swedeii was at war with Poland ; with a league , of the Qerrnani ^ rlhcea , ^ ftih = Holland . and Denmark . The new Protector Wasurged . by , his owri' advisers , ; as iirell ' as by Mazarin , to support Swedeii , as Olivier would TSaye ^ isupported her ; but Richard' Hesitated arid . delayed , sent blit" ar ~ ifleet "to mediate ^ " retailed it , arid ; finally , deserted his"'fat ^^ After- a fatal display of irresolution ; , lie was induced to summon a parliament ^ And with that parliament he sometimes acted in concert , sometimes contended , ' but always in ; an irregular , incautious , purposeless manner . _ At last , wheiLthe parliametitary institutions of the , country lad regained tleii : position , when * he authority ' of the Protector was . denied , and when tne Council' of War

      proposed to act ffidependentlv ; 6 f him and the parliament , He feebly rehearsed a ; part prepared for hinV by his . councillors , :- — ' The . \ Protector's advisers endeavoured to induce Mm to emulate the firmness ¦ which the Hbjjsehad . aispla £ ed . " Join 4 n with , the Parliament * " said Lord Brpghill , " ana ; dissolve the council of o & cers . " "I ^ ojv shall I do it ? " asked Richard . "If you please , " an ^ w « red BrbgfiiII ,, ; 'lI < wilI draw up a short speech for you , and to-morrow morning g & 'ib tjh 0 "Co , uncil , where , ' after aii hour ' s ? Bitting' among them , you must stand up and . speak it" Richard consented , and on the fdilowiiig day , at about ten o'clock , lie proceeded to Wallingford House , and took his seat , among the officers ; some of whom were pleased , and others made anxious ,, by . his presence . After listening attentively to their debates for about an hour , he suddenly rose , and thus addressed # »* mut * 'Gentlemen ) : : I > accept . of your service with all thankfulness . ¦• I have oonaidered , whatidoe 3 irriost : aggriev « you * and . 'think the best and proporest way to . rjedress wiiafc is amiss amongst you , ia to dp ; it in the Parliament ; now sitting , of " which « iany of , you ,, are jnentfters , where 1 will spa thinga . righted j ; and I , therefore declare nay commission , for holding this Council to be , now void , and the Council dissolved , -and desire , you to go to your aeveral commands . "

      Here was an opportunity to join the parliament , suppress the military factions , and govern the nation . with , spirit and . liberality . The Protector's speech , composed by Lord I * roghill , had . silenced the malcontents . But he sf ^ ent no further , and the opposition , resuming courage and activity , ' almost openly defiM his power . . "It iS- tunje to . look about you , " said Lord Howard ; •? empire and command are not al < owthe < qUeati & n * Your person , your life , are in peril ; you are the son of CromWell , . show yourself * worthy to be his ton . This business requires a bold stroke , and must fee supported by a good head . Do not suffer yourself to be daunted . Ittcetwood , . Lambert , Besborough , and Vane are the contrivers of all this . I will rid you of them ; do you . stand by me , and onl y back my zeal for your honour with your name : my head-sMl answer for the consequence . " ' Ingoldsby added his entreaties to those WHowaMj and . oBerea to beepmo peraoiially responsible for , Lambert , wllo was cpn-« aoredthew xnoet dangerous ! enemy . Richard waa racked by'painful perplexity . •*« I have-never done anybody any harm , " he sftid , «? and never yr $ U ; I will not have & ttrop of Wood spilt for ttie prtservntion of my greatuees , w ^ iicli ia a bmdon to mo . " This was an amiable resolve ; nuito in harmonv with Richni «< Va o . hnrnnfAr

      but ho might have been energetic without being oruol . He asked Monk to jproteati lum ,. and , Monk knew ho was not worth protecting . Thus Richard passed'through the various gradati 6 n , s qf his fall , until Tie wag forced'to stipulate the terms of abdicatioii , and received , with the grant of a penr wi "* ?? ei ;? mP tory or , ders to leave the state residences a . <; Hampton and WlutebjjU . ; Even then , he lingered in the palaces , rotroating from Whitehall to ^ wantpton j and , only after much wistful and weak delay , stubbornly nnd bitterly abandcjne ^ Uie rempiints of Oliver's gjory . But M . G ^ izotidtoesuot insist upon onq point which helps to explain the failures of Rich ^ a . proxAweM . Bte ' wu * second in the line ; the nation was mot disposed to be governed any loncer bv a nrotoctor . or a ilio . ti . tnp . Rnfnvn

      «« s capftcitj for ^ Ycrntoo , nt hftd' been tried , Jimitntions of hia authority were nroposfid . Both the civil and military olnases repelled the ideav of an exclusive and arbitrary adjninistratjpn . When his first parliament met , a «» fUQWta of the Commonsrefuaed to attend the , uehcra' summons to the bur of tUo Lords to hear the ) Pxotootoral speech . These , and many other eigna ot tUo change that had token place , snOe < % becjvmo Vwiblo , The people had

      ' struggi £ « i ? fbr a ftee'gweramerit , ; the * army had' ftot fought for-the ascendancy 4 > f a iiSan ' who twas fibi ^^ tftfnqiierbivW'even a soldier . The parliament had ¦ not contended ; "for yearsi " tot the'Sake of a man who , hu-viiig sharedin none of the heat and burdens of the * ivil wars , evipced at the- outset Ms antipathy to parliamentary influence . ' 3 Eiigland % ad-t ) ut ^ rown the Protectorate as it had outgrown thei Star- Chamber . ¦ i t 4 fell afterwards into the abasemeat ' of the Restoration j "because its apolitical 1 leaders -were fanatical or selfish , and because tW peopfe , unable to- Belp thentselves , and seeing' none ^ 6 ; 'help-tfiein , aecepted ^ be did' royal ty as' the refuge df ^ lieir disgust'and exbaustton-. ;' - ' ' " M . Giiizot ' s iiistoriear-vicws of this rehaarkable , but melicncholy perio' 9 ; are full of interest and orisrinalitv . Thev ^ ear altars the eoibinr of'fibe are full of interest and originality . They ^ ear always the colbiir of'thte

      writer ' s peculiar mind ; we never forget that it is M . Guizot , philosopher and ex-minister , a royalist in retirement , who judges between the conflicting parties of the Commonwealth . His ; Life of "Richard Cromwell , however , is less in tlie form of an essay than some of ' his' earlier historical works . The narrative , in general , is close ; the-disquisitions ar ^ few ; the criticism is not , we think , sufficiently minute to secure a solid hist & rieal basis ; Sojae of his own statements , ar . e qualified by expressions of . reserve ; many are , pu , t .. forward ' with too nauch confidence , on tne authority of Mi ' , de 3 ' ordeaux ^ a wily diplomatist , who may have been interested at times , in deceiving Ma'zarhi , as he wished' to deceive , or , ¦ more strictly , 'to > bliiid ! the * English ' gdv-efnmeiDLt ' Of Mazarin ' sltettera there are eight specimens , in . Mi Guizot ' s voluminous appendix . ; of Bordeaux ' s , more than a hundred . The French annbassaddn was in the habit of chronicling his actions , week by week , for-the Ihformatioa of his master . When Oliver died , he would not put on mourning or attend the funeral , without the permission of his government . At the iktteral ^'& i difficulty arose : —^ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦¦ - ;

      The ambassadors htid ' some dispute with theenvoys of Sweden because thdyclaimed to occupy the same rank as the Test , and not ; to be treated as subaltern nunisteTSjbasiBg their claim oh . the honourable position ; wbicb .. the King ^ their master gave to the envoy of England , and ; also on the . ground thafc , as they were ablcgates extraordinary , they were . entitled to equal consideration with the ambassador of Holland . The Commissionera appointed to ; arrange the cerendony had deferred to their . wJslieSibX ; placing ; them immediately after the Dutch ambassador , and before the Keepera of .-the-Grjesfc Seal , . England ; . but it \? as nee ' essary ' for me to folloTy the ^ precedent estililislieji ., at the ^ funeral of King Janves , and to contest this equality v the Kieep . ers of' thte ' Seai ^ on iheir patfc ,. refused tobe preceded by any but amrja ' ssadors ; . but finally , after ; many negotiations , they gave way , tjipug | i pTbtesting ^ againsfe ; tb : e 7 ike ^ being . 4 pn ? " rhf utui ' e ; and j ^ yfas entreated to withdraw Bfiy " opposition , if , in order to marfithei diflference

      between .- th ' e Swedish 1 ministers and the ambassadors ( witUbutji' however , idbrtig them any other w ' rong > than displacing' them froia' •&¦ rank whicbL liadv been " improperly ^ accorded to them ) , the master of the ceremonies and his ofiiceTS took their places between themaudius ; towlrichil consented . Ihere-was also some-slight altercation between the other * ambassadors and myself , because I wshedto < walk . alone , andlnot between the representatives of Portugal and Holland , who toaju 3 ' . a « eecl , € ! d . t <> . mj ^ desire . The first dispute , was , -to some , extent , the cause of the ceremonv not being ternxinated until night , aad , as this contingency : had not been ; anticipated , there ' \ yas n . ot a single candle in 'trestminster Abbey to giveJi g ht to tie company and eppauct the elfigy into-a isort of cKapelle ardente which had leeii prepared ; there were consequently neitner prayers , nor sernion , nor funeral bratfos , and after ' the ¦ trumpets had sounded'for " a short tithe , every one mthdfevrin no particular ^^ Order . " ' ; ' * - This is an example of M . de } $ 6 rdeauk s manner . Anqtber purictilid reapecting the number of musketeer ^ and'members of garlijyaaent wbo wer . 6 . to escort him to on audience ^ brought on ia secret menac ^ of war ; but p ' ro-r ceedihg 3 were" stayed : b $ d c 6 | ihprbmise—that happy invention . " " ' *

      J M ! ? &J>Bm*.M? 1856.]R- V Mmm ^Mmammm...

      J M ! & j > Bm * . m ? 1856 . ] r- v mmM ^ MMAMMM . ^ >^

      The Trateds Gf An Austramait. Btary 6f T...

      THE TRATEDS GF AN AUSTRAMAIT . Btary 6 f Travels in Three QiMrters of the Globe . By an JLustraJian Settler . 2 vola . ' ¦ ' ¦ iSaunders and Otley . This " Australian Settler , '' thbugli he travelledi in three of tlie great divisions of the , globe , writes some of his most entertaining chapters on tlie way . between Xulgilbar , on the Clarence > River , and lEtydney . Of , Ifulgilbar iitsejf we cpiil ' d wwli lie had said mor <^ , for bis few parsigraphs concewiin ^ th ' afc " Jpcation" are interesting and suggestive . It is beautiiully p laced ; he teljs life , and beautifull y adorned , we may imagine ,, from the sketch of his own . cottage , encircled , by gardens and vineyards , with its thatched roof burie < i in cqdar shade , pastures and nrable meadovrs around , and an outlina of . forests or purple hills on every side . The white cedai'S , planted by liis . own . hands , had flourished within fourteen years into ' " stately , spreading trees . " And , besides one melancholy renuhiscence , this is all we learn ' of Yulgilbar , or of the scattered settlements spread along , the valleys of the Australian rivers . From Merton , along the Tale of the Hunter , on the dir « ct route to Sydney , he saw unmistakable evidences of the strange effects produced in some of the colonial districts by the discovei'y of . gpld ;—

      Formerly , the traveller returning from the wide solitudes and scattered atatiopa of the great squatting districts of the interior , feasted hia eyes ,, and felt his . heart gladdened > by tho cvidencea of civilisatioi ) , and signs of life and activity which everywhere met hia view in passing down this fine valley of the Dartbroofc . At every four or five miles neat homesteads , surrounded a'hd embellished by fruitful orchards , apd spacious flower-gardens tastefully ' laid out and nicely Itept , gave evidence of prosperity and content , whilst luxuriant vineyards , well tilled fields , and mimqroua corn stacks , attested the fertility and productiveness of the soil . All this has sadly changed during the last three years . The discovery of the- gold mines , and consequent rush . to tho diggings , have converted this onco smiling bcoqo to one of . ruin and desolation . Deserted . houses , gardens choked with woods , and broltcn fences , now evorywhexo meet the oyo and depress the spirits . ,

      T )» o " Settler" complains that the pictorial aspects of Melbourne are diminished by the use of a dark volcanic stone in the erection of churches and public edifices , and of iron shops and storehouses . But it was nob the object of hia journey to collect notes for a description of Australia ; ho had Coyl « m , the Crimea , and Egypt in view . To Geylon , therefore , lie Went , and l \ e reqords his visit in some light and pleasant , chapters . Hence , proceeding by the general route to Suez , he was now enabled to oompaTQ lug knowledgft of the new-born sooioty of Australia with the traces of that mysterious system , antique and sacred , which cast into quo mould the . fives bnbita , and tlwughta of the Egyptian people . H « j Bftw also the blending ol

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), April 26, 1856, page 19, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_26041856/page/19/