them where he found them," was an evidence that he meant himself to have brought a force into the House to apprehend them, if they had been there, (and) was looked upon as the highest breach of privilege that could possibly be imagined. They who spake most passionately, and probably meant as maliciously, behaved themselves with modesty, and seemed only concerned in what concerned them all; and concluded, after many lamentations, "that they did not think themselves safe in that House till the minds of men were better composed; that the city was full of apprehensions, and was very zealous for their security;" and therefore wished that they might adjourn the Parliament to meet in some place in the city. But that was found not practicable, since it was not in their own power to do it without the consent of the Peers and the concurrence of the King, who were both like rather to choose a place more distant from the city. And, with more reason, in the end they concluded, "that the House should adjourn itself for two or three days, and name a committee, which should sit both morning and afternoon in the city, and all who came to have voices ;" and Merchant Tailors' Hall was appointed for the place of their meeting, they who served for London undertaking that it should be ready against the next morning no man opposing or contradicting anything that was said, they who formerly used to appear for all the rights and authority which belonged to the King not knowing what to say, between grief and anger that the violent party had by these late unskillful actions of the Court gotten great advantage and recovered new spirits; and the three persons before named, without whose privity the King had promised that he would enter upon no new counsel, were so much displeased and dejected that they were inclined never more to take upon them the care of anything to be transacted in the House, finding already that they could not avoid being looked upon as the authors of those counsels to which they were so absolute strangers, and which they so perfectly detested.

And, in truth, they had then withdrawn themselves from appearing often in the House, but upon the abstracted consideration of their duty and conscience, and of the present ill condition the King was in, who likewise felt within himself the trouble and agony which usually attends generous and magnanimous minds, upon their having committed errors which expose them to censure and to damage. In fine, the House of

Commons adjourned for some days to consult with their friends in the city; and the House of Lords held so good correspondence with them that they likewise adjourned to the same days they knew, by some intelligence, they intended to meet again. But the Lords made no committee to sit in the city.

When the committee met next morning at Merchant Tailors' Hall, where all who came were to have voices, and whither all did come at first (out of curiosity to observe what method they meant to proceed in rather than expectation that they should be able to do any good there), they found a guard ready to attend them of substantial citizens in arms, and a committee from the Common Council to bid them welcome into the city, and to assure them that "the city would take care that they and all their members should be secured from violence; and to that purpose had appointed that guard to attend them, which should be always relieved twice a day, if they resolved to sit morning and afternoon;" and acquainted them further, that "the Common Council, in contemplation that they might stand in want of anything, had likewise appointed a committee of so many aldermen and such a number of the Common Council, which should always meet, at a place named, at those hours which that committee should appoint to meet at; to the end that, if any things were to be required of the city, they might still know their pleasure and take care that it should be obeyed." And thus they had provided for such a mutual communication and confederacy that they might be sure always to be of one mind, and the one to help the other in the prosecution of those designs and expedients which they should find necessary to their common end: the committee of the city consisting of the most eminent persons, aldermen and others, for their disaffection to the government of Church and State.

At their first sitting, the committee began with the stating the manner of the King's coming to the House, and all he did there; the several members mentioning all that they would take upon them to remember of his majesty's doing or speaking, both as he came to the House and after he was there; some of them being walking in Westminster Hall when the King walked through, and so came to the House with him or near him; others reporting what they had heard some of the gentlemen who attended his majesty say, as they passed by, every idle word having its commentary; and the persons, whoever were named, being appointed to attend, they having

power given them to send for all persons and to examine them touching that affair. Nor had any man the courage to refuse to obey their summons; so that all those of the King's servants who were sent for appeared punctually at the hour that was assigned them, and were examined upon all questions which any one of the committee would propose to them, whereof many were very impertinent, and of little respect to the King.

It was very well known where the accused persons were, all together in one house in Coleman Street, near the place where the committee sat, and whither persons trusted passed to and fro to communicate and receive directions; but it was not time for them yet to appear in public and to come and sit with the committee, or to own the believing that they thought themselves safe from the violence and assaults of the Court, the power whereof they exceedingly contemned whilst they seemed to apprehend it nor was it yet time to model in what manner their friends in the city and the country should appear concerned for them, in preparing whereof no time was lost.

The truth is, it cannot be expressed how great a change there appeared to be in the countenance and minds of all sorts of people, in town and country, upon these late proceedings of the King. They who had before even lost their spirits, having lost their credit and reputation, except amongst the meanest people, who could never have been made use of by them when the greater should forsake them, and so, despairing of ever being able to compass their designs of malice or ambition, some of them were resuming their old resolutions of leaving the kingdom, now again recovered greater courage than ever, and quickly found that their credit and reputation was as great as ever it had been; the Court being reduced to a lower condition, and to more disesteem and neglect, than ever it had undergone. All that they had formerly said of plots and conspiracies against the Parliament, which had before been laughed at, (was) now thought true and real, and all their fears and jealousies looked upon as the effects of their great wisdom and foresight. All that had been whispered of Ireland was now talked aloud and printed, as all other seditious pamphlets and libels were. The shops of the city generally shut up, as if an enemy were at their gates ready to enter and to plunder them; and the people in

all places at a gaze, as if they looked only for directions, and were then disposed to any undertaking.

On the other side, they who had, with the greatest courage and alacrity, opposed all their seditious practices, between grief and anger were confounded with the consideration of what had been done and what was like to follow. They were far from thinking that the accused members had received much wrong, yet they thought it an unseasonable time to call them to account for it; that if anything had been to be done of that kind, there should have been a better choice of the persons, there being many of the House of more mischievous inclinations and designs against the King's person and the government, and were more exposed to the public prejudice, than the Lord Kimbolton was, who was a civil and well-natured man, and had rather kept ill company than drunk deep of that infection and poison that had wrought upon many others. Then Sir Arthur Haslerigge and Strowde were persons of too low an account and esteem; and though their virulence and malice was as conspicuous and transcendent as any men's, yet their reputation. and interest to do any mischief, otherwise than in concurring in it, was so small that they gained credit and authority by being joined with the rest, who had indeed a great influence. However, if there was a resolution to proceed against those men, it would have been much better to have caused them to have been all severally arrested and sent to the Tower or to other prisons, which might have been very easily done before suspected, than to send in that manner to the Houses with that formality which would be liable to so many exceptions. At least, they ought so far to have imparted it to members in both Houses who might have been trusted, that, in the instant of the accusation, when both Houses were in that consternation (as in a great consternation they were), somewhat might have been pressed confidently towards the King's satisfaction, which would have produced some opposition and contradiction, which would have prevented that universal concurrence and dejection of spirit which seized upon and possessed both Houses.

But, above all, the anger and indignation was very great and general that to all the other oversights and presumptions (was added) the exposing the dignity and majesty and safety of the King, in his coming in person in that manner to the House of Commons, and in going the next day, as he did, to the Guildhall and to the lord mayor's, which drew such

reproaches upon him to his face. All which was justly imputed to the Lord Digby, who had before fewer true friends. than he deserved, and had now almost the whole nation his enemies, being the most universally odious of any man in it.

AN HORATIAN ODE.

UPON OLIVER CROMWELL'S RETURN FROM IRELAND IN 1650.

BY ANDREW MARVELL.

[1620-1678.]

THE forward youth that would appear,
Must now forsake his Muses dear;

Nor in the shadows sing
His numbers languishing.

'Tis time to leave the books in dust,
And oil the unusèd armor's rust;
Removing from the wall

The corselet of the hall.

So restless Cromwell could not cease
In the inglorious arts of peace,
But through adventurous war
Urgèd his active star;

And like the three-forked lightning, first
Breaking the clouds where it was nurst,
Did thorough his own side

His fiery way divide.

For 'tis all one to courage high,

The emulous, or enemy;

And, with such, to inclose,

Is more than to oppose.

Then burning through the air he went,
And palaces and temples rent;

And Cæsar's head at last

Did through his laurels blast.