Jan. 30. The king delivered up to parliamentary commissioners by the

Scotch. August. The council of officers propose to the king propositions for the settlement of the kingdom.

Dec. 24. The parliament asked his royal assent to bills, which he refused.

1648.

Jan. 3. Lords and commons vote any further communication with Charles to be high treason.

Dec. 6. Colonel Pride removed from the house of commons a hundred and sixty members supposed to be inclined to monarchy.

1649.

Jan. 2. The lords refused the ordinance for the trial of the king, and adjourned.

Jan. 6. Ordinance passed by the commons.

Jan. 22, 23. The king's trial.

Jan. 27. Adjudged to die as a tyrant, traitor, and murderer.

Jan. 30. The king put to death.

Feb. 1. Lords desire a conference with the commons.

Feb. 6. The commons resolve that the house of peers was useless, dangerous, and ought to be abolished.

Feb. 7. The Prince of Wales takes the title of Charles II. at the Hague. Feb. 14. A council of state of thirty-nine members appointed, Milton secretary.

Aug. 1. Cromwell made lord-lieutenant of Ireland.

1650.

May 3. Cromwell returned from Ireland.

June 26. Made captain-general of the parliamentary forces.

June 29. Set out for Scotland to oppose Charles.

1651.

Sept. 3. Battle of Worcester, where Charles's forces were routed by Cromwell.

1653.

April 20. Cromwell dissolves the Long Parliament.

June 6. He issued his summons to a hundred and forty persons to take upon themselves the government.

July 4. The Little or Barebones Parliament met.

Nov. 1. Council of state of thirty-one members elected.

Dec. 12. Little Parliament resigned to Cromwell.

Dec. 16. Cromwell made Protector by the council of officers.

1654.

Sept. 4. First Protectorate parliament opened by Cromwell.

R

1654-5.

Jan. 22. First Protectorate parliament dissolved.

1656.

Sept. 17. Second Protectorate parliament opened.

1657.

May 8. Cromwell refuses the title of king.

1657-8.

Jan. 20. Second session of Protectorate parliament. Feb. 4. Dissolved by Cromwell.

Sept. 3. Cromwell died.

1658.

Sept. 4. Richard Cromwell proclaimed Protector.

1659.

Jan. 7. Richard opened a parliament.

Jan. 22. Parliament dissolved.

May 25. Richard surrendered his Protectorate.

CHAPTER XVII.

CHARLES II.

King de jure, on the death of Charles I. 30th January, 1649. King de facto, at the Restoration. 29th May, 1660 to 1685.

Reigned, de jure, 36 years; de facto, 25 years.

General desire for the Restoration.-The Long Parliament restored.Council of State.-Monk's Proceeding.-Restores the Secluded Members. Effect of that measure.-A Convention Parliament assembled. -The Restoration of Charles II. resolved.-Arrival of the King.His Speech.-Royal Assent to Acts, declaring the Convention a Legal Parliament. For restoring the King's Titles in Legal Process.Granting him Tonnage and Poundage for Life.—Act of Indemnity.— Monarchy again in Ascendant.-The Church of England Restored.— State of Religious Parties.-King's Declaration from Breda concerning Religion.-Act for the Settlement of Ministers of Religion.King's Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs.-Feudal Tenures and Court of Wards abolished in Exchange for Excise on Ale and Beer.-Purveyance Abolished.-Escheat not affected.-Its modern Value.-Savoy Conference.-A New Parliament and Convocation.— Acts declaring New Political Offences.—Restoring Bishops and Clergy to Temporal Power.—Arbitrary Taxation declared Illegal.— Act restraining Petitions to Parliament.—Act declaring the King's Prerogative as to the Militia.-Ecclesiastical Power of the Clergy restored.—Oath ex-officio abolished.—King's Speech on the Restoration of the Old Constitution.-Parliament of 1662.-Acts imposing Tests on Corporations.—Act of Uniformity.—Opinions of Historians concerning it.-Act to Regulate Printing.-Act for Regulating the Militia.- Charles's Marriage.—Attempt to obtain Indulgence for Catholics and Dissenters.-Refused by Parliament.-New Triennial Act. -First Conventicle Act.-Separate Taxation by Clergy discontinued. -Attempt to pass an Act for Indulgences.-Five Mile Act.-Appropriation of Supplies.-Examination of Public Accounts.-Lords'

original Jurisdiction in Civil Suits abandoned.-Conventicle Act renewed.-The Cabal.-Controversy between Lords and Commons as to Money Bills.-Suspending Power denied.-Test Act.-Act to prevent Papists sitting in Parliament.-King refuses a Militia Bill.-The Act repealing writ De Heretico Comburendo.-Habeas Corpus Act.

THE history of England during the period of the Interregnum, displays the agitation of a people deprived of their ancient government; but so enamoured of its forms and principles, that when all opposition was subdued, and power was finally concentrated in one ruler, he found it necessary to imitate the ancient system as far and as closely as the new elements would assimilate to the old. Oliver Cromwell, avoiding the title of King from dread of the disapproval of the army, took the title of PROTECTOR, with analogous powers; and he instituted two houses with similar functions to the houses of parliament. But not regarding the principle of freedom, which the adoption of the ancient system involved, or being unable to carry on his government in accordance with it, he did not forbear from the exercise of despotic authority; and, when he had issued his own ordinances for the levying of taxes, he imitated the worst proceedings of his predecessor Charles, by the intimidation of parties who resisted payment, by imprisonment of their advocates, and by coercion or removal of the judges.1

After Cromwell's death, and the removal or withdrawal of his son Richard from the protectorship, which he held only a few months, a struggle for power arose amongst Cromwell's old companions in arms; but the wishes of the people were directed to the restoration of the ancient monarchy; and the wish and the power to accomplish it centred in General Monk, who commanded a division of the army in Scotland. The other division, under the command of General Lambert, appointed a council, who assumed the

1 Ludlow's Memoirs, p. 223. Heath's Chronicle, p. 691. Clarendon's Rebellion, vol. vii. pp. 294–296. Godwin's History of the Commonwealth, vol. iv. p. 175. Guizot's History of Oliver Cromwell, vol. ii. p. 123.

1660.]

THE RESTORATION.

365

direction of affairs after Oliver Cromwell's death. They brought about the removal of Richard, and through their influence the Long Parliament was again summoned into existence. It had, some years before, by Cromwell's direction, been deprived, by Colonel Pride, of its presbyterian members, who, about one hundred and sixty in number, became known as the Secluded Members; and it was the remaining members of this parliament, contemptuously called the Rump, which reassembled on the 26th of December, 1659. They appointed a council of state, consisting of twenty-one of their members, and ten of their principal adherents out-of-doors; and true to their republican principles, they required each member to swear a renunciation of Charles Stuart, and of the line of the late King James; and to oppose the setting up of any single person, or house of lords, in the commonwealth.1

Monk resolved in his own mind to restore the king; but finding it necessary to conceal his views, and to temporize with the parliament, he set out with his army from Edinburgh on the 1st of January, 1660, without having disclosed his purpose. He arrived in London on the 3rd of February. He was well received by the parliament, who gave him thanks and large donations; and as soon as he had acquired a position in which it was safe to indicate his purpose, he addressed a letter to the parliament, in which, in the name of himself and his officers, he declared "that the grand cause of the present heats and disaffections in the nation, was that they were not fully represented in parliament; and he intimated the desire of himself and officers,-upon which they could not but insist,-that the parliament would proceed, by a day which he named, to issue writs for elections; and he reminded them that the time hastened on when they had declared their intended dissolution."

Monk next turned his attention to strengthen the numbers of his adherents in the Long Parliament, by restoring the secluded members. The Rump had been engaged in ! Parliamentary History, vol. xxii. p. 27.