dicted to no vice, but a profeffor of religion even to a degree of (F) enthusiasm, to which through

lect his affairs. Mr. Hume fhould have known too, that the clergy with whom Cromwell allociated, were not of a temper to ruin even the moft hofpitable: good cheer was far enough from being their chief object. But waving all this, I would be glad to know how these accounts of his poverty are to be reconcil'd with the known facts of his being elected a member of parliament in 1628; and the fuccessful oppofition he actually made to the earl of Bedford, and other great men, in the bufinefs of draining the Fens?

moirs, P

Sir Philip Warwick, an eminent royalift, lived fome time near Huntington (y), and convers'd with Dr. Sim- (y) Mecott, Cromwell's phyfician, from whom he learn'd many particulars but he is totally filent on this head, and therefore very probably there is no truth in what is above related.

Since writing the above, I find Cromwell fpeaking concerning his fituation in life in the following manner. I was by birth a gentleman, living neither

249.

in any confiderable height, nor yet in obfcurity.' Words fpoken to his parliament Sept. 12, 1654, and abundantly fufficient to confute the idle ftories in this note recited. Milton also, speaking concerning him, fays, Is matura jam atque firmata ætate, quàm & privatus traduxit, nulla re magis quam religionis cultu purioris, & integritate vitæ cognitus, domi in occulto 'creverat' i.e. Being now arrived to a mature and ripe age, which he spent as a private person, (≈) Milton's ⚫ noted for nothing more than the cultivation of pure Works, religion, and integrity of life, he was grown rich at vol. ii. home (z). After this, I hope, we fhall hear no more p. 395. of Oliver's extreme poverty.

-

(F) He was a professor of religion even to a degree of enthufafm.] The reader who has feen nothing but modern manners, may wonder to hear religion made part

Profe

quarto, Lond. 1753.

See alfo the quotation

from Clarendon in

of note (P).

through the remaining part of his life he feemed greatly inclined.

This,

He who fhould now even

of a great man's character. but make the leaft public pretence to it, would go near to be ridicul'd for a fool or a fanatic. The Brutes, the Wrongheads, the Fribbles have figured fo long, that they. are become very familiar, and deem'd top characters. But in the last century things were otherwife: a man's being religious was thought one qualification even for a poft in the army, and mentioned as fuch by Lord Strafforde (a), and we well know that the appearance of religion was kept up by gentlemen of the most diffol. Lond. tinguifh'd rank. So that Oliver's religion was meritorious in the eyes of thofe around him, and tended much, to advance his character.

(a) Letters and Difpatches,

vol. i. p. 17.

1739.

And that he was really religious, feems to appear from the following letter moft generously permitted to be tranfcribed for me, by the truflees of the British Mufeum. It is written to Mr. Storie, and dated St. Ives, Jan. 11, 1635.

MR. Storie, amongst the catalogue of thofe good

workes which your fellowe citycenes and our ⚫ cuntrie men have donn, this will not be reckoned for the leaft that they have provided for the feedinge of foules: buildinge of hofpitalls provides for mens bodyes, to build materiall temples is iudged a worke of pietye, but they that procure fpirituall food, they that builde up fpirituall temples, they are the men truly charitable, trulye pious. Such a work as this was your erectinge the lecture in our cuntrie, in the which you placed Dr. Welles, a man of goodnesse and induftrie and abilitie to doe good every way: not fhort of any I knowe in England, and I am perfwaded that fithence his cominge, the Lord by him hath wrought much good amongst us. It only remains now that he whoe first moved you to this, put you forward

to

to the continewance thereof, it was the Lord, and therefore to him lift we up our harts that he would perfect itt. And furely Mr. Storie it were a piteous thinge to fee a lecture fall in the hands of foe manie ⚫able and godly men as I am perswaded the founders of this are, in theife times wherin wee see they are fuppreffed with too much haft, and violence by the ⚫ enemies of God, his truth, far be it that foe much guilt should sticke to your hands, who live in a citye fo renowned for the clere fhininge light of the gofpell. You knowe Mr. Storie to withdrawe the pay is to lett fall the lecture, for whoe goeth to warfare at his owne coft. I befeech you therefore in the bowells of Chrift Jefus putt it forward and let the good man have his pay. The foules of God his children will blefs you for it: and foe fhall I, and ever reft

• Your lovinge friend in the Lord,

OLIVER CROMWELL.

Commende my hearty love to Mr.Busse, Mr. Beadly, and my other good friends. I would have written to Mr. Buffe, but I was loath to trouble him with a longe letter, and I feared I should not receive an answer from him, from you I expect one foe foon as conveniently you may. Vale. To my very lovinge 'friend Mr. Storie, at the fign of the Dogg in 'the Royal Exchange London, die. theife.'

The importance of this letter to Cromwell's character will excufe the length of it, especially as 'tis an original, and now first published.

But he not only practifed the external duties of religion (real inward religion appears not to men, but by its fruits) but he was carried away into enthusiasm. He fancied himself favoured and diftinguished by heaven; that God in answer to his prayers afforded him fupernatural illumination and affiftance. I had oc• cafion to converfe with Mr. Cromwell's phyfician, Dr. < Simcott,

(b) War

wick, p.

249.

(c) Thurloe, vol, i. p. 1.

• Simcott, who affured me, that for many years his pa-
tient was a moft fplenetick man, and had phanfyes
⚫ about the crofs in that town; and that he had been
called up to him at midnight and fuch unfeasonable
hours very many times, upon a ftrong phancy, which
< made him believe he was then dying; and there went
a ftory of him, that in the day-time lying melancholy
in his bed, he believed that a fpirit appeared to him,
and told him he should be the greatest man (not men-
tioning the word King) in this kingdom. Which his
uncle Sir Thomas Steward, who left him all the little
• eftate Cromwell had, told him was traiterous to re-
late. The first years of his manhood were spent in
a diffolute courfe of life-but-when he was civiliz'd
• he joined himself to men of his own temper, who
pretended unto tranfports and revelations (b).—
The following extracts from fome of Oliver's letters will,
perhaps, better than any thing else illuftrate this part
of his character. Truly noe poore creature hath
more cause to putt forth himfelfe in the cause of his
God, then I. I have had plentiful wadges before
hand; and I am fure I fhall never earn the leaft mite.
The Lord accept mee in his Sonn, and give me to
walk in the light, and give us to walk in the light,
as hee is in the light. He it is that inlighteneth our
blackneffe, our darkneffe. I dare not fay, hee hi-
deth his face from mee; hee giveth me to fee light in
his light: one beame in a darke place hath exceed-
⚫inge much refreshment in it; bleffed be his name for
fhininge upon foe darke a hart as mine (c). This
was written in 1638.In a letter to the lord Whar-
ton, dated Sept. 2, 1648, we have the following paf-
fages. I befeech the Lord make us fenfible of this
great mercye heere [the victory over the Scots under
Duke Hamilton, I fuppofe] which furelye was much
more then ** the house expreffeth. I truft
** the goodneffe of our God, time and op-
'portunitye to speak of itt with you face to face.
When we think of our God, what are wee! oh!
his mercye to the whole focietye of Saincts, defpifed,

6

'jeered

jeered Saincts. Let them mocke onn.

Would we

we

were all Saints; the best of us are (God knows) ⚫ poore weake Saincts, yet Saincts; if not fheepe, yet lambs, and muft bee fed. We have daily bread and fhall have itt, in defpite of all enimies. There's enough in our fathers house, and he dispenseth itt as • our eyes **** bekind, then wee can for him. I thinke thorough thefe outward mercyes (as we call them) faith, patience, love, hope, all are • exercised and perfected, yea Chrift formed, and growes to a perfect man within us. I knowe not ⚫ how well to distinguish: the difference is only in the fubject to a worldly man they are outward: to a • Sainct, christian: but I dispute not. My lord I rejoice in your perticular mercye. I hope that is foe to you; if foe it fhall not hurt you, nor make you plott or fhift for the younge baron to make him great. • You will fay he is Gods to difpofe off, and guide for, ⚫ and there you will leave him (d).'

In a letter to the governor of the castle of Edinburgh, dated Sept. 9, 1650, he thus writes: We have faid in our papers with what hearts and upon what ac⚫ compt we came; [into Scotland] and the Lord hath heard us, though you would not, upon as folemn an appeal as any experience can parallel. And although they [the Scots] feem to comfort themselves with being the fons of Jacob, from whom (they fay) God hath hid his face for a time; yet it's no wonder, when the Lord hath lift up his hand fo eminently against family, as he hath done fo often againft this [the • Stuart] and men will not fee his hand, if the Lord • hide his face from fuch, putting them to shame, both ⚫ for it and their hatred at his people, as it is this day. • When they purely truft to the fword of the fpirit, which

is the word of God, which is powerful to bring down • ftrong holds, and every imagination that exalts itself, ⚫ which alone is able to square and fitt the stones for the new Jerufalem; then, and not before, and by that means, and no other, fhall Jerufalem (which is to be the praise of the whole earth) the city of the Lord be built,

(d) Thurloe, vol. i.

P. 99.