(e) Thurloe, vol. iii. p. 486.

(f) Mercurius Politicus, No.

289, P. 5851.

country.But there was yet farther rea fon

for the faid fervice. And you are to observe and fol'low fuch directions as you fhall from time to time receive from ourself. Given at Whitehall the 28th day of May, 1655. Signed Oliver P. (e)"

·

Part of the inftructions to the major-generals were, To endeavour to fupprefs all tumults, infurrections, rebellion or other unlawful affemblies which shall be in the faid counties; to difarm all papifts, and fuch as have been in arms against the parliament, and all ⚫ others who are dangerous to the peace of the nation ; to apprehend thieves and robbers, and prosecute them according to law; to have a ftrict eye upon the con⚫ verfation and carriage of all difaffected perfons within ⚫ the feveral counties; to permit no horfe-races, cock. fightings, bear or ftage plays; to compel the idle to labour, and provide employment and maintenance for <the poor and impotent. To thefe were added orders to encourage godliness and virtue in their conftant car6 riage and converfation, and to discourage their contraries; as well as to take an exact account of what pro⚫ceedings had been upon the ordinance for ejecting of ignorant, infufficient and fcandalous minifters and schoolmafters (ƒ). Moreover, all perfons who had 'borne arms against the parliament, or that lived dif folutely, or without a calling, or at a high rate, having no vifible estate answerable thereunto, were to give bond with two fureties in fuch fums as the majorgenerals fhould think fit (with refpect to their qualities) for their own peaceable demeanor; for revealing ⚫ any plots or confpiracies that came to their knowledge; and for their perfonally appearing at fuch time and place as the major-general or his deputy fhould appoint, and as often as they fhould direct; and also that they should not change their places of abode with out giving notice, and declaring to the major-general or his deputy the place to which they were about to remove (g).' It is very evident from these inftruc

fon to complain.He made use of pack'd juries

tions that the major-generals had the country very much in their power and it appears that they made use of it in the manner which the Protector intended. The cavaliers were forced to dance attendance; to submit to decimations; to have their houfes fearched, and their perfons imprisoned. But nothing can convey fo good an idea of their actions as their own accounts, which are to be found in Thurloe's papers, one or two of which I will infert.Major-general Worley in a letter to fecretary Thurke, dated Stafford, December 8, 1655, writes as follows:- Yesterday we had a meeting at this town; and I have made a good progrefs in our business. We have affeffed divers, and the rest must expect it with all speed, I doubt not but before the five and twentyth of this inftant. I hope we shall < pay our county troope out of what we have done already, and provide you a confiderable fam for other ufes. We have fent out warrants to give notice to the whole county, and our day of meeting, when • we shall fit upon the ordinance for ejecting of fcandalous minifters. We have difarmed the difaffected in this county. Wee shall now fall of snapping fome of our old blades, that will not let us be quiet. There is fo few in that ordinance for fcandal, that they have • much adoe both here and in other countries to get a · coram. I commend that to you from the commiffioners upon their defire; and alsoe in their name to believe, that what is in their power shall not be wanting to effect what they have received from his high• nefs and council.-P. S. Wee understand that Mr. Halfoe is taken at London: if foe, he may, I believe, difcover divers of our Lancashire and Cheshire gentlemen. Wee have found an eftate of Penridock, that was executed, and have ordered it to be fequeftered; for I have taken orders for the takeing of fecu⚫rity for all difaffected perfons in that country. I hope fhortly to give you a good account of the rest of the ་ countyes

Gg

loe, vol. iv.

P. 300.

juries on fome occafi ns, and difplaced

.

judges

countyes ()-Difbrowe, another of thefe gentlemen, (4) Thur writes as follows to the protector, in a letter, dated Sarum, Dec. 18, 1655.- I have received your letter, in reference to the lord Seymour, and have perufed his to your highnefs; wherein I find no more than any Cavalier in the weft of England fhall pretend for himfelf. I must confefs I fhould be glad of a real change; but I humbly conceive, without fome publicque declaration to the world by him of the alteration of his fpirit and principles, and of his real engagement to the prefent government, it will but open a door, and give occafion to the enemy to cry out of our partiality; efpecially if favour and refpect fhall be fhewn to him, and denied to others, that will doe as much, if not more, than he hath done. If his fpirit be fuch as he can cordially clofe with the people of God, (as capt. Burgess feems to hold forth) he will not be afhamed to difown that intereft, wherein he formerly engaged; and for fatisfaction of friends manifeft his integrity to the publick. However, for the prefent, the commiffioners underftanding your highnefs's pleafure, feem willing to let him alone, untill they be afcertained, whether there be any difference betwixt him and his former practices. Yefterday we proceeded upon taxing 7 or 8 of this county, amongst whom was Sir James Thynn, who was at the first a little averfe, and did plead as much innocency as my lord Seymour hath done; but, at laft, having no refuge, was conftrained to comply; and I think of those 8, which we have already dealt withall, the fum will amount to 6 or 700 l. per annum. There are four more to appear this morning; and then I intend for Blandford, to attend the Dorfetfhire gentlemen, and fo to Marlborough, where there are 20 more to be fummoned. In my laft, I gave Mr. Secretary a lift of fome names for Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorfett, to be fheriffs; and have prefented your high

.

• nefs

nefs with 3 for Wilts, the two former being of the laft parliament, and figning the recognition. For Gloucefler I must crave leave till I come upon the (i) Thufloss place (i).'- But fining the Cavaliers was not the vol. iv. p fole bufinefs of the major-generals: other employ-324 ment they had, as we find in another letter from Disbrowe to the protector, dated Wells, Jan. 7, 1655.

the

I had not tyme by my laft to give your highness an account of all my proceeds, therefore fhall take *the boldness at prefent to acquaint your highneffe, that at Bristol intimation was given me by fome honest people, that fundry of the aldermen and juftices were enemies to the publique intereft, retayninge their old malignant principles, discountenancinge godly, and upholding the loofe and prophane which indeed is a difease predominatinge in most corporations. Now I judged it my duty to declare against fuch, wherefoever I find them, but refolved to do it with as little noyfe as I could; and in order thereunto I made my repair to Mr. Mayor, and acquainted him, that fuch of his bretherene I underflood were foe and foe; and desired him from me to ⚫ advise them tacitly to refigne, otherwife I fhould be * neceffitated to make them publique examples. Where

<

There

upon Mr. Mayor engaged to deale faithfully with them, and, as I understand, they have taken my advice, which will make way for honester men. were alfo articles of delinquency proved against nine of the magiftrates of Tewksbury, and particularly against Hill their towne clarke: I have alfo difmiffed ⚫ them, and four of the common councell of Gloucester, ⚫ for adheringe to the Scotts King's intereft (k).'One (*) Id. p. 396 and 326 inftance more of the behaviour of thefe major-generals will give the reader a tolerable good view of them. It is contained in a letter from major-general Haynes to Thurloe, dated Bury, August 15, 1655. • I am going into Norfolke to morrow, where we fhall make the moft ufe of it; [a letter from his highnefs] and I hope it will quicken them in their endeavours upon < the election-day at hand, in which they have been much difcouraged by the potencie of the adverfe par

judges for refufing (uuu) to follow his di

rections.

ty. Yett all the ftrength can be gott is endeavoured to crowde in my lord-deputy [Fleetwood] amongst them, that the honeft people may have fome one in parliament to addrefs themselves to. I am doing my moft to avoid the election of John Hubbert of Norwich, and Mr. Ph. Woodhouse, against whom you have 'fomething already by you from major Harvy, which Thurloe, it's hoped, if they fhould carry it here, will not pass

vol. v. P.

311.

(m) Hale's

Jife, p. 43.

with you ().'- These proceedings of the majorgenerals, founded on no law, but the will of the protector, rendered them generally odious, and raised a mighty clamour against them in the kingdom. A parliament being called they were spoken againft, even by court dependants, and focn afterwards abolifhed by Cromwell, as unacceptable and burthenfome to the people. From henceforth we read of no more decima

tions.

(UUU) He pack'd juries on occafion, and displaced judges for refufing to follow his directions. ] Here are my proofs. When judge Hale was on a circuit, he

understood that the protector had ordered a jury to ⚫ be returned for a tryal in which he was more than ⚫ ordinarily concerned: upon this information he examined the fheriff about it, who knew nothing of it; for he faid he referred all fuch things to the undersheriff, and having next asked the under-fheriff concerning it, he found the jury had been returned by order from Cromwell; upon which he fhewed the ftatute that all juries ought to be returned by the sheriff or his lawful officer; and this not being done according to law, he difmiffed the jury, and would not try the cause: upon which the protector was highly dif pleafed with him, and at his return from the circuit, " he told him in anger, he was not fit to be a judge, to which all the answer he made was, That it was very true (m).'

That