1660. him to carry himself with great caution, till the old army should be disbanded: for, if an ill humour got among them, they knew both their courage and their principles, which the present times had for a while a little suppressed: yet upon any just jealousy there might be great cause to fear new and more violent disorders. By these means the king was so wrought on, that there was no great occasion given for jealousy. The army was to be disbanded, but in such a manner, with so much respect, and so exact an account of arrears, and such gratuities, that it looked rather to be the dismissing them to the next opportunity, and a reserving them till there should be occasion for their service, than a breaking of them. They were certainly the bravest, the best disciplined, and the soberest army that had been known in these latter ages: every soldier was able to do the functions of an officer. The court was at great quiet, when they got rid of such a burden, as 162 lay on them from the fear of such a body of men. The trial and execu regicides. The guards, and the new troops that were raised, were made up of such of the army as Monk recommended, and answered for. And with that his great interest at court came to a stand. He was little considered afterwards. In one thing the temper of the nation appeared tion of the to be contrary to severe proceedings: for, though the regicides were at that time odious beyond all expression, and the trials and executions of the first that suffered were run to by vast crowds, and all people seemed pleased with the sight, yet the odiousness of the crime grew at last to be so much flattened by the frequent executions, and most of those who suffered dying with much firmness and shew of piety, justifying all they had done, not without a seeming joy for their suffering on that account, that the king was advised not to proceed farther, at least not to have the scene so near the court as Charingcross. It was indeed remarkable that Peters, a sort of an enthusiastical buffoon preacher, though a very vicious man, who had been of great use to Cromwell, and had been outrageous in pressing the king's death with the cruelty and rudeness of an inquisitor, was the man of them all that was the most sunk in his spirit, and could not in any sort bear his punishment. He had neither the honesty to repent of it, nor the strength of mind to suffer for it, as all the rest of them did. He was observed all the while to be drinking some cordial liquors to keep him from fainting. Harrison was the first that suf fered. He was a fierce and bloody enthusiast. And it was believed, that while the army was in doubt, whether it was fitter to kill the king privately, or to bring him to an open trial, that he offered, if a private way was settled on, to be the man that should do it. So he was begun with. But, however reasonable this might be in it self, it had a very ill effect: for he was a man of great heat and resolution, fixed in his principles, and so persuaded of them, that he had never looked after any interests of his own, but had opposed Cromwell when he set up for himself. He went through all the indignities and severities of his execution, in which the letter of the law in cases of treason was punctually observed, with a calmness, or rather a cheerfulness, that astonished the spectators. He spoke very positively, that what they had done was the cause and work of God, which he was confident God would own and 1660. 1660. raise up again, how much soever it suffered at that time. Upon this a report was spread, and generally believed, that he said he himself should rise again: though the party denied that, and reported the words as I have set them down. One person escaped, as was reported, merely by his vices: Henry Mar163 tin, who had been a most violent enemy to monarchy. But all that he moved for was upon Roman or Greek principles. He never entered into matters of religion, but on design to laugh both at them and all morality; for he was both an impious and vicious man. And now in his imprisonment he delivered himself up to vice and blasphemy. It was said, that this helped him to so many friends, that upon that very account he was spared P. John Goodwin and Milton did also escape all censure, to the surprise of all people. Goodwin had so often not only justified, but magnified the putting the king to death, both in his sermons and books, that few thought he could have been either forgot or excused for Peters and he were the only preachers that spoke of it in that strain. But Goodwin had been so zealous an Arminian, and had sown such division among all the sectaries upon these heads, that it was said this procured him friends. Upon what account soever it was, he was not censured. Milton had appeared so boldly, though with much wit, and great purity and elegancy of style, against Salmasius and others, upon that argument of the putting the king to death, and had discovered such violence against the late king and all the royal family, and against monarchy, that it was thought a strange P He censures even mercy. S. omission if he was forgot, and an odd strain of cle- 1660. mency if it was intended he should be forgiven." He was not excepted out of the act of indemnity 9. And afterwards he came out of his concealment, and lived many years, much visited by all strangers, and much admired by all at home for the poems he writ, though he was then blind; chiefly that of Paradise Lost, in which there is a nobleness both of contrivance and execution, that, though he affected to write in blank verse without rhyme, and made many new and rough words, yet it was esteemed the beautifulest and perfectest poem that ever was writ, at least in our language'. 1661. Vane's But as the sparing these persons was much censured, so on the other hand the putting Sir Henry character. Vane to death was as much blamed: for the declaration from Breda being full for an indemnity to all, except the regicides, he was comprehended in that s; since, though he was for changing the government, and deposing the king, yet he did not approve of the putting him to death, nor of the force put on the parliament, but did for some time, while these things were acted, withdraw from the scene. This was so His life was spared by the means of the famous sir Wil-. liam Davenant, whose life he had saved under the former powers. O. Salmon's Examination of Bishop A mistake, for it is in Eng- assented to by the king.) lish. S. (" In the Declaration from "Breda, all those are excepted "out of the indemnity, who "should afterwards be excepted "by parliament, and sir Harry Vane was excepted by name.' 66 66 t("His hand was proved to a warrant issued out to the "officers of the navy to put the "fleet in readiness, on that very 30th of January 1648. on which the king was mur"dered. He was proved also 66 1661. represented by his friends, that an address was made by both houses on his behalf, to which the king gave a favourable answer, though in general words. So he reckoned that he was safe"; that being equivalent to an act of parliament, though it wanted the necessary forms. Yet the great share he had in the at164 tainder of the earl Strafford, and in the whole turn of affairs to the total change of government, but above all the great opinion that was had of his parts and capacity to embroil matters again, made the court think it necessary to put him out of the way. He was naturally a very fearful man: this one who knew him well told me, and gave me eminent instances of it. He had a head as darkened in his notions of religion, as his mind was clouded with fear for though he set up a form of religion in a : "murderers of his father, they "(the lords and commons) "not finding sir Henry Vane 66 66 or colonel Lambert to be of "that number, are humble "suitors to his majesty, that if they shall be attainted, yet "execution as to their lives may be remitted." The king's answer, as reported by the lord chancellor, was, 66 That his ma"jesty grants the desires in "the said petition." It is true, in the next parliament, there was an address to prosecute them. Lambert was attainted as well as sir Henry Vane, but his life was spared. He lived several years afterwards in prison, and died a papist. O. * A malicious turn. Vane was a dangerous enthusiastic beast. S. y See lord Clarendon's His |