royalty restored-第3部分

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CHAPTER　I。

Cromwell　is　sick　unto　death。Fears　and　suspicions。Killing　no　Murder。A　memorable　storm。The　end　of　all。Richard　Cromwell　made　Protector。He　refuses　to　shed　blood。Disturbance　and　dissatisfaction。Downfall　of　Richard。Charles　Stuart　proclaimed　king。Rejoicement　of　the　nation。The　king　comes　into　his　own。　Entry　into　London。Public　joy　and　satisfaction。

On　the　30th　of　January；　1649；　Charles　I。　was　beheaded。　　In　the　last　days　of　August　in　the　year　of　grace　1658；　Oliver　Cromwell　lay　sick　unto　death　at　the　Palace　of　Whitehall。　　On　the　27th　day　of　June　in　the　previous　year；　he　had；　in　the　Presence　of　the　Judges　of　the　land；　the　Lord　Mayor　and　Aldermen　of　the　City；　and　Members　of　Parliament　assembled　at　Westminster　Hall；　seated　himself　on　the　coronation　chair　of　the　Stuarts；　assumed　the　title　of　Lord　Protector；　donned　a　robe　of　violet　velvet；　girt　his　loins　with　a　sword　of　state；　and　grasped　the　sceptre；　symbolic　of　kingly　power。　　From　that　hour　distrust　beset　his　days；　his　nights　were　fraught　with　fear。　　All　his　keen　and　subtle　foresight；　his　strong　and　restless　energies；　had　since　then　been　exerted　in　suppressing　plots　against　his　power；　and　detecting　schemes　against　his　life；　concocted　by　the　Republicans　whose　liberty　he　had　betrayed；　and　by　the　Royalists　whose　king　he　had　beheaded。

Soon　after　he　had　assumed　the　title　of　Lord　High　Protector；　a　most　daring　pamphlet；　openly　advocating　his　assassination；　was　circulated　in　vast　numbers　throughout　the　kingdom。　　It　was　entitled　〃Killing　no　Murder；〃　and　was　dedicated　in　language　outrageously　bold　to　His　Highness　Oliver　Cromwell。　　〃To　your　Highness　justly　belongs　the　honour　of　dying　for　the　people；〃　it　stated；　〃and　it　cannot　but　be　an　unspeakable　consolation　to　you；　in　the　last　moments　of　your　life；　to　consider　with　how　much　benefit　to　the　world　you　are　likely　to　leave　it。　　It　is　then　only；　my　lord；　the　titles　you　now　usurp　will　be　truly　yours；　you　will　then　be；　indeed；　the　deliverer　of　your　country；　and　free　it　from　a　bondage　little　inferior　to　that　from　which　Moses　delivered　his；　you　will　then　be　that　true　reformer　which　you　would　now　be　thought；　religion　shall　then　be　restored；　liberty　asserted；　and　Parliaments　have　those　privileges　they　have　sought　for。　　All　this　we　hope　from　your　Highness's　happy　expiration。　　To　hasten　this　great　good　is　the　chief　end　of　my　writing　this　paper；　and　if　it　have　the　effects　I　hope　it　will；　your　Highness　will　quickly　be　out　of　the　reach　of　men's　malice；　and　your　enemies　will　only　be　able　to　wound　you　in　your　memory；　which　strokes　you　will　not　feel。〃

The　possession　of　life　becomes　dearest　when　its　forfeiture　is　threatened；　and　therefore　Cromwell　took　all　possible　means　to　guard　against　treacherythe　only　foe　he　feared；　and　feared　exceedingly。　　〃His　sleeps　were　disturbed　with　the　apprehensions　of　those　dangers　the　day　presented　unto　him　in　the　approaches　of　any　strange　face；　whose　motion　he　would　most　fixedly　attend；〃　writes　James　Heath；　gentleman；　in　his　〃Chronicles；〃　published　in　1675。　　〃Above　all；　he　very　carefully　observed　such　whose　mind　or　aspect　were　featured　with　any　chearful　and　debonair　lineaments；　for　such　he　boded　were　they　that　would　despatch　him；　to　that　purpose　he　always　went　secretly　armed；　both　offensive　and　defensive；　and　never　stirred　without　a　great　guard。　　In　his　usual　journey　between　Whitehall　and　Hampton　Court；　by　several　roads；　he　drove　full　speed　in　the　summer　time；　making　such　a　dust　with　his　life…guard；　part　before　and　part　behinde；　at　a　convenient　distance；　for　fear　of　choaking　him　with　it；　that　one　could　hardly　see　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour　together；　and　always　came　in　some　private　way　or　other。〃　　The　same　authority；　in　his　〃Life　of　Cromwell；〃　states　of　him；　〃It　was　his　constant　custom　to　shift　and　change　his　lodging；　to　which　he　passed　through　twenty　several　locks；　and　out　of　which　he　had　four　or　five　ways　to　avoid　pursuit。〃　　Welwood；　in　his　〃Memoirs；〃　adds　the　Protector　wore　a　coat　of　mail　beneath　his　dress；　and　carried　a　poniard　under　his　cloak。

Nor　was　this　all。　　According　to　the　〃Chronicle　of　the　late　Intestine　War；〃　Cromwell　〃would　sometimes　pretend　to　be　merry；　and　invite　persons；　of　whom　he　had　some　suspicion；　to　his　cups；　and　then　drill　out　of　their　open　hearts　such　secrets　as　he　wisht　for。　　He　had　freaks　also　to　divert　the　vexations　of　his　misgiving　thoughts；　calling　on　by　the　beat　of　drum　his　footguards；　like　a　kennel　of　hounds　to　snatch　away　the　scraps　and　reliques　of　his　table。　　He　said　every　man's　hand　was　against　him；　and　that　he　ran　daily　into　further　perplexities；　out　of　which　it　was　impossible　to　extricate；　or　secure　himself　therein；　without　running　into　further　danger；　so　that　he　began　to　alter　much　in　the　tenour　of　his　former　converse；　and　to　run　and　transform　into　the　manners　of　the　ancient　tyrants；　thinking　to　please　and　mitigate　his　own　tortures　with　the　sufferings　of　others。〃

But　now　the　fate　his　vigilance　had　hitherto　combated　at　last　overtook　him　in　a　manner　impossible　to　evade。　　He　was　attacked　by　divers　infirmities；　but　for　some　time　made　no　outward　sign　of　his　suffering；　until　one　day　five　physicians　came　and　waited　on　him；　as　Dr。　George　Bate　states　in　his　ELENCHUS　MOTUUM　NUPERORUM。　　And　one　of　them；　feeling　his　pulse；　declared　his　Highness　suffered　from　an　intermittent　fever；　hearing　which　〃he　looked　pale；　fell　into　a　cold　sweat；　almost　fainted　away；　and　orders　himself　to　be　carried　to　bed。〃　　His　fright；　however；　was　but　momentary。　　He　was　resolved　to　live。　　He　had　succeeded　in　raising　himself　to　a　position　of　vast　power；　but　had　failed　in　attaining　the　great　object　of　his　ambitionthe　crowned　sovereignty　of　the　nation　he　had　stirred　to　its　centre；　and　conquered　to　its　furthest　limits。　Brought　face　to　face　with　death；　his　indomitable　will；　which　had　shaped　untoward　circumstances　to　his　accord　with　a　force　like　unto　fate　itself；　now　determined　to　conquer　his　shadowy　enemy　which　alone　intercepted　his　path　to　the　throne。　　Therefore　as　he　lay　in　bed　he　said　to　those　around　him　with　that　sanctity　of　speech　which　had　cloaked　his　cruellest　deeds　and　dissembled　his　most　ambitious　designs；　〃I　would　be　willing　to　live　to　be　further　serviceable　to　God　and　his　people。〃

As　desires　of　waking　hours　are　answered　in　sleep；　so　in　response　to　his　nervous　craving　for　life　he　had　delusive　assurances　of　health　through　the　special　bounty　of　Providence。　　He　was　therefore　presently　able　to　announce　he　〃had　very　great　discoveries　of　the　Lord　to　him　in　his　sickness；　and　hath　some　certainty　of　being　restored；〃　as　Fleetwood；　his　son…in…law；　wrote　on　the　24th　of　August　in　this　same　year。

Accordingly；　when　one　of　the　physicians　came　to　him　next　morning；　the　High　Protector　said；　〃Why　do　you　look　sad？〃　　To　which　the　man　of　lore　replied　evasively；　〃So　it　becomes　anyone　who　had　the　weighty　care　of　his　life　and　health　upon　him。〃　　Then　Cromwell　to　this　purpose　spoke：　　〃You　think　I　shall　die；　I　tell　you　I　shall　not　die　this　bout；　I　am　sure　on't。　　Don't　think　I　am　mad。　　I　speak　the　words　of　truth　upon　surer　grounds　than　Galen　or　your　Hippocrates　furnish　you　with。　　God　Almighty　himself　hath　given　that　answer；　not　to　my　prayers　alone；　but　also　to　the　prayers　of　those　who　entertain　a　stricter　commerce　and　greater　intimacy　with　him。　　Ye　may　have　skill　in　the　nature　of　things；　yet　nature　can　do　more　than　all　physicians　put　together；　and　God　is　far　above　nature。〃　　The　doctor　besought　him　to　rest；　and　left　the　room。　Outside　he　met　one　of　his　colleagues；　to　whom　he　gave　it　as　his　opinion　their　patient　had　grown　light…headed；　and　he　repeated　the　words　which　Cromwell　had　spoken。　　〃Then；〃　said　his　brother…　physician；　〃you　are　certainly　a　stranger　in　this　house；　don't　you　know　what　was　done　last　night？　　The　chaplain　and　all　their　friends　being　dispersed　into　several　parts　of　the　palace　have　prayed　to　God　for　his　health；　and　they　all　heard　the　voice　of　God　saying；　'He　will　recover；'　and　so　they　are　all　certain　of　it。〃

〃Never；　indeed；　was　there　a　greater　stock　of　prayers　going　on　for　any　man；〃　as　Thurlow；　his　secretary；　writes。　　So　sure　were　those　around　him　that　Providence　must　hearken　to　and　grant　the　fulfilment　of　such　desires　as　they　thought　well　to　express；　that；　as　Thomas　Goodwin；　one　of　Cromwell's　chaplains；　said；　〃We　asked　not　for　the　Protector's　life；　for　we　were　assured　He　had　too　great　things　for　this　man　to　do；　to　remove　him　yet；　but　we　prayed　for　his　speedy　recovery；　because　his　life　and　presence　were　so　necessary　to　divers　things　then　of　great　moment　to　be　despatched。〃　　When　this　Puritanical　fanatic　was　presently　disappointed；　Bishop　Burnet　narrates　〃he　had　the　impudence　to　say　to　God；　'Thou　hast　deceived　us。'〃

Meanwhile　the　Protector　lay　writhing　in　pain　and　terror。　　His　mind　was　sorely　troubled　at　remembrance　of　the　last　words　spoken　by　his　daughter　Elizabeth；　who　had　threatened　judgments　upon　him　because　of　his　refusal　to　save　the　King；　whilst　his　body　was　grievously　racked　with　a　tertian　fever；　and　a　foul　humour　which；　beginning　in　his　foot；　worked　its　way　steadily　to　his　heart。　Moreover；　some　insight　regarding　his　future　seemed　given　to　him　in　his　last　days；　for　he　appeared；　as　Ludlow；　his　contemporary；　states；　〃above　all　concerned　for　the　reproaches　he　saw　men　would　cast　upon　his　name；　in　tramping　upon　his　ashes　w