Encyclopaedia Americana: a popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, brought down to the present time : including a copious collection of original articles in American biography : on the basis of the seventh edition of the German Conversations-Lexicon (Volume 4).
- Date:
- 1830-33
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Encyclopaedia Americana: a popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, brought down to the present time : including a copious collection of original articles in American biography : on the basis of the seventh edition of the German Conversations-Lexicon (Volume 4). Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)
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![the aid of general Lambert, he formed a constitution, called the Instrument of Gov- eminent, by whicli the jn-otector was in- vested witli the power of i)eace and war, and was to summon a parliament once every' three years, which he should not dissolve under five months; bills presented to him were to have the force of laws if not ratified by liim within 20 days; and, on the other hand, he had power to enact laws, with the consent of his council, which should be binding in the intervals of the sessions of parliament. In c.ise of his deatii, the council were immediately to choose a new protector; but no protec- tor after him wtis to command the aniiy. Cromwell, having concluded peace with Portugal, turned the resources of the state to the enlargement of its navy and com- merce. France and Spain courted the fi-iendship of the fortunate protector, who at length united with cardinal Mazarin, in order to increase tlie colonial power of England. To make a thorough reduction of Scotland, he gave orders to general Monk to plunder every place tlisit made resistance, and put the gairison to the sword—orders wiiich were so rigorously executed by IMonk, tliat teiTor ensured the most im|)licit submission. The nobles feared, the clergy hated the protector, while the people, wliom he treated with equity and kindness, loved him, because they enjoyed mucii more liberty under him than before. The protector treated L'eland ^vith great severity. His act of pardon was, in reality, a desperate reme- dy for a desperate evil. The surviving inhabitants of an island wasted by fire, sword and j)estilence, were com[)elled to remove, on i)enalty of death, to a barren tract of the province of Connaught, which was divided among them ; the rest of the island became the property of the con- queroi-s. Such was the bitter hatred oc- casioned by the unceasing quarrels of the Protestants and Catholics. Here, how- ever, as in Scotland, the protector estab- lished an equitable fomi of government, which, in the course of a few generations, would have very much improved the state of the island. But, ui England, the situation of the protector was far from being secure. A member of parUament loudly declared, that he could not brook, after the overthrow of one tyrant, to see the hberties of the nation shackled by another, whose prerogative had no meas- ure but the length of his sword; and Cromwell met with so much opposition, that, after the first five months, he dissolved the parhament. On tlie whole, his pohtical administration was masterly, and adapted to the circumstances of his situation. He established large magazines of l)ro- visions ; the pay of the soldiers was regii- larlv delivered to tliem a month in ad- vance ; the public reveimes were strictly and economically managed, witliout any additional imposts. He appointed for judges the most upright and distinguished men. Among these was the famous su- Matthew Hale. He never interfered with the ])ioceedings of the courts of justice. In religion, he acted on the principle of toleration. Every man had liberty of conscience. In other tilings, too, Crom- well, as his own correct judgment i)rompt- ed, would have governed with mildness and justice, promoted the arts and sci- ences, and healed the wounds of the na- tion ; but he was obhged to maintain his jiower, as he had acquired it, against his better will, by a severity often amounting to tyranny. Equally afraid of the royalists and the levellers, he could not rely upon the officers of the anny ; he did not place confidence even in the soldiers, and would have taken a regiment of Swiss for his body-guard, had he not been fearful of making himself unpopular, and betraying his susj)icions, by so doing. With the helj) of tlie fanatics, he kejjt the royalists in check ; and tlie latter served as a coun- terpoise to the former. For this rea.son he rejected, as much from policy as from principle, tjie proposition, which was ra- peatedly made in the council of war, to massacre all the royalists. They were obliged, however, to give up a tenth part of their property, were always looked upon as enemies, and were denied the common privileges of a court of justice;. In onkir to collect the fines imposed on the royalists, to prosecute those whom he sus- jiected, perhaps also to disunite the army, the protector divided England into 12 militaiy jurisdictions, and placed over each a major-general with absolute power, from whose decisions there was no appeal, ex- cept to the protector himself; but he speed- ily broke up this odious government of pachas. On the other hand, he strength- ened the British navy. The famous admi- ral Blake, and other naval heroes, fought several well-contested battles with the Dutch fleets, under De Ruyter, Tromp and others. In the peace with Holland (April 15, 1654), England maintained the honor of her flag, and the navigation act gave a new impulse to the colonial trade. Tfie skilful and fortunate conduct of the war with Spain, from 1655 to 1658, in which Jamaica and Dunkirk were taken, made the new par-](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21136737_0052.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
