e.

"I say you are no Parliament!" roared the lord-general, hot with anger.
"Some of you are drunkards." His eye fell on a bottle-loving member.
"Some of you are lewd livers; living in open contempt of God's
commandments." His hot gaze flashed on Henry Marten and Sir Peter
Wentworth. "Following your own greedy appetites and the devil's
commandments; corrupt, unjust persons, scandalous to the profession of
the gospel: how can you be a Parliament for God's people? Depart, I say,
and let us have done with you. In the name of God--go!"

These words were like bomb-shells exploded in the chamber of Parliament.
Such a scene had never before and has never since been seen in the House
of Commons. The members were all on their feet, some white with terror,
some red with indignation. Vane fearlessly faced the irate general.

"Your action," he said, hotly, "is against all right and all honor."

"Ah, Sir Harry Vane, Sir Harry Vane," retorted Cromwell, bitterly, "you
might have prevented all this; but you are a juggler, and have no common
honesty. The Lord deliver me from Sir Harry Vane!"

The retort was a just one. Vane had attempted to usurp the government.
Cromwell turned to the speaker, who obstinately clung to his seat,
declaring that he would not yield it except to force.

"Fetch him down!" roared the general.

"Sir, I will lend you a hand," said Harrison.

Speaker Lenthall left the chair. One man could not resist an army.
Through the door glided, silent as ghosts, the members of Parliament.

"It is you that have forced me to this," said Cromwell, with a shade of
regret in his voice. "I have sought the Lord night and day, that He
would rather slay me than put upon me the doing of this work."

He had, doubtless; he was a man of deep piety and intense bigotry; but
the Lord's answer, it is to be feared, came out of the depths of his own
consciousness. Men like Cromwell call upon God, but answer for Him
themselves.

"What shall be done with this bauble?" said the general, lifting the
sacred mace, the sign-manual of government by the representatives of the
people. "Take it away!" he finished, handing it to a musketeer.

His flashing eyes followed the retiring members until they all had left
the House. Then the musketeers filed out, followed by Cromwell and
Harrison. The door was locked, and the key and mace carried away by
Colonel Otley.

A few hours afterwards the Council of State, the executive committee of
Parliame