irst magistrate; and had provided, by an express law of Henry VII.,
for the security of those who act in defence of the king in being, by
whatever means he might have acquired possession: that it was extremely
the interest of all his highness's friends to seek the shelter of
this statute; and even the people in general were desirous of such a
settlement, and in all juries were with great difficulty induced to give
their verdict in favor of a protector: that the great source of all the
late commotions had been the jealousy of liberty: and that a republic,
together with a protector, had been established in order to provide
further securities for the freedom of the constitution; but that by
experience the remedy had been found insufficient, even dangerous
and pernicious; since every indeterminate power, such as that of a
protector, must be arbitrary; and the more arbitrary, as it was contrary
to the genius and inclination of the people.

The difficulty consisted not in persuading Cromwell. He was sufficiently
convinced of the solidity of these reasons; and his inclination, as well
as judgment, was entirely on the side of the committee. But how to bring
over the soldiers to the same way of thinking, was the question. The
office of king had been painted to them in such horrible colors, that
there were no hopes of reconciling them suddenly to it, even though
bestowed upon their general, to whom they were so much devoted. A
contradiction, open and direct, to all past professions, would make
them pass, in the eyes of the whole nation, for the most shameless
hypocrites, enlisted, by no other than mercenary motives, in the cause
of the most perfidious traitor. Principles, such as they were, had been
encouraged in them by every consideration, human and divine; and though
it was easy, where interest concurred, to deceive them by the thinnest
disguises, it might be found dangerous at once to pull off the mask,
and to show them in a full light the whole crime and deformity of their
conduct. Suspended between these fears and his own most ardent desires,
Cromwell protracted the time, and seemed still to oppose the reasonings
of the committee; in hopes that by artifice he might be able to
reconcile the refractory minds of the soldiers to his new dignity.

While the protector argued so much in contradiction both to his judgment
and inclination, it is no wonder that his elocution, always confused,
embarrassed, and unintelligible, should b