e involved in tenfold darkness,
and discover no glimmering of common sense or reason. An exact account
of this conference remains, and may be regarded as a great curiosity.
The members of the committee in their reasonings discover judgment,
knowledge, elocution: Lord Broghill in particular exerts himself on this
memorable occasion. But what a contrast when we pass to the protector's
replies! After so singular a manner does nature distribute her talents,
that, in a nation abounding with sense and learning, a man who, by
superior personal merit alone, had made his way to supreme dignity, and
had even obliged the parliament to make him a tender of the crown, was
yet incapable of expressing himself on this occasion, but in a manner
which a peasant of the most ordinary capacity would justly be ashamed
of.[*]

* We shall produce any passage at random; for his discourse
is all of a piece. "I confess, for it behoves me to deal
plainly with you, I must confess, I would say, I hope I may
be understood in this; for indeed I must be tender what I
say to such an audience as this; I say, I would be
understood, that in this argument I do not make parallel
betwixt men of a different mind, and a parliament, which
shall have their desires. I know there is no comparison, nor
can it be urged upon me that my words have the least color
that way, because the parliament seems to give liberty to me
to say any thing to you; as that, that is a tender of my
humble reasons and judgment and opinion to them; and if I
think they are such, and will be such to them, and are
faithful servants, and will be so to the supreme authority,
and the legislative wheresoever it is: if, I say, I should
not tell you, knowing their minds to be so, I should not be
faithful if I should not tell you so, to the end you may
report it to the parliament: I shall say something for
myself, for my own mind, I do profess it, I urn not a man
scrupulous about words or names of such things I have not;
but as I have the word of God, and I hope I shall ever have
it, for the rule of my conscience, for my informations; so
truly men that have been led in dark paths, through the
providence and dispensation of God; why, surely it is not to
be objected to a man; for who can love to walk in the dark?
But providence does so dispose. And though a man may impute