, who began to build a
tower and was not able to finish it: 'Where is this goodly Tower of
a Commonwealth, which the English boasted they would build to
overshadow Kings and be another Rome in the West? The foundation
indeed they laid gallantly; but fell into a worse confusion, not of
tongues but of factions, than those at the Tower of Babel, and have
left no memorial of their work behind them remaining but in the
common laughter of Europe.' Which must needs redound the more to
our shame if we but look on our neighbours THE UNITED PROVINCES, to
us inferior in all outward advantages; who, notwithstanding, in the
midst of great difficulties, courageously, wisely, constantly, went
through with the same work, and are settled in all the happy
enjoyments of a potent and flourishing Republic to this
day.--Besides this, if we return to kingship, and soon repent (as
undoubtedly we shall, when we begin to find the old encroachments
coming on by little and little upon our consciences, which must
needs proceed from King and Bishop united inseparably in one
interest), we may be forced perhaps to fight over again all that we
have fought and spend over again all that we have spent, but are
never likely to attain, thus far as we are now advanced to the
recovery of our freedom, never likely to have it in possession as
we now have it,--never to be vouchsafed hereafter the like mercies
and signal assistance from Heaven in our cause, if by our
ingrateful backsliding we make these fruitless to ourselves, all
His gracious condescensions and answers to our once importuning
prayers against the tyranny which we then groaned under to become
now of no effect, by returning of our own foolish accord, nay
running headlong again with full stream wilfully and obstinately,
into the same bondage: making vain and viler than dirt the blood of
so many thousand faithful and valiant Englishmen, who left us in
this liberty bought with their lives; losing by a strange
after-game of folly all the battles we have won, all the treasure
we have spent (not that corruptible treasure only, but that far
more precious one of all our late miraculous deliverances), and
most pitifully depriving ourselves the instant fruition of that
Free Government which we have so dearly purchased,--a Free
Commonwealth: not only held by wisest men in all ages the noblest,
the manliest, the equalest, the justest Gov