penalty of forfeiture of the ship and cargo.
The act was passed in 1651. In a very short time the commerce of
England was twice what it had been. The law was not designed to work
any injury to the Colonies, but for their benefit. The great abundance
of timber in America, so much that farmers were slashing down hundreds
of acres and burning it, enabled the colonists to build ships very
cheaply, and so there was a swinging of axes in all our seaport towns.
When Charles II. came to the throne the royalists determined there
should be nothing left to remind the people that a Commonwealth had
ever existed. All the laws enacted during the period were repealed.
Their hatred was so great they could not let Cromwell's bones rest in
peace, but dug them up, dragged them through the streets of London,
and set his skull on Temple Bar. Well, that did not hurt Cromwell, but
it did hurt Charles II. and monarchy. I do not imagine anybody in
coming years will erect a statue to the memory of that voluptuous king
or hold him in reverence, but the time will come when Oliver Cromwell
will be held in grateful remembrance."

Mr. Adams passed his bowl for more pandowdy, and then went on with the
conversation.

"The meanness of human nature," he said, "is seen in the action of
Parliament immediately after Charles II. came to the throne in
repealing every law enacted during the period of the Commonwealth.
Having wiped out every statute, what do you suppose Parliament did?"

Robert replied that he had not the remotest idea.

"Well, they reenacted them--put them right back on the statute book.
They were good laws, but the Cromwellians had enacted them and they
must be expunged; having blotted them out, they must be put back again
because they were good laws."

Mr. Adams leaned back in his chair and laughed heartily.

"Now we come to the iniquity of Parliament," he continued. "Under the
Commonwealth the Colonies were kindly treated. Cromwell, at one time,
together with John Hampden, thought of emigrating to America, but he
did not, and by staying in England rendered inestimable service to his
fellow-men. The iniquity was this: Parliament enacted a law which
made each of these Colonies a distinct country, so far as commerce was
concerned. Greed and selfishness prompted the passage of this act,
which aimed to make England the distributor of all commerce, not only
between the Colonies and other countries, but between this country and
England, and