others, when we have it not ourselves? And when we are made Slaves ourselves, how can they, whom we are pretended to govern, be free? It is plain enough, that they, who by Force heretofore drove us out of this House, and now by Force compel us to sit in it again, do not doubt but they shall easily force us to do what they please, which is not like to make much for the Liberty of the People; since that, and the Power, which these Men have taken upon them, are utterly inconsistent.
But suppose, they should give us leave to act freely, yet how can that be called Liberty, which is imposed upon the People, wholly
To Persons acquainted with the general History of those Times, there needs no other Comment upon these Speeches, but directing their Attention to a few particular Circumstances peculiar to the Æra in which they are supposed to be spoken—When Richard had been prevailed upon to dissolve his Parliament, and by that in effect his Protectorship, Lambert and the other Officers of the Army, into whose Hands the Power then of course devolved, in order to keep the possession of it, under some shew of legal Authority, called together such Members of the long Parliament as had continued to sit till the 20th of April 1653, which was the Day, that Cromwell with the Assistance of these very Officers, had pulled them out of the House, and dismissed them. As soon as they met, which they were very willing to do, the Army presented an humble Address and Petition, desiring or rather directing them to establish the Government of a free State and Commonwealth, without a single Person, Kingship, or House of Peers—a just and due Regulation of Law, and Courts of Justice and Equity, &c. With this the Parliament complyed and immediately voted for a free Commonwealth, without a single Person, Kingship, or House of Peers, and for maintaining Magistracy, and
