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CBOMWELL 204 CRONJE exertions to bring Chai'les I. to the block, and his dismissal of the Parliament, are all great events in the history of the day, which cannot be narrated with sufficient distinctness without much detail. In 1649 he conducted an exterminating war in Ireland, instigated by the fero- cious principle that whatever human be- ing opposed him should be put to death. In Scotland, where he saw there were more suitable materials for the sort of government he desired, he was rather a pacificator than an oppressor. It was on Dec. 16, 1653, that he took the title of Lord Protector, and became virtually King of Britain, and a king who sub- mitted to very little constitutional re- straint. How far he was sincere in the religrious convictions by which he pro- fessed to be led, has been matter of end- less debate. That he was under power- ful religious impulses cannot be doubted — OLIVER CROMWELL the question arises as to the extent to which he really believed that by their power alone, and by no promptings of worldliness, he was driven on in his ambitious career. He was an enlightened internal reformer, showed himself equal to the hard task he had undertaken, and, by a m.agnanimous foreign policy, left England greater and more honored than he had found her. He did not succeed with his Parliaments, and had to rule mostly without them. At last care, anxiety, and growing perplexities wore him out; he became gloomy and sus- picious; was overwhelmed by sorrow at the death of his favorite daughter, Eliza- beth, Lady Claypole; fell sick, and died about a month after her, Sept. 3, 1658. CROMWELL, RICHARD, third son of Oliver; born Oct. 4, 1626. By the deaths of his two elder brothers, Robert and Oli- ver, he became his father's heir. He was an amiable and popular but weak man, de- voted to field sports and fond of pleasure. He lived for some time in comparative privacy, but when the Protector had been empowered to nominate his succes- sor, Richard was brought to the front, and an effort was made to train him to the work of government, but in vain. Scarcely had he entered on his office, when the lorces of anarchy, both parlia- mentary and military, broke loose, and he found himself utterably unable to re- strain them. It was probably with little reluctance that he quitted Whitehall and retired into private life. After the Restoration he lived for a time abroad under a feigned name; but he returned to England about 1680, and passed the remainder of his life at Cheshunt, where he died July 12, 1712, and was buried in the church at Hursley, Hampshire. CROMWELL, THOMAS, EARL OF ESSEX, chief minister to Henry VIII.; born about 1490. He was the son of a blacksmith, appears to have served in the Italian wars for a time, and on his return to England entered the service of Cardinal Wolsey, won his esteem, and was faithful to him in his disgrace. He then entered the king's service, and ob- tained, with his favor; many of the high- est offices of state. He was privy-coun- cillor, principal secretax-y of state, and, about 1536, vicar-general, and vice-regent in all matters of religion. Cromwell was the friend of Cranmer, and contributed by various measures to the establishment of the reformed doctrines and worship. In 1539 he was created Earl of Essex, but he soon lost the favor of the king. In 1540 he was imprisoned, attainted on charges of treason, heresy, and extor- tion, was not allowed to make any de- fense, and was executed on Tower Hill, July 28, 1540. CRONJE, PIET (kron'ye), a Boer military commander; born near Pretoria in 1835. He has been prominent in all the history of the South African Re- public. Bred to farm life, he entered politics, refused office under British an- nexation in 1877, commanded a brigade in the war of 1880-1881, became a mem- ber of the Transvaal executive govern- ment, and captured Sir John Willoughby and his force after the Jameson raid in 1896. During the war with England in 1899-1900, Cronje rose to the military leaderiihip of the Boers, and held out