Public School History of England and Canada/England/Chapter 17
CHAPTER XVII.
THE COMMONWEALTH.
1. England becomes a Republic.—England was now without a king, and, as the House of Lords was soon after abolished, the only authority left to govern was a part of the Long Parliament, composed of not more then eighty men. This “Rump Parliament,” as it was coarsely called, promptly undertook the task of ruling, and elected a council of State of forty members, to manage the affairs of the nation. England was declared a “Commonwealth,” and Parliament set to work to meet the dangers that threatened the young Republic. At foreign courts the execution of Charles was looked upon as a terrible crime. None of the European nations would recognize the “Commonwealth” and its council of State, for they thought Charles Stuart, Charles I’s eldest son, was the rightful ruler of England. There was also much discontent at home, for many, now that the king was dead, began to look upon im as a martyr. ‘This feeling was increased by the publication of a book, the “Royal Image,” which professed to be an account by the king himself of his sayings and doings while a prisoner. It painted Charles in very flattering colours, and made him appear little less than a saint. The book was a forgery by a Presbyterian clergyman, Dr. Gauden; nevertheless it had a large sale, and made many regret that the king had been treated so harshly. In Ireland, too, there was danger to the Commonwealth. There the Duke of Ormond had united all classes of the population in favor of Charles II., who was invited to go to Ireland and become king. Prince Rupert was in the channel preying on English commerce with a number of ships which had taken refuge in Dutch harbours. Scotland was growing daily more discontented and was beginning to look for the restoration of Charles II. All the Scotch waited for was Charles’ assent to the Covenant, after which they “were ready to make him their king, and to aid him in recovering the English throne.
2. Cromwell in Ireland.—The most pressing danger was in Ireland, and to that unhappy land an English army was sent in 1649, with Cromwell as leader, Time was precious, and much had to be done before Cromwell could restore peace and English supremacy in the island. He and his men thought the Irish deserved little mercy on account of the massacre of 1641. The work of re-conquest began with the siege of Drogheda, and Cromwell ordered that no one bearing arms should be spared. The city was taken by storm and 2000 men were put to the sword; while of those who surrendered, every tenth man was knocked on the head, the rest being sent as slaves to the Barbadoes. A month later a similar massacre took place at Wexford, though not by Cromwell’s orders. The effect of this terrible severity was soon seen, the other towns offering but little opposition to Cromwell’s army. After nine months spent in Ireland Cromwell returned to England, leaving the task of completing the conquest to others. Sad was the fate of the poor Irish who had taken part in the strife. Many were put to death or exiled, and thousands were turned out of their homes and banished to the dreary wilds of Connaught, their lands being given to English settlers. The bitterest curse an Irishman can use to-day is the “Curse of Cromwell.”
3. Cromwell in Scotland.—While Cromwell was thus subduing the enemies of the Commonwealth in Ireland, in England its affairs were being managed by men like Vane, who was at the head of the navy, with Admiral Blake as his chief officer. John Milton, the great Puritan poet, was Latin Secretary of the Council, and Bradshaw was its president. These were able and honest men; but many of the members of Parliament and the Council were selfish and corrupt, and used their positions to put their friends into fat offices, and to satisfy their own ambition and greed. They were unwilling to have a Parliament elected that represented the people, and were suspicious and jealous of the army and of all who had the interests of the country at heart. But any discontent with Parliament had to be put aside until a new danger which had arisen was removed. For Charles II. had agreed to become a Presbyterian, and to uphold the Covenant, and the Scotch had recalled him as their king. It would not do to allow Charles to march into England with a Scotch army, so Cromwell marched north with an English army into Scotland. The people fled at his approach, having heard of his doings in Ireland, and Cromwell found himself, when near Edinburgh, hemmed in between the hills and the sea with no supplies for his army, save what could be brought from his ships which followed along the coast. When he reached Dunbar, it seemed as if he would have to put his men on board his ships and return, for Alexander Leslie, the crafty Scotch general, had entrenched himself in the Lammermuir Hills, and cut off Cromwell’s escape by land. Leslie for several days refused to come down from the hills and fight, preferring to starve his enemy out. At last, overborne by the urgent demands of some Presbyterian ministers in his camp, he left his vantage ground and moved down into the plain to give Cromwell battle. Cromwell was delighted, and early the following morning, September 3rd, 1650, before the Scotch were well awake, he flung himself on the Covenanters with the cry, “The Lord of Hosts, the Lord of Hosts.” In one short hour the victory was won; 3,000 men were killed, 10,000 were taken prisoners, and Leslie’s army was a thing of the past. The war lingered for another year, for Charles had found support in the north, and Cromwell found it difficult to bring him to a decisive conflict. Finally, he left the way open into England, and at once Charles began to march southwards, hoping the Royalists would rise in his favour. But though Charles had many friends in England, they were afraid to give him any help, and so, when he reached Worcester, he found himself surrounded by 30,000 men, with only 16,000 at his back. Cromwell had pursued and overtaken him, and once more the terrible Puritan army dealt out death and destruction to their enemies. The battle was fought on the anniversary of that of Dunbar, and Charles’ troops, after a desperate defence, were totally defeated. It was, as Cromwell said, “a crowning mercy,” for no more risings against the Commonwealth took place as long as Cromwell lived. With great difficulty, Charles escaped to France, in a little collier vessel.
4. The Dutch War.—Foreign nations now saw that the Commonwealth could hold its own against its enemies, and began to treat it with respect. Blake had driven Rupert from the seas, and Sir Harry Vane determined to build up the English navy at the expense of the Dutch, who had aided Charles. So, in 1651, a “Navigation Act” was passed which forbade foreign vessels from bringing into England any goods other than the products of their own country. This Act was aimed at the Dutch who did a large carrying trade for other nations. So much ill-feeling was created by this measure that a war broke out, in which Van Tromp for the Dutch, and Blake for the English, fought several fierce naval battles. Van Tromp was killed in 1653, and the supremacy of the seas passed over to England, where it has remained ever since.
5. Expulsion of the Long Parliament.—One object of the Dutch war was to make the fleet strong at the expense of the army. The army was dissatisfied with Parliament, partly because it had not been paid, but, chiefly because its officers saw that the members were unwilling to have parliament dissolved and a new one, representing the people, elected. When it was clear that Parliament was not going to allow a new election except on terms that would give the old members the right to say who should sit with them, Cromwell decided to take prompt measures. Marching down to Westminster with a regiment of musketeers, he turned the members out, locked the doors, and put the key in his pocket. “Not a dog barked,” as Cromwell said afterwards, at this daring deed; and the nation felt that what Cromwell had done was necessary and right.
6. Instrument of Government.—And now England had neither king nor parliament, and order had to be maintained by Cromwell and his army, until some form of government could be agreed: upon. An assembly, chosen by the congregations of the Independents, was convened at Westminister by Cromwell, and it proceeded to arrange for a real Parliament. This assembly got the nick-name of “Barebone’s Parliament“from Praise-God Barebones, one of its members. Its members were honest, zealous men, who tried to do much in the way of removing long standing evils, and so made many enemies. Finding that it could not carry out its good intentions, Barebone’s Parliament resigned its power into the hands of Cromwell. Before doing so, however, it drew up a new Constitution called the “Instrument of Government,” and made Cromwell Lord Protector. For the next ten months Cromwell ruled alone, and on his own authority made many good laws. He ended the war with Holland, and made treaties, favourable to English trade, with other countries. He was tolerant to all religious bodies, although he would not let the royalist clergy preach in the churches. He united Scotland to England, and the Scotch said that his eight years of rule were “years of peace and prosperity.”
In 1654 a new Parliament was elected, with members in it from Scotland and Ireland, and so was the first united Parliament of Great Britain and Ireland. This Parliament was chosen more fairly than most Parliaments, but Roman Catholics and royalists were shut out. It at once began to settle the affairs of the nation, and to make Cromwell’s laws legal. Had it been left to carry out its will, England might have been spared many troubles; but Cromwell began to fear it would interfere with his authority, and, unwisely, dissolved it.
7. Cromwell Rules Alone.—Cromwell now ruled for a time without a Parliament, and though this rule was a tyranny, yet it was a wise and merciful tyranny. He knew many were discontented, and, to prevent risings, he divided England into military districts, over which he placed major-generals who were responsible for their order and good government. Cromwell would allow no persecution, and even the Quaker and the Jew found in him a protector and friend. It was at this time the Jews were allowed to return to England.
8. Petition and Advice.—Although Cromwell ruled by force, he did not wish to be a mere tyrant. He longed to see England once more contented and well governed; but he feared the royalists would take advantage of the quarrels in Parliament to bring about a restoration of the Stuarts. Nevertheless, he called a second Parliament, in 1656, but excluded all who had not a certificate from his Council. This Parliament offered to make Cromwell king, and Cromwell would have taken the title had not the army been so strongly opposed. Cromwell contented himself with the power of a king, which was given by a new Constitution, the “Petition and Advice,” drawn up by Parliament. This Constitution provided for a House of Lords to be named by Cromwell, and Cromwell was given the right to choose his successor. For a short time there was peace, and then it was found that the Commons would not work with the Lords, and the republicans in the Parliament began to plot against Cromwell himself. Once more he dissolved Parliament, and for the rest of his life ruled alone, although he was planning to call a third Parliament when death came to him. Never, except in the time of Elizabeth, had England been so respected abroad ag in these years. Jamaica was taken from Spain, 1655, and France gave up Dunkirk as the price of Cromwell’s aid against Spain. The Duke of Savoy, at Cromwell’s command, was forced to cease persecuting the Vaudois, and in him oppressed Protestants everywhere found a powerful protector.
9. State of the Country.—But peace and power, while it brought prosperity, did not bring content. The Puritan rule was hard, coldy and joyless. Innocent, as well as harmful, amusements were suppressed. Cock-fighting and bear-baiting, to the Puritans, were no worse than dancing round the Maypole, and eating mince pies. Theatres were closed, and Christmas revels were forbidden. The Puritans tried to make everybody religious, earnest, and sober. This they could not do, and people began to long for the return of the good old days, and some began to wish for the death of Cromwell. Plots were formed to kill him, and in his latter days he wore armour constantly under his clothing.
10. Death of Cromwell.—But the end was near. Cromwell’s health suffered much’ from his fear of assassination, and from his anxiety about the future of the nation. Then his favourite daughter, Elizabeth, died, and this broke the strong man’s heart. Ague seized him, and although prayers went up everywhere for his recovery, he passed away on the anniversary of his great victories at Dunbar and Worcester, Sept. 3rd, 1658. He was buried with royal honors in Westminster Abbey, and no greater ruler was there laid to rest than the “uncrowned King of England.”
11. Restoration of Charles II.—So great was the fear of Cromwell, even in death, that his eldest son, Richard, was allowed to succeed him as quietly as if he had been the rightful heir to a crown. Richard was a weak, good-natured, worthless man, and soon lost the respect of the army, which forced him to dissolve the Parliament which had just been elected, and to recall the fragment of the Long Parliament that Cromwell had driven out. But, as the Long Parliament could not agree with the army, it was again expelled. In the meantime, Richard, after holding office ten months, had to resign the Protectorship, and he gladly retired into private life, It was evident that England was drifting into anarchy, and. that something must be done to save her from strife and civil war. General Monk, who commanded an army in Scotland, saw what was taking place and marched down into England. He kept his own counsel, and everywhere he went proclaimed his loyalty to the Commonwealth, but demanded a “free Parliament.” General Lambert tried to stop his march but failed, and Monk entered London. The Rump now dissolved itself, and a Convention Parliament (one called without a king’s writ), met, which immediately sent for Charles II. to come and rule. Monk had prepared everything, and Charles was waiting for the invitation. He had issued a proclamation from Breda promising religious freedom and a general pardon; but he was allowed to return without any pledges for his future good conduct.
On the 25th May, 1660, he landed, and on the 29th he entered London amid the rejoicings of a great multitude. Cromwell’s veterans looked on with sad hearts, remembering the cause for which they suffered so much, and then, a few months later, went quietly back to their farms and shops.