FRom the level of that ambitious prospect , which presented Castles , Palaces , Thrones , built by a glorious imagination in the fixed Element of the Earth ; View and behold the realities of those abasements and miseries , which have in lieu of trains and retinue , attended this unfortunate person , ( yet in a Princely Mansion ) the Tower of London .

Behold and consider the vast and unlimited designes of a more unbounded mind , pen'd up , and confined with his body within a narrow compasse , and scantling of place , where the Plot of Aspiring , hath worried it self to the quiet desire of Respiring .

Consider him yet further , ruminating and harshly digesting those crude and raw morsels of an intended Usurpation ; the disgusts whereof , in the greatest freedom of Air , the meanest fugitives of his party ( enjoy not but ) breath in , would surfet and kill any one but Lucifer .

Reckon lastly , the throws of his disappointment , his ambition brought to the birth , and then wanting strength to bring forth ; all his honour and greatnesse laid in the dirt , and himself stuck fast in the mire ; and then you cannot but favourably reflect on these stately Ruines .

In the tracing of which , it will be requisite to deduce them from their fair originals , the account whereof , take in brief . His Ancestry were of a very antient , and as noble extraction , inhabiting for some ages past , part of the East-Riding of Yorkshire , having there valuable Possessions , and a Mannor place , called Craven , where he last projected his grand Enterprize , ( after the Cheshire businesse ) of raising himself upon the ruines of that wretched Commonwealth . Thither ( as he supposed ) he resorted , for the more auspicious commencement and laying of his design , out of a superstition to the Genij and Penates of that native place of his Family , the better to succeed in his new intended greatnesse , and advancement of his House ; A Custom observed very religiously by the noble Romans , and performed by them with sacrifices and adoration .

His immediate Ancestor ( his Father , ) was a Gentleman very well beloved in this Country , much respected by one of the honourablest Families in that part of England ; in which noble acquaintance , this Colonel had the honour to be concerned , and to say the truth , did in the unhappy time of our troubles , discharge all these obligations which had been accumulated on his Family , by a powerful timely intervening , and preventing the late , and consequently the present ruine of their Estate .

He took Armes at first under my Lord Fairfax , induced by the same specious pretences which deluded half the Kingdom ; But the War growing to be a Trade , and he preferred to several Commands , that deceit , by the lies long told , was Alchymisted into a perswasion of Truth , which confirmed by Money and Advancement , never after would admit any Doubts or Disputes within him . Neverthelesse through all the War be behaved himself as a generous Enemy , nor was there any Treachery or basenesse ever laid to his charge .

In that monstrous Conspiracy against the Life of our Late Soveraign , he would not be engaged privately , nor did he act any thing publickly in that matter , further than as an Officer of the Army , in their Councils of War ; and that businesse was to be transacted by another kind of power , which he wisely and prudentially avoided , and perhaps innocently .

He was never a spiteful malicious Foe to the Cavalier Party , declining all Employments and Commands which required asperity and harshnesse towards them ; but doing them ( as far as was Convenient and Consistent for an Enemy ) all the Courtesies and Kindnesses that lay in his way . Some affirm that this was out of afore-casted Design of Cajoling them : On the contrary , others affirm that he was more Sincere and Noble .

This is most certain , that being made Governour of Oxford , after the Surrender in 1646. where after six Months , the Parliament were left to their will , in the ordering both of University and City . He personally acted nothing there , as foreknowing what an ungrateful and barbarous work he should be put upon , but remitted it to his Deputy , not being so hardy himself as to venture upon the sharp points of the Scholars Pens , and beget himself a perpetual Hatred and Infamy : Though out of all question he was then , and is yet a lover of Arts and Learning , and might , and probably did forbear that Province more out of Reverence to them , than through any Policy .

To his Civility adde his Courage , which was Superlatively eminent in him . These two Vertues seldome meet in Conjunction , but their Influences are very benign , and portend much good ; but they were in him it seems moved by a Superiour Orb ; His Ambition like other sphears a contrary way , The Moralists therefore say , That that is not properly Courage , by which bold men Invade and Usurp , that being a Vertue , and Conversant only either in vindictive Armes , when Injuries and Hostilities are revenged by War : Or in assisting an Auxiliary , to succour and defend the oppress'd . But setting aside the Philosophical niceties , for Valour and presentnesse of mind , no man during the War out-went him , witnesse Naseby , Marston Moor , Preston , particularly Dunbar , where the Honour of that Day ( if any there were , or could be in such a War against their Prince ) may be equally shared betwixt him and the most Noble 〈◇〉 For Cromwel was more a Spectator , and Director , than Actor in that fatal Field .

Leave we the Army , and their Elogies , and high Commendations for him , for the civilest bravest Captain that ever Commanded amongst them ; And view him next as a States-man , called and cull'd out to assist Oliver in that dangerous Attempt of altering the Government from a Common-wealth , to a single Tyranny .

And in this particular he may well be said to have obliged his Cavalier Enemies , for a more grateful favour , and better resented by that Party , ever in or after the War , was not , nor could be done them . 't was the first step , through unseen by themselves , that led to that general ruine we saw involved them altogether . This Cromwel durst never upon his single Reputation in the Army have ventured upon , and therefore this Major General became his Adjutant General by his great Interest in the Army .

Having done this acceptable service to the Kingdom , the necessitudes which had conciled that Intimacy and Friendship betwixt Cromwel and him being removed , and the Col. growing every day more popular in the Army and Kingdom , it was high time for the aspiring Protector , to quit all those private Engagements and Conditions that had past between them ; Upon the first overture thereof , the Col. roundly and freely taxed him with breach of promise , insisting upon publick good chiefly , but yet insinuating , but that discoverately enough the loosenesse of his Faith towards himself .

This gave an open occasion of dismissing him first from his Company and Converse , and soon after from his Council and Command in the Army , to cisable him totally from attempting any Considerable thing against him . This highly incensed the over-reach'd Col. but help himself he could not ; To thwart Cromwel in his Usurpation , lay things in his way to his greatness● , was the most he could effect ; and therefore to that he applyed himself with all earnestnesse and Industry . Thus he made apparent to Cromwel in the first Parliament he called , where he and his Party flickled so against the Instrument of Government ( the Finical Model of the Protectorship ) that Oliver mist of his aim of settling himself in his new Usurpation by the Authority of that Parliament . And indeed no man knows where the Extravagancies of that wird Tyranny would have terminated , had not the fear of Lamberts Potency in the Army , the strength on which they both relyed , kept him in some Decorum ; So that now the Col. was cryed up for a Patriot , and esteemed a very honest man , and certainly such an Enter osi ion as this , could not merit lesse than that Character for him .

This was a Thorn on one side to the Protectors Entrusions : Soon after he goaded him on the other . Oliver would as certainly have been King , had the danger from Lambert not been too evidently ap●arent , upon his acc●ptation of that Title , as sure as he is now a Prisoner , And what an immortal shame had it been to this Nation , if the Majesty Imperial of England , had been rested in such an Impious and base Fellow , or his pittyful Race after him . Doubtlesse it was an Extraordinary Indulgence of Heaven , to save us from that scandalous Ignominy . And though the Polititians of the Times , Divined and Consulted , that as the most ready and powerful expedient way to his ruine , yet we see it was not so in Gods Eye , who by keeping up this person Esteem , prevented that Contumely , and chose a better way to our Restitution and Settlement , wherein also he made this man in one sence , the principal and chief Instrument .

For with what a dismal look did the Face of Things appear , when the Hunger-starved Rumpers , sevenfold more Devils in ill qualities than before , repossesse themselves of their Seats in Parliament ? Who can without affrightment think of that 7th . Day of May , when they resumed their power ? This black storm did this person drive from us , and dispended those Clouds which impended over us . This is he whose Interest and Faction so divided the Army , that all Endeavours of uniting them came to nothing . This is he , who by erecting an Arbitrary Committee of Safety , a name so much a S ringer to the people of England , both to its Name , and their Condition , that it awakened the most Indifferent , nay very Enemies of our Ancient Government , to bethink themselves how they might shake off this Yoak , and return to Obedience , and the protection of the Laws . This is be , who by marching so far Northward , gave opportunity to the King and Kingdoms Friends to lay the Foundation of that Settlement , which was soon afterwards so gloriously accomplish'd . In a word , this is he , without whose unjust Ambition , we probably , could never have obtained our just Desires .

Necessary Evils were never yet abhorred , nay some we commonly term , so are much our Delight and Contentment . The World cannot be , nor consist without them , no more than the Sea would keep sweet and not putrifie , if boisterous Winds did not violently move it .

Men have their Fates and Inclinations born with them , and 't was this unfortunate Persons Destiny , to be designed for a trouble World , whom yet Providence not only restrained from doing harm , but all along brought forth a Soveraign good from his worst Actions and Intentions ; And now since there is no use of him , let us not cast him away , but lay him aside .

It may also be considered , that he hath had no deep hand in the blood of any , but what was spilt in the Field ; remembring also how civilly he treated and used the Cheshire men , after their defeat , so bidding either to kill or plunder , a favour never practised by any Commander in chief of that Party , where they had Power and V●ctory .

But still his Ambition , and eagerly prosecuted Usurpation , a crime not sufferable by a Prince ( you 'l say ) reclaims against all pardon and forgivenesse , and that it stands not with his honour and safety to grant it . 't is true , but in his behalf it may be alledged , that he never admitted or entertained such treasonable or presumptuous thoughts , till such time as the inveterate mischief of Anarchy had infected him , by the conceit of his own worth , that he was as fit and capable to govern as the best of them ; And when once Oliver had beaten the track , he that was as deeply rooted in the affections of the Army , might easily be led to undertake the same Grandeur ; and this done in a time too , ( from the beginning of his projected Supremacy , to the end of it ) when the Right of His Majesty was Conclamatum , and as was thought by them utterly vacated ; His Authority here being as invincible as his Person .

No doubt before the final conclusion of his imaginary greatnesse , he would have come over and complyed ; but he found the businesse was done elsewhere before him , and then his closure would be but ridiculous , which the greatnesse of his spirit could not brook , having never thitherto learned obedience to the King .

To conclude , Henry the seventh , Royal Progenitor of His Sacred Majesty , pardoned two persons , Lawrence Simnet , and Perkins Worbeck , who presumed ( the King then in Regno ) to to usurp the Name , Stile , and Title of King of England , and kept the first about His Person ; The other , after many relapses into his fond vain-glorious Opinion , was Executed . There is no fear of this in this Gentleman ; And therefore to the Kings mercy we leave him .