Cromwell received
these honours with an air of profound humility. He was aware of the
necessity of covering the workings of ambition within his breast with the
veil of exterior self-abasement; and therefore professed to take no merit
to himself, and to see nothing in what he had done, but the hand of the
Almighty, fighting in behalf of his faithful servants.[1]
[Footnote 1: Whitelock, 509. Ludlow, i. 372. Heath, 301. Journals, Sept.
6, 9, 11, 19. "Next day, 13th, the common prisoners were brought through
Westminster to Tuthill fields--a sadder spectacle was never seen except the
miserable place of their defeat--and there _sold_ to several merchants, and
sent to the Barbadoes."--Heath, 301. Fifteen hundred were granted as
slaves to the Guinea merchants, and transported to the Gold Coast in
Africa.--Parl. Hist. iii. 1374.]
CHAPTER V.
Vigilance Of The Government--Subjugation Of Ireland--Of
Scotland--Negotiation With Portugal--With Spain--With The
United Provinces--Naval War--Ambition Of Cromwell--Expulsion Of
Parliament--Character Of Its Leading Members--Some Of Its Enactments.
In the preceding chapter we have followed the fortunes of Charles Stuart,
from his landing in Scotland to his defeat at Worcester and his escape to
the continent; we may now look back and direct our attention to some of the
more important events which occurred during the same period, in England and
Ireland.
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