Charles Harding Firth

“ The character of Richard Cromwell at this period may be gathered from his father’s letters. Cromwell suspected his son of idleness and lack of the seriousness which the times required (ib. xcix. ci.) He urged Mr. Mayor to give his son-in-law plenty of good advice. ‘I would have him mind and understand business, read a little history, study the mathematics, and cosmography; these are good with subordination to the things of God; better than idleness or mere worldly contents; these fit for public services for which a man is born’ (ib. c.) ”

“ A parliament was necessary to decide between contending parties, to strengthen the government in its foreign negotiations, and provide for the needs of the public service, So great was the government's need of money that the Protector had been driven to attempt to borrow 50,000/. from Mazarin, the garrison of Dunkirk was in a state of mutiny, and there were -rumours in London that the soldiers meant to seize the body of the late protector as security for their pay (Guizot, i. 21, 29, 260) . ”

“ That he goes by another name, but do not disguise himself, nor deny himself to any man that challenges him’ (Diary, 19 Oct. 1664) . In 1666, during the Dutch war, the English government contemplated the issue of a proclamation recalling certain English subjects resident in France, and Mrs. Cromwell endeavoured to obtain a promise from Lord Clarendon that Cromwell’s name should be left out of the proclamation, on the ground that his debts would ruin him if he were obliged to return to England. ”

“ With his submission Cromwell forwarded a schedule of his debts and a summary of his estate, by which it appeared that the former amounted to 29,000l., and the latter, after deducting his mother's jointure and other encumbrances, to a bare 1,300l. a year (Noble, i. 333) . The parliament ordered that he should be advanced 2,000l. for his present wants, and referred the question of a future provision for him to a committee. He was again ordered to leave Whitehall, which he was extremely reluctant to do till some arrangement had been made respecting his debts. ”

“ John and Pierrepoint governed Thurloe (Clarendon State Papers, iii. 423) . An attempt to add Lords Broghil and Falconbridge to the council roused fierce opposition (Baker, p. 657; Guizot, i. 271) . Under these circumstances there was a certain hesitation in the foreign policy of the government. England was still at war with Spain, and pledged by the policy of the late protector to assist Sweden against Denmark and its Gennan allies. But in spite of the pressure of Mazarin, Richard's advisers delayed intervening on behalf of Sweden (Guizot, i. 23) . ”

“ Three daughters still survived, and a dispute arose whether the interest in the Hursley estate, which Oliver had inherited from his mother, passed to his sisters as coheiresses, or to his father for life. ”