And swear for her to live-with her to die!' REVENGE OR DEATH!-the watchword and reply; Then pealed the notes, omnipotent to charm, In vain, alas! in vain, ye gallant few, spear, Closed her bright eye, and curbed her high career: Hope for a season bade the world farewell, The sun went down; nor ceased the carnage there - 25 Tumultuous murder shook the midnight air; On Prague's proud arch the fires of ruin glow, His blood-dyed waters murmuring far below. The storm prevails! the rampart yields a way! Bursts the wild cry of horror and dismay! 30 35 40 Hark! as the smouldering piles with thunder fall, A thousand shrieks for hopeless mercy call!Earth shook! red meteors flashed along the sky! And conscious Nature shuddered at the cry! Departed spirits of the mighty dead! 11 Ye that at Marathon 10 and Leuctra " bled! Friends of the world! restore your swords to man; Fight in his sacred cause, and lead the van! 1. Cromwell left Whitehall in haste, followed by Lambert and five or six officers; and commanded a detachment of soldiers to march round to the House of Commons. 2. On his arrival at Westminster, he stationed guards at the doors and in the lobby 45 50 of the House, and led round another body to a position just outside the room in which the members were seated. 3. He then entered alone, without noise, "clad in plain black clothes, with grey worsted stockings," as was his custom when he was not in uniform. Vane was speaking, and passionately descanting on the urgency of the bill. Cromwell sat down in his usual place, where he was instantly joined by St. John, to whom he said, "that he was come to do that which grieved him to the very soul, and that he had earnestly with tears prayed to God against. 4. "Nay, that he had rather be torn in pieces than do it; but there was a necessity laid upon him therein, in order to the glory of God and the good of the nation." St. John answered, "that he knew not what he meant, but did pray that what it was which must be done, might have a happy issue for the general. good;" and so saying he returned to his seat. 5. Vane was still speaking, and Cromwell listened to him with great attention. He was arguing the necessity of proceeding at once to the last stage of the bill, and with that view, adjured the House to dispense with the usual formalities which should precede its adoption. Cromwell, at this, beckoned to Harrison.* 6. "Now is the time," he said; "I must do it!" "Sir," replied Harrison anxiously, "the work is very great and dangerous." "You say well," answered Cromwell, and sat still for another quarter of an hour. Vane ceased speaking; the Speaker rose to put the question, when Cromwell stood up, took off his hat, and began to speak. 7. At first he expressed himself in terms of commendation of the Parliament and its members, praising their zeal and care for the public good; but gradually his tone changed, his accents and gestures became more violent; he reproached the members of the House with their delays, their covetousness, their selfinterest, their disregard for justice. 8. "You have no heart to do anything for the public good," he exclaimed; "your intention was to perpetuate yourselves in power. But your time is come! The Lord has done with you! He has chosen other instruments for the carrying on His work that are more worthy. It is the Lord hath taken me by the hand, and set me on to do this thing." Vane, Wentworth, and Martyn rose to reply to him, but he would not suffer them to speak. "You think, perhaps," he said, "that this is not parliamentary language; I know it; but expect no other language from me." 9. Wentworth at length made himself heard ; he declared that this "was indeed the first time that he had ever heard such unbecoming language given to the Parliament; and that it was the more horrid, in that it came from their servant, and their servant whom they had so D highly trusted and obliged, and whom, by their unprecedented bounty, they had made what he was." 10. Cromwell thrust his hat upon his head, sprang from his seat into the centre of the floor of the House, and shouted out, "Come, come, we have had enough of this; I'll put an end to your prating. Call them in!" he added briefly to Harrison; the door opened, and twenty or thirty musketeers entered, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Worsley. 11. "You are no Parliament!" cried Cromwell; "I say you are no Parliament! Begone! Give way to honester men." He walked up and down the floor of the House, stamping his feet and giving his orders. "Fetch him down," he said to Harrison, pointing to the Speaker, who still remained in his chair. Harrison told him to come down, but Lenthall refused. "Take him down!" repeated Cromwell; Harrison laid his hand on the Speaker's gown, and he came down immediately. 5 12. Algernon Sidney was sitting near the Speaker. "Put him out," said Cromwell to Harrison. Sidney did not move. "Put him out," reiterated Cromwell. Harrison and Worsley laid their hands on Sidney's shoulders, upon which he rose and walked out. "This is not honest," exclaimed Vane; "it is against morality and common honesty!" "Sir Harry Vane! Sir Harry Vane!" replied Cromwell; "you might have prevented this extraordinary |