Fage XCVI. Solemnities of Corpus Christi Day illustrated RESEARCHES HISTORICAL AND ANTIQUARIAN. I. A Debate between the Committee of the House of Commons in 1657, and O. Cromwell, upon the humble petition and advice of the Parliament, by which he was desired to assume the title of King. THE following Debate will, doubtless, engage the attention of our readers, not only by the importance of the question, but by the reputation of those who were deputed to discuss it, and the strength of the arguments employed by them, which, we hope, is not impaired by our method or expression. The difficulty of procuring this Debate, which was published in 1660, and we believe never afterwards re-printed, inclined us to insert it in our Magazine without alteration; but we found it, upon a closer examination, by no means adapted to the taste of those who expect entertainment and instruction at the same time; or require, at least, to be improved without unnecessary labour; for the speeches being taken, probably, in short-hand, with omissions of passages less important, and of such words as the writer imagined himself able to supply from the general contexture of the sentence and drift of the discourse, which is frequently practised by short-hand writers, are either for want of memory, or care in the copier, so ungrammatical, intricate, and obscure; so full of broken hints, imperfect sentences, and uncouth expressions, that very few would have resolution, or curiosity, sufficient to labour in search of knowledge through so many obstructions. Nor should we have attempted it, had we not been encouraged by the hopes of preserving others from so disgusting a task. The various arguments made use of by the several members of the committee, we have reduced, to avoid repetition, into one series or discourse, and annexed to each argument, in the margin, the names of those by whom it was produced. VOL. I. B On April the 11th, [according to Whitlocke, on the 4th,] the Protector was attended by the committee, appointed by the parliament, to receive and answer his doubts and scruples relating to their request and advice, that he would assume the title of King; but the Protector being unwilling to disclose his own sentiments, till he was informed of the reasons by which the parliament had been determined, the following arguments were offered by the committee, which consisted of 100 members; those who were deputed to treat on this subject, being Oliver St. John, Lord Chief Justice. Lord Chief Justice Glynne. Mr. Whitlocke, one of the Commissioners of the Treasury. Mr. Lisle and Mr. Fines, Commissioners of the Great Seal. Lord Broghill. Mr. Lenthal, Master of the Rolls. Sir Charles Wolseley. Sir Richard Onslow. Colonel Jones. May it please your highness, It is with great satisfaction, that we see ourselves deputed by the parliament to confer with your highness, upon the settlement of the public tranquillity, and the establishment of such a form of government as may best promote the great ends for which government was instituted, for which we have been so long labouring, and for which we have hazarded our fortunes and our lives. We doubt not of finding your highness ready to concur in any lawful measures, that can contribute to the happiness of the public, to the pacification of those differences that have so divided them, and to the perpetuity of that freedom which has been so dearly purchased, and so successfully defended. And we cannot forbear to inform you that, in our opinion, in the opinion of the parliament, and of the people who are represented by it, these purposes cannot be effectually prosecuted by your highness without assuming not the office only, but the title likewise, of King. Your highness may demand why, having already made Chief Justice you Protector, invested you with the office Glynne. of chief magistrate, and intrusted you with the care of our liberties, our commerce, and our honour, we are now grown weary of our institution, and desire to restore a title, which a long series of wicked administration had made it proper to abrogate? To this we can easily answer, that our request is the request of the |