The Press.
London, England, 1855-02-10 00:00:00

Chancellor is minutely related :

About three o'clock the Chancellor came. Whitelocke
met him at the door of his house; he was in his coach with
six horses, though his lodging was not far off; ten or
twelve gentlemen, well habited, walking on foot, and four
lacqueys attended him.
Whitelocke offered to conduct him into a lower chamber,

.....__ _
because he understood it was troublesome to the old man
to go up as many stairs as to his rooms of entertainment ;
and he was willing to accept of this ease, and was brought
by Whitelocke into his steward's chamber, which he had
caused to be hung with bis own rich hangings, full of silk
and gold. He desired to sit with his back or one side to
the fire, saying that the light of the fire was hurtful to his

eyes.
He was a tall, proper, straight, handsome old man, of the
age of seventy-one years ; his habit was black cloth, a close
coat, lined with fur, a velvet cap on his head furred, and
no bat, a cloak ; his hair grey, his beard broad and lung,
his countenance sober and fixed, and his carriage grave and

civil.
He spake Latin, plain and fluent and significant; and
though he could, yet would not speak French, saying he
knew no reason why that nation should be so much
honoured more than others as to have their language used
by strangers; but he thought the Latin more honourable
and more copious, and filter to be used, because the Ro-
mans had been masters of so great a part of the world,
and yet at present that language was not peculiar to any
people.
In his conferences he would often mix pleasant stories
with his serious discourses, and took delight in recounting
former passages of his life, and actions of his King, and
would be very large excusing his stains gar/villas, as he
termed it, di.. talkativeness of old age ; but there was great
pleasure to hear his discourses, and much wisdom and
knowledge to be gathered from them.
Many of his conversations are precisely re-
lated here, but we must be content with some
sentences of his advice to Cromwell
Chancellor: I would counsel the Protector to take heed of
those dangerous opinions in matters of religionwhich daily
increase among you, and, if not prevented and curbed.
will cause new troubles, they never resting till themselves
may domineer in chief.
Whitelocke: Will not the best way to curb them be to
slight them, and so they will fall of themselves?
Chancellor : I doubt they have taken too much root to
fall so easily ; but if they be not countenanced with pre-
ferments, they will the sooner wither and decay.
Whitelocke: That will surely lessen them.
Chancellor: The Protector must also be careful to pro-
vide money and employment for his soldiers, else he will
hardly keep them in order.
Whitelocke : That is very requisite ; and for money there
is good provision already wade.
Chancellor : He must likewise be watchful of the King's
party, who will be busy at work, especially upon the new

change.
Whitelocke : The care thereof is the life of our affairs,
and his Highness is most vigilant.
Chancellor : It behoves him to be so, for they that could
not vanquish him by arms will endeavour to do it by craft
tared treachery of your own party, which you must look to.
Whitelocke : He hath good intelligence of their plots.
Chancellor: It will also be prudence in him to let the
people see that he intends not to rule them with an iron
sceptre, nor to govern them by an army, but to give them
such a liberty and enjoyment of the benefit of their laws
that the continuance of ,his government may become their
interest, and that they may have no cause to desire a
change ; else, though they must bear the yoke for a time,
yet as soon as they meet with an opportunity they will
shake it off again.
Whitelocke This is counsel proper to come from such
a mind and judgment as yours is, and I shall not fail to
report it to his Highness; and your Excellence bath rightly
stated the disposition of my countrymen, who love peace
and liberty, and will hardly brook slavery longer than they
are forced to it by necessity; and the best way to govern
them is to let them enjoy their laws and rights, which will
rule them better than an iron sceptre.
Chancellor: It is the disposition all generous and free
people, as the English are, whom I truly respect, and him
that is their head, that gallant person the Protector.
In nothing was Cromwell more fortunate
than in the period of his death. Had he
lived much longer, that danger which the
sage Chancellor foresaw from the " iron
sceptre " of the Protector would have broken
forth, and "the generous and free people " of
England would have shaken off " the yoke."
Magnificent presents were made on each
side before Whitelocke left. He estimates the
worth of his gifts to the Queen and Court at
• 3,0001., and he admits that the jewels bestowed
on him were near the same value. We are
pleased to read that the venerable Chancellor
received from Whitelocke " a hogshead of
" good Canary wine, and a sober, handsome,
" strong, well-paced,tEnglish pad-nag, and one
"of his richest saddles." The subsequent
life of Whitelocke maintained his character
for prudence, though his counsels during the

THE PRESS.

Protectorate seem to have been somewhat in-
consistent; for at ono time he advised Crom-
well to hold " frequent Parliaments," and at
another, perhaps to show his devotion, to take
the title of king. Fearful for his safety and
his fortunes, he would have opposed Monk,
had he possessed sufficient authority and
daring. At the Restoration he escaped nar-
rowly, his name being included in the act of
oblivion only by a small majority. When ad-
mitted to the presence of Charles 11. he was
goodnaturedly dismissed with this not very
harsh sentence, " Mr Whitelocke, go into the
" country ; do not trouble yourself any more
" about state affairs, and take care of your wife
" and your sixteeu children."
The volgrnes well deserve a place among all
historical collections. The journal is not re-
markable for penetration or vivacity, but it
appears to be conscientious. In this " revised
edition," by Mr. Reeve, we notice some
awkward blunders. Thus, after that conver•
cation we have quoted above between Oxeu-
stiern and Whitelocke, the text reads :

They had much other discourse ; and after being to-
gether till six o'clock, the father and son, and the Chancel-
lor and Whitelocke, called one another, and all the com-
pany parted.

This is nonsense. In the dialogue White-
locke often reverently terms the Chancellor
" father," and in return is addressed " my dear
son." The above sentence should, therefore,
we make no doubt, read thus—" The father
" and son, as the Chancellor and Whitelocke
" called one another," &c. A closer revision of
the text and more liberal annotation would have
added greatly to the value of the work, and
have tended to increase its popularity.