The Express.
London, England, 1858-09-16 00:00:00

LITBRATLEB.

Studies and Ilindraiion; of the Great .Rebellion.
B Jowl LANGTON SANFORD. Landon: John
Parker and 800.
..!

All the sciences, says Hume, run into one
another. In history, as in physics, there is no end
to research ; bat in the former the result is the
exact opposite of what is obtained in the latter. In
the fair domains of physical inquiry the dream of
to-day is the fact of to-morrow. ccienoe takes us to
barren rocks, and pointing downwards says, here
there is coal—here there is iron—here there is gold
---sad stralktway a teeming population is planted
them-and where the wild bird had her nest, and
the wild beast his lair, there spring up human so-
&ties and the joys and sorrows that follow
in their train. The philosopher speculates
Oa the power of steam ; in a few years
steam carriages abound in every land, and steam
vowels are met with on every sea. It was but yes.
terdey that we heard that the electric telegraph
between Slough and Paddington had been 44 and
to-day it is carried under the Atlantic and joins toge-
ther the Old World and the New. Historical re-
smelt dissolves facts into air—shows that the
belief of yesterday was a lie—that we have done
pigmies isjustice to some true man, and that we
lave elevated on a pedestal and stamped with
honour a scurvy rogue. Listen to this per of the
realm. He is a lord, and we pay him a deirence
that shall tasks his every word and whim of almost
national importance; but examine the title. The
&maces are that, if you trace it backwards, it is a I
bade of shame. Society accepts his pretensions, poets
dedicate their vanes to him, government plants him in
Downing-streetor sends him sa an ambassador to con-
tinental courts, and in the blare of present grandeur
we forget the questionable origin of his rank. Look
at the men at whom the world has laughed ; they
are often men of whom the world was not worthy.
All reforms and reformers bare had the same treat-
ment. It is tree the world has been the better for
them, but the old prejudices against them, the invec-
tives uttered in the heat of angry debate, survive,
and influence the public mind. The most memora-
ble passages in English history, the greatest men
that ever illustrated and adorned our political
wale, have been misrepresented in a manner
almost unparalleled. A few servile bishops, a few
tweedy wits, a few lying profligates, have been sof-
heed to caricature and distort that of which every
Englishman should be proud. A tinker or a shoe-
maker, if his character is aggrieved, may punish the
slenderer in a court of law, but the novelists, and the
posts, and the petty scribblers of party, go unhang. To
the men who disputed with James—who meek areas
against Charles—who, under the Lord Protector,
gave England peace at home and won for her lasting
renown abroad—to him, more than all,
Who through a cloud,
Not of war oaly, bat detraction/ reds,
Guided by faith and matchless forbad*,
made good his way, not by hereditary, bat divine
right, to the highest place amongst England's kings
—how enormous is the debt which is due; yet up
to this last session of parliament our State church
has set apart for prayer and fasting " the day of the
martyrdom of the blessed king, Charles 1., to im-
plore the mercy of God that neither the guilt of that
sacred and innocent blood, nor those other sins by
which Ood was provoked to deliver up both us and
oar king into the hands of cruel and unreason-
eble also, may at any time hereafter be visited upon
me and our posterity. It was only the other day
that courtly sycophants denied Cromwell a place in
Westminster Hail, and equally recent has been the
only vindication of him and his colleaguet. We
refer to the biographies of Carlyle and Forster, which
the world has been compelled to accept as legitimate
and conclusive. Every believer in truth and good-
ness, every worshipper—not of cant, but reality—
every man to whom his country's honour is dear, is
ander lasting obligation to those writers for
exposing the misrepresentations that have grown
sad thickened these two hundred years around the
statesmen of the Commonwealth, and for showing
hew, through good or bad report, in season and out
of meson, in the council chamber or on the battle-
field, they laboured and died that England might
be fres to think, and speak, and set.
At length the public has woke op to a
true perception of this matter. It is clear that
Charles I. was no model of saintship, that the cava-
liers were a set of disreputable roystarers mostly,
who would not be admittrd into respectable society.
It is clear that had the plots of Charles succeeded,
that had he been enabled to deceive his cotemrary
public as he has done posterity, that had he but
bept his royal promise and saved the life of Straf-
ford. the rising greatness of England would have
been ignominiously crushed beneath the withering
sway of the despot and the priest. When Charles
died en the safTild—and by his death won more
friends than he had by his life—this was forgotten ;
and, as the national reverence for monarchy
remained, the work of the statesmen of the
Oessmiawealth perished with them. Then came
Me reaction. Power has always its flatterers,
end no slander was too grose, no ridicule was too
absurd, no tale was too improbable, if it but made
the Puritans odious to the world. At the same time
we must remember the public of the Restoration
and of a succeeding age was not altogether to blame.
It sinned in ignorance, it believed what it was told ;
it pinned its faith to courtly scribes, and did not
suspect for an instant, what has become matter of
Edema' knowledge now, the faithlessness and
double dealing of the Martyr Charles. The docu-
ments and memoirs and state papers which were to
vindicate the Pyms and Elliot, and Hampden and
Cromwells have only recently Non disinterred and
revealed to the light of day. We have referred to
Carlyle and Forster—the latest labourer in the field
is Mr. Sanford. In the volume before us he embodies
some of the results of a course of historical
Investigation commenced more than fifteen years
I ago. His labours are supplementary to theirs,
though, we regret to add, not drawn up in such a
popular form. His book seems fragmentary, and so
far unsatisfactory. The form originally adopted
was that of a life of Oliver Cromwell, bat the let-

tors gathered for the purpose were presented to Mr.
Carlyle, and by him used in the second edition of his
biography. The design then was to devise a "work
which might be supplementary to Mr. CarlyWs
volumes, and afford a critical refutation of the large
mem of calumnious anecdote which still passed he
history even in works of such general vibes and
authority as Mr. Fonter's ' Statesmen of the Com-
monwealth.'" New investigations opened a still
wider field, and Mr. Sanford. after one or two
umnsecesfcd attempts at publishing, has now
mune before the world. Finding from " Forster's
Hietorical Essay," ' published in ths present
year, that le had already lost the credit
of historical discovssiss in which he had
anticipated Mr. Forster by several veers, Mr.
Sanford new publishes In justice to. himself—a
matter after all of but little concern to the public.
Aa he has done this, it is • pity that he has not
(dearly stated what are the discoveries he has made,
and that he has not worked up his material in a
more attractive form. Mr. Sanford has given us
a good book, but it is a dull one nevertheless. He
han been • diligent labourer in the field ; his re-
searches have been of the most microscopic and
praiseworthy character. We value him highly
for his week's sake ; but we fear • thick
volume of more than six huadred pages will
be more interesting to the particular student
thus the general public. In his "Cromwell,"
, Ceriyie writes :—" As a crown to all the modern
biographies of Cromwell let us arts Mr. Forster's
late one, full of interesting original excerpts and
indications of what is notablast in the old books,
gathered and set forth with real merit with
energy in abundance and superabundance, amount-

lag is result, we may say, to a vigorous, decisive
tearing up of all the old hypotheses on the subjest,
and an opening of the general mind for new." This
is high praise. Had Mr. Sanford's work taken
madame of Mr. Forster's much of it would have
been applicable to himself; but Mr. Seaford has
delayed too long ; the gleaners have been in the
field before him ; but a few scant ears is all that
'remains. These "Studies and Illustrations" consist
of a series of essays of more or lees interest. The
beet come first. They are: " From Tudor to Stuart"—
&chapter well worth reading; "Puritanism, Religious
and Social ;" " Antecedents and first year of King
I Charles." The early life of Cromwell disappoints us.
The way in which Mr. Sanford attempts to show
that Cvomwell's family had nothing to do with the
brewery at Huntingdon is an instance of historical
trifling, as he leaves the matter just where he found it
after all ; and the remaining sketches seem more worthy
of the Gentleman's dfayarias than of the honour of
a separate republication. Marston Moor, which Mr.
Sanford calls Long Manton Moor, is deemihed,
as well as Edgehill, very carefully, but. not,
after all, in the spirited style in which battles
and the incidents of war should be narrated.
Our author clones with some interesting
Cavalier and Roundhead letters of the date
A.D. 1846. The main defeat of Mr. Seaford SIMS
to be that he does not glow. It is alas he is
accurate, learned, industrious, but he is no hand at
word painting, mid does not picture to himself, ag(l
fails to make the reader do so, the spleodeur adft
the terror, the lofty heroism or the grovelling self-
ishness of scenes he calls upon him to behold.
Bat in his favour, we must add, every line of these
essays indicates our author's acquaintance with the
subject of his theme. For instance, take the follow-
ing sketch of

TIC P C IMAMS.
Incredible healed as it ray swam to some, It is not lee
• nob to this (it vs weer • few boaranblia areas
the dm instorm, se the BM of
aD74 the Pram gentlerea alms would be weed
aad sysepathhol will by samisrs sorry. Of course it is
not msent to air *at pmenlimilies el wasser sad =geep
would re esemehmelly erso • smile of
at his ; boa the =mho =Mai be ems el
nth: be lodged by sore
rater ass aed son=, but b sties also the amapioloi demos
of coarse vela:vim is his mom= would sr lo =appre-
ciated. His preeforser era would be is may rupees
lass marked aad gamer, to re world at large Um le damn
I with " atria' reple of like pure dry. It would ha "Mei=
nor" toaoepyaarrflerwithsneakWarateteafroneeel sorely,
aad would, thareark a sary at its are sailor hare=
harmers with the nosh= canons of mire el $ =re
advanced age.
In referring to theme mid =day resesimallen el the
P =tan, it has been genuolly ihousme. OM* re pill of
Charlie I. the rest merely of tie Prawn vier net som
=hum am the corneenre of the demi el
aemed a =lilt We normal oltnete. •IlheirlAwe-
fer, emu= erre= gen • main to the
=nom *see ems wet the broad add
ft= dos orag sirs= rood) sown ifie deerclorn and
estwatir of the pert day. The Pueleen In
actor fiddle
ad dissorme, bray to be lemed maser In the middle
aad lower clamor; sod within *sr, litmusresteloted is
his oral inierocianapeasimbi spial dormsadees aide mod.
ire*
peoullaritko
=mooern= did MI calmlyolety
Imp th• of higher earimbTlimi,
at
of the skid beirrion esersoted with formal oad
f
the osiabliael =ma pedal diseldire of die kind
tile mower el ni=a4si eansimee =I tion
reirep
on Cu i •
seif-selkand Memos en the
ocher), Whilia sat of our
divine= did re Mai moseently is the Fur= Ihue, and
lamed seeresly rated et ell. • residaseld• alistaft
among the rare and landed gentry wore soda, as well se
politically Poritems." The wealth= mmehosiezeE
rally of that omit ; sad • streag bar of boded ,
hu had thdr reressidatime in Ye err=
wore openly hired= with rat epithet. Then wee there-
tun Imile sew= kw rat parshais sass end very NM
tardy realting 6mm Wades is one melt circle of samettp
dew l ow far the Whig (serstimes unwromatod) of beteg,
berm/ the boundsean el dem sire* • soil " loofah." Ear,
again, wee thme the sarking tordomey an the part of the ex-
cluded te regromes *ea points ol datum front the r-
aker= sod tem swore am Mande a di= erne of ma-
rshy wi* refry en =Lag psi= of moretworl ohm,-
✓oe. Puritanism sad " Cavrforiem" (if I ray soh sere •
word) wen two Hod principles, costsodag Sr the rageladoe
of mood hairs as mash es ter potltintl esesadeney, and is
both respects an moserdlefeg like oral twee. Parameter
therefore, wee not at tho Skewer respect the kioed
attitude
of a *ellen imarierry, may more than it was 111 the letter the
mire recklardosperlisa of a dales= faction.

Mr. Sanford has thrown considerable light ea
the character of King Charles 1. The general
estimate of him down to the termination of the
Spanish match, was not favourable. All the limbo/e-
-nders are agreed in testifying to his coldness
and deficiency in generous impulse; tea they
do not seem to have been aware thin,
at an early period, he took an active share in the
government. This fact Mr. Sandford establishes
from the letters of the Prince himself. It a clear
' that Buckingham and Charles, not "edified with
playing the game of popularity in the Spanish war,
endeavoured to conciliate the House of Commons
by all sorts of concessions wrung from the King,
and by professions of eagerness to redress all
grievances, and to refer to the House of Commons
on all occasions. Well might the King in his bitter-
ness tell " Steeple" he was a fool, and prophesy for
the Prince that "he would have his bellyfisll of
parliaments." Bat it answered (Aerles's parposs to
play this doable game. In May, 1824, the French
Ambassador writes : "The Prince gains daily repu-
tation, glory, end goodwill from the parliament,
and also from the people." Mr. Sandford thus
dimness

oa•axes's
The cloud which threatened all this weeteies
wee the peuelble reveledea of the nal haled thri=
eagetietitime. The Berl of Bristol rhos& be paribre a re-
redirkm with the rhos sad Beiblaghir at Be prim of
stielelag their Llesboode, sad desteedsd to ke publicly
bird la Ws owe debase. Charles thrompos Ipillhot to
Desidaghas kers wide& km, feetweatell IN lie Mall.
BMW, be presineff sad Irmo threogher the stag
soloaseems of grill as the pet of the pro& «Olerie," ba
writes, " I Is. rest thirk yea hr Mils re Not rte ;
this dee yea_ erapiseed so geed • the
Dade= of Beeidam) to rawer aiyoml. (Zar mar
rave yaw puttee to Doable yes • sea It lb this :
*Me seeds apes hie jerldiallse. sod by de mem ea
apt of ray reaseh ; big does hots to have Ilia OMB to
Ids Irtal, sad I ems Ahmed that:ifsaf be eel elates ts help te
chine Ma, red so see the Ittag he may sleeps with b
alight • mean. Therehre I lemur' Msedelft
en pat of Salads trial at; yet might whoa bin; bac ice
Gore Nike, de ass vestese ewe mete thin pe mog with
the moiety wiper beak ; del wlf that seellieso the erase
the better. If ye will answer me; treble ass yoenteif, bat
de it by the emestsbe ye aril log. Tehe an of ;revolt
fee my 'eke who is led ever shin be yore nes, wag,
courant drum& Modes P." lrelistrieg Wes husky
Burial:Om Jai the prises welshed to stave of Beistere
dlsokeeriemdli tho sbl Lisg's drit, siliesmitt eimiglibehed
out bets riot then se rise sesplelsee id tai Meth of Bea-
lagbar's eletesiset. Wbile, however, the prier seederid
to art permit, hdbp, tiros roosts perserd MII. weight.
It is say mmessary to rake to ens Wished merie, la els-
Werke al the redo& of Moths se Priam of Wales. It
right bays bra eapposol ihr both be sad the Bing bed
seemlier& tee mai triehis sod thew la their moor
Brash negotiable rei tile Berea sear& gasonoe, wil-
lingly to ware sap feet direireas ea this port. Bet
Junes, twat as Isminessvyla his sea Ida are of the greet
European h Opts, sow
turned ble=ti Preseedi7ilies:gha,t the hoed et the
Preach ifyies Ms tee selsierod lffiaretts Marla.
Shia steel or ft ebi 111•111611111 wet Bess gated
to Spele. aed elitpately rimed the slgerame of Jima
sad Orrin to era mere Amend& tare. It is a miteriag
proof of the poitilif Melte Brim tab penis dills Nis,
that vile he wee are**Ws saga with
• kedge pewee, le hymn of the dolly at
varier glib 16 pier as • eowetltatiasel pine, be vas
elvehai beam tho fft peter soh; speedsred-
mere beam
to snob ea tersest nee by
• esseidir ef teriseetes. se ma imputation of *blob
tbe rise himself wee at thee weer ceeemitleyhtg himself
kw* gm.
Such was Charles the Prince. No wonder ear-
-1
tiament after parliament distrusted him as king.
There was nothing frank, or generous, or English in
his character. The nation might well suspect him.
This reminds us that Mr. Sanford has been very
suressful in smelling us to realise the Nines of peril
under whish the isre of the popular party lived.
Their fear, and suspicions, their appeal to the train-
I heeds of the city of London, their outcries against
the Ring when he had an extra guard, were gaits
natural, however aboard they may seem now. They
bad to deal with a mee who had shown no mercy to
hie emeedes, whams soh= word was not to be de-
pended one who wee his. Wen to his Mends,

P who had meat many a patriot to the Tower,
and who had shown himself reedy to deluge
the fiocr of the House of Commons with
bleed. We can afford to laugh at the plots and
rumours of that day • they could not. Even where life
was not sacrificed, patriotism wu expensive, as we
gather from this letter, now published for the first
time, of

DIXEM HOLLIS.
In °bedtimes of the order of the hones, I give you this
amount of what I have received by their gift, and the ocot-
illos of it—first, the hones granted me a thousand marks,
which I had formerly paid ire the Exchequer, for a fine im-
posed upon me in the Ring's Bench for my actions (which
were, I hope, for the service of the public) in the parliament
of $ Car.; for which I suffered close itopriewireent In the
Tower three-quarters of a year, was threat removed to the
Kin(' Bench prison ; prosecuted by the Attorney-General
Mt la the Star Chamber, then in the Ring' Bench, where
I wee fined as aforesaid, adjudged to mete an acknowledg-
ment of my offence, and to be imprisoned daring the Kiss's
=Which, to avoid, I made an escape. and lived a
mom from this city from my friends, and from my
Wiwi (In which I suffered exceedingly) for the apace of
Neva or eight years; and thee at last was glad to pay my
ins. I Gen with orefldency say, my itsprhonmeat mud my
soft cost me 3,0001., and that I am 10,0601. the wens in my
aloft en that occaidon.

Hut we cannot follow Mr. Sanford further in hil
dusty researehes. After all, the clear and correct
amount et the great straggle of which he treats, has
at length booms fixed in the public mind.
Trifling inaccuracies may be &tooled ; omis-
' siomi may bit supplied ; minor obscurities may
be clftesder,but we have now a ihfr outline of the
struggber—a itruggle of which it may be said, as
Oaleridge said, that we study it with peculiar plow
we, since on both sides there was so much to ream*

—a struggle, interest in which we would
as a test of the soundness of the heart of the nation
at any particular time--a struggle to which Rag-
land owes it that she did not degenerate from that
England which drove back the Armada, which burst
the fetters which bound her to Rome, or which in
earlier days triumphed on many a well-fought field
over the stout lances and gallant chivalry of France.