the miscellaneous writings and speeches-1-第24章

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les。　　Yet　hence　is　the　fulness　of　the　granary；　the　beauty　of　the　garden；　the　nurture　of　all　living　things。

〃I　remember　well；　Mr　Cowley；　what　you　have　said　concerning　these　things　in　your　Discourse　of　the　Government　of　Oliver　Cromwell；　which　my　friend　Elwood　read　to　me　last　year。　　Truly；　for　elegance　and　rhetoric；　that　essay　is　to　be　compared　with　the　finest　tractates　of　Isocrates　and　Cicero。　　But　neither　that　nor　any　other　book；　nor　any　events；　which　with　most　men　have；　more　than　any　book；　weight　and　authority；　have　altered　my　opinion；　that；　of　all　assemblies　that　ever　were　in　this　world；　the　best　and　the　most　useful　was　our　Long　Parliament。　　I　speak　not　this　as　wishing　to　provoke　debate；　which　neither　yet　do　I　decline。〃

Mr　Cowley　was；　as　I　could　see；　a　little　nettled。　　Yet；　as　he　was　a　man　of　a　kind　disposition　and　a　most　refined　courtesy；　he　put　a　force　upon　himself；　and　answered　with　more　vehemence　and　quickness　indeed　than　was　his　wont；　yet　not　uncivilly。　　〃Surely；　Mr　Milton；　you　speak　not　as　you　think。　　I　am　indeed　one　of　those　who　believe　that　God　hath　reserved　to　himself　the　censure　of　kings；　and　that　their　crimes　and　oppressions　are　not　to　be　resisted　by　the　hands　of　their　subjects。　　Yet　can　I　easily　find　excuse　for　the　violence　of　such　as　are　stung　to　madness　by　grievous　tyranny。　　But　what　shall　we　say　for　these　men？　　Which　of　their　just　demands　was　not　granted？　　Which　even　of　their　cruel　and　unreasonable　requisitions；　so　as　it　were　not　inconsistent　with　all　law　and　order；　was　refused？　　Had　they　not　sent　Strafford　to　the　block　and　Laud　to　the　Tower？　　Had　they　not　destroyed　the　Courts　of　the　High　Commission　and　the　Star　Chamber？　　Had　they　not　reversed　the　proceedings　confirmed　by　the　voices　of　the　judges　of　England；　in　the　matter　of　ship…money？　　Had　they　not　taken　from　the　king　his　ancient　and　most　lawful　power　touching　the　order　of　knighthood？　　Had　they　not　provided　that；　after　their　dissolution；　triennial　parliaments　should　be　holden；　and　that　their　own　power　should　continue　till　of　their　great　condescension　they　should　be　pleased　to　resign　it　themselves？　　What　more　could　they　ask？　　Was　it　not　enough　that　they　had　taken　from　their　king　all　his　oppressive　powers；　and　many　that　were　most　salutary？　　Was　it　not　enough　that　they　had　filled　his　council…board　with　his　enemies；　and　his　prisons　with　his　adherents？　　Was　it　not　enough　that　they　had　raised　a　furious　multitude；　to　shout　and　swagger　daily　under　the　very　windows　of　his　royal　palace？　　Was　it　not　enough　that　they　had　taken　from　him　the　most　blessed　prerogative　of　princely　mercy；　that；　complaining　of　intolerance　themselves；　they　had　denied　all　toleration　to　others；　that　they　had　urged；　against　forms；　scruples　childish　as　those　of　any　formalist；　that　they　had　persecuted　the　least　remnant　of　the　popish　rites　with　the　fiercest　bitterness　of　the　popish　spirit？　　Must　they　besides　all　this　have　full　power　to　command　his　armies；　and　to　massacre　his　friends？

〃For　military　command；　it　was　never　known　in　any　monarchy；　nay；　in　any　well　ordered　republic；　that　it　was　committed　to　the　debates　of　a　large　and　unsettled　assembly。　　For　their　other　requisition；　that　he　should　give　up　to　their　vengeance　all　who　had　defended　the　rights　of　his　crown；　his　honour　must　have　been　ruined　if　he　had　complied。　　Is　it　not　therefore　plain　that　they　desired　these　things　only　in　order　that；　by　refusing；　his　Majesty　might　give　them　a　pretence　for　war？

〃Men　have　often　risen　up　against　fraud；　against　cruelty；　against　rapine。　　But　when　before　was　it　known　that　concessions　were　met　with　importunities；　graciousness　with　insults；　the　open　palm　of　bounty　with　the　clenched　fist　of　malice？　　Was　it　like　trusty　delegates　of　the　Commons　of　England；　and　faithful　stewards　of　their　liberty　and　their　wealth；　to　engage　them　for　such　causes　in　civil　war；　which　both　to　liberty　and　to　wealth　is　of　all　things　the　most　hostile。　　Evil　indeed　must　be　the　disease　which　is　not　more　tolerable　than　such　a　medicine。　　Those　who；　even　to　save　a　nation　from　tyrants；　excite　it　to　civil　war　do　in　general　but　minister　to　it　the　same　miserable　kind　of　relief　wherewith　the　wizards　of　Pharaoh　mocked　the　Egyptian。　　We　read　that；　when　Moses　had　turned　their　waters　into　blood；　those　impious　magicians；　intending；　not　benefit　to　the　thirsting　people；　but　vain　and　emulous　ostentation　of　their　own　art；　did　themselves　also　change　into　blood　the　water　which　the　plague　had　spared。　　Such　sad　comfort　do　those　who　stir　up　war　minister　to　the　oppressed。　　But　here　where　was　the　oppression？　　What　was　the　favour　which　had　not　been　granted？　　What　was　the　evil　which　had　not　been　removed？　What　further　could　they　desire？〃

〃These　questions；〃　said　Mr　Milton；　austerely；　〃have　indeed　often　deceived　the　ignorant；　but　that　Mr　Cowley　should　have　been　so　beguiled；　I　marvel。　　You　ask　what　more　the　Parliament　could　desire？　　I　will　answer　you　in　one　word；　security。　　What　are　votes；　and　statutes；　and　resolutions？　　They　have　no　eyes　to　see；　no　hands　to　strike　and　avenge。　　They　must　have　some　safeguard　from　without。　　Many　things；　therefore；　which　in　themselves　were　peradventure　hurtful；　was　this　Parliament　constrained　to　ask；　lest　otherwise　good　laws　and　precious　rights　should　be　without　defence。　　Nor　did　they　want　a　great　and　signal　example　of　this　danger。　　I　need　not　remind　you　that；　many　years　before；　the　two　Houses　had　presented　to　the　king　the　Petition　of　Right；　wherein　were　set　down　all　the　most　valuable　privileges　of　the　people　of　this　realm。　　Did　not　Charles　accept　it？　　Did　he　not　declare　it　to　be　law？　　Was　it　not　as　fully　enacted　as　ever　were　any　of　those　bills　of　the　Long　Parliament　concerning　which　you　spoke？　　And　were　those　privileges　therefore　enjoyed　more　fully　by　the　people？　No：　　the　king　did　from　that　time　redouble　his　oppressions　as　if　to　avenge　himself　for　the　shame　of　having　been　compelled　to　renounce　them。　　Then　were　our　estates　laid　under　shameful　impositions；　our　houses　ransacked；　our　bodies　imprisoned。　Then　was　the　steel　of　the　hangman　blunted　with　mangling　the　ears　of　harmless　men。　Then　our　very　minds　were　fettered；　and　the　iron　entered　into　our　souls。　　Then　we　were　compelled　to　hide　our　hatred；　our　sorrow；　and　our　scorn；　to　laugh　with　hidden　faces　at　the　mummery　of　Laud；　to　curse　under　our　breath　the　tyranny　of　Wentworth。　　Of　old　time　it　was　well　and　nobly　said；　by　one　of　our　kings；　that　an　Englishman　ought　to　be　as　free　as　his　thoughts。　Our　prince　reversed　the　maxim；　he　strove　to　make　our　thoughts　as　much　slaves　as　ourselves。　　To　sneer　at　a　Romish　pageant；　to　miscall　a　lord's　crest；　were　crimes　for　which　there　was　no　mercy。　These　were　all　the　fruits　which　we　gathered　from　those　excellent　laws　of　the　former　Parliament；　from　these　solemn　promises　of　the　king。　　Were　we　to　be　deceived　again？　　Were　we　again　to　give　subsidies；　and　receive　nothing　but　promises？　　Were　we　again　to　make　wholesome　statutes；　and　then　leave　them　to　be　broken　daily　and　hourly；　until　the　oppressor　should　have　squandered　another　supply；　and　should　be　ready　for　another　perjury？　　You　ask　what　they　could　desire　which　he　had　not　already　granted。　　Let　me　ask　of　you　another　question。　　What　pledge　could　he　give　which　he　had　not　already　violated？　　From　the　first　year　of　his　reign；　whenever　he　had　need　of　the　purses　of　his　Commons　to　support　the　revels　of　Buckingham　or　the　processions　of　Laud；　he　had　assured　them　that；　as　he　was　a　gentleman　and　a　king；　he　would　sacredly　preserve　their　rights。　　He　had　pawned　those　solemn　pledges；　and　pawned　them　again　and　again；　but　when　had　he　redeemed　them？　　'Upon　my　faith；''Upon　my　sacred　word；''Upon　the　honour　of　a　prince；'　came　so　easily　from　his　lips；　and　dwelt　so　short　a　time　on　his　mind　that　they　were　as　little　to　be　trusted　as　the　'By　the　hilts'　of　an　Alsatian　dicer。

〃Therefore　it　is　that　I　praise　this　Parliament　for　what　else　I　might　have　condemned。　　If　what　he　had　granted　had　been　granted　graciously　and　readily；　if　what　he　had　before　promised　had　been　faithfully　observed；　they　could　not　be　defended。　　It　was　because　he　had　never　yielded　the　worst　abuse　without　a　long　struggle；　and　seldom　without　a　large　bribe；　it　was　because　he　had　no　sooner　disentangled　himself　from　his　troubles　than　he　forgot　his　promises；　and；　more　like　a　villainous　h