the miscellaneous writings and speeches-1-第26章

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　carriage；　and　a　sober　diet；　as　constant　at　prayers　as　a　priest；　as　heedless　of　oaths　as　an　atheist。〃

Mr　Cowley　answered　somewhat　sharply：　　〃I　am　sorry；　Sir；　to　hear　you　speak　thus。　　I　had　hoped　that　the　vehemence　of　spirit　which　was　caused　by　these　violent　times　had　now　abated。　　Yet；　sure；　Mr　Milton；　whatever　you　may　think　of　the　character　of　King　Charles；　you　will　not　still　justify　his　murder？〃

〃Sir；〃　said　Mr　Milton；　〃I　must　have　been　of　a　hard　and　strange　nature；　if　the　vehemence　which　was　imputed　to　me　in　my　younger　days　had　not　been　diminished　by　the　afflictions　wherewith　it　hath　pleased　Almighty　God　to　chasten　my　age。　　I　will　not　now　defend　all　that　I　may　heretofore　have　written。　　But　this　I　say；　that　I　perceive　not　wherefore　a　king　should　be　exempted　from　all　punishment。　　Is　it　just　that　where　most　is　given　least　should　be　required？　　Or　politic　that　where　there　is　the　greatest　power　to　injure　there　should　be　no　danger　to　restrain？　　But；　you　will　say；　there　is　no　such　law。　　Such　a　law　there　is。　　There　is　the　law　of　selfpreservation　written　by　God　himself　on　our　hearts。　　There　is　the　primal　compact　and　bond　of　society；　not　graven　on　stone；　or　sealed　with　wax；　nor　put　down　on　parchment；　nor　set　forth　in　any　express　form　of　words　by　men　when　of　old　they　came　together；　but　implied　in　the　very　act　that　they　so　came　together；　pre…supposed　in　all　subsequent　law；　not　to　be　repealed　by　any　authority；　nor　invalidated　by　being　omitted　in　any　code；　inasmuch　as　from　thence　are　all　codes　and　all　authority。

〃Neither　do　I　well　see　wherefore　you　cavaliers；　and；　indeed；　many　of　us　whom　you　merrily　call　Roundheads；　distinguish　between　those　who　fought　against　King　Charles；　and　specially　after　the　second　commission　given　to　Sir　Thomas　Fairfax；　and　those　who　condemned　him　to　death。　　Sure；　if　his　person　were　inviolable；　it　was　as　wicked　to　lift　the　sword　against　it　at　Naseby　as　the　axe　at　Whitehall。　　If　his　life　might　justly　be　taken；　why　not　in　course　of　trial　as　well　as　by　right　of　war？

〃Thus　much　in　general　as　touching　the　right。　　But；　for　the　execution　of　King　Charles　in　particular；　I　will　not　now　undertake　to　defend　it。　　Death　is　inflicted；　not　that　the　culprit　may　die；　but　that　the　state　may　be　thereby　advantaged。　　And；　from　all　that　I　know；　I　think　that　the　death　of　King　Charles　hath　more　hindered　than　advanced　the　liberties　of　England。

〃First；　he　left　an　heir。　　He　was　in　captivity。　　The　heir　was　in　freedom。　　He　was　odious　to　the　Scots。　　The　heir　was　favoured　by　them。　　To　kill　the　captive　therefore；　whereby　the　heir；　in　the　apprehension　of　all　royalists；　became　forthwith　kingwhat　was　it；　in　truth；　but　to　set　their　captive　free；　and　to　give　him　besides　other　great　advantages？

〃Next；　it　was　a　deed　most　odious　to　the　people；　and　not　only　to　your　party；　but　to　many　among　ourselves；　and；　as　it　is　perilous　for　any　government　to　outrage　the　public　opinion；　so　most　was　it　perilous　for　a　government　which　had　from　that　opinion　alone　its　birth；　its　nurture；　and　its　defence。

〃Yet　doth　not　this　properly　belong　to　our　dispute；　nor　can　these　faults　be　justly　charged　upon　that　most　renowned　Parliament。　For；　as　you　know；　the　high　court　of　justice　was　not　established　until　the　House　had　been　purged　of　such　members　as　were　adverse　to　the　army；　and　brought　wholly　under　the　control　of　the　chief　officers。〃

〃And　who；〃　said　Mr　Cowley；　〃levied　that　army？　　Who　commissioned　those　officers？　　Was　not　the　fate　of　the　Commons　as　justly　deserved　as　was　that　of　Diomedes；　who　was　devoured　by　those　horses　whom　he　had　himself　taught　to　feed　on　the　flesh　and　blood　of　men？　　How　could　they　hope　that　others　would　respect　laws　which　they　had　themselves　insulted；　that　swords　which　had　been　drawn　against　the　prerogatives　of　the　king　would　be　put　up　at　an　ordinance　of　the　Commons？　　It　was　believed；　of　old；　that　there　were　some　devils　easily　raised　but　never　to　be　laid；　insomuch　that；　if　a　magician　called　them　up；　he　should　be　forced　to　find　them　always　some　employment；　for；　though　they　would　do　all　his　bidding；　yet；　if　he　left　them　but　for　one　moment　without　some　work　of　evil　to　perform；　they　would　turn　their　claws　against　himself。　　Such　a　fiend　is　an　army。　　They　who　evoke　it　cannot　dismiss　it。　　They　are　at　once　its　masters　and　its　slaves。　　Let　them　not　fail　to　find　for　it　task　after　task　of　blood　and　rapine。　Let　them　not　leave　it　for　a　moment　in　repose；　lest　it　tear　them　in　pieces。

〃Thus　was　it　with　that　famous　assembly。　　They　formed　a　force　which　they　could　neither　govern　nor　resist。　　They　made　it　powerful。　　They　made　it　fanatical。　　As　if　military　insolence　were　not　of　itself　sufficiently　dangerous；　they　heightened　it　with　spiritual　pride；they　encouraged　their　soldiers　to　rave　from　the　tops　of　tubs　against　the　men　of　Belial；　till　every　trooper　thought　himself　a　prophet。　　They　taught　them　to　abuse　popery；　till　every　drummer　fancied　that　he　was　as　infallible　as　a　pope。

〃Then　it　was　that　religion　changed　her　nature。　　She　was　no　longer　the　parent　of　arts　and　letters；　of　wholesome　knowledge；　of　innocent　pleasures；　of　blessed　household　smiles。　　In　their　place　came　sour　faces；　whining　voices；　the　chattering　of　fools；　the　yells　of　madmen。　　Then　men　fasted　from　meat　and　drink；　who　fasted　not　from　bribes　and　blood。　　Then　men　frowned　at　stage…plays；　who　smiled　at　massacres。　　Then　men　preached　against　painted　faces；　who　felt　no　remorse　for　their　own　most　painted　lives。　　Religion　had　been　a　pole…star　to　light　and　to　guide。　　It　was　now　more　like　to　that　ominous　star　in　the　book　of　the　Apocalypse；　which　fell　from　heaven　upon　the　fountains　and　rivers　and　changed　them　into　wormwood；　for　even　so　did　it　descend　from　its　high　and　celestial　dwelling…place　to　plague　this　earth；　and　to　turn　into　bitterness　all　that　was　sweet；　and　into　poison　all　that　was　nourishing。

〃Therefore　it　was　not　strange　that　such　things　should　follow。　They　who　had　closed　the　barriers　of　London　against　the　king　could　not　defend　them　against　their　own　creatures。　　They　who　had　so　stoutly　cried　for　privilege；　when　that　prince；　most　unadvisedly　no　doubt；　came　among　them　to　demand　their　members；　durst　not　wag　their　fingers　when　Oliver　filled　their　hall　with　soldiers；　gave　their　mace　to　a　corporal；　put　their　keys　in　his　pocket；　and　drove　them　forth　with　base　terms；　borrowed　half　from　the　conventicle　and　half　from　the　ale…house。　　Then　were　we；　like　the　trees　of　the　forest　in　holy　writ；　given　over　to　the　rule　of　the　bramble；　then　from　the　basest　of　the　shrubs　came　forth　the　fire　which　devoured　the　cedars　of　Lebanon。　　We　bowed　down　before　a　man　of　mean　birth；　of　ungraceful　demeanour；　of　stammering　and　most　vulgar　utterance；　of　scandalous　and　notorious　hypocrisy。　　Our　laws　were　made　and　unmade　at　his　pleasure；　the　constitution　of　our　Parliaments　changed　by　his　writ　and　proclamation；　our　persons　imprisoned；　our　property　plundered；　our　lands　and　houses　overrun　with　soldiers；　and　the　great　charter　itself　was　but　argument　for　a　scurrilous　jest；　and　for　all　this　we　may　thank　that　Parliament；　for　never；　unless　they　had　so　violently　shaken　the　vessel；　could　such　foul　dregs　have　risen　to　the　top。〃

Then　answered　Mr　Milton：　　〃What　you　have　now　said　comprehends　so　great　a　number　of　subjects；　that　it　would　require；　not　an　evening's　sail　on　the　Thames；　but　rather　a　voyage　to　the　Indies；　accurately　to　treat　of　all：　　yet；　in　as　few　words　as　I　may；　I　will　explain　my　sense　of　these　matters。

〃First；　as　to　the　army。　　An　army；　as　you　have　well　set　forth；　is　always　a　weapon　dangerous　to　those　who　use　it；　yet　he　who　falls　among　thieves　spares　not　to　fire　his　musquetoon；　because　he　may　be　slain　if　it　burst　in　his　hand。　　Nor　must　states　refrain　from　defending　themselves；　lest　their　defenders　should　at　last　turn　against　them。　　Nevertheless；　against　this　danger　statesmen　should　carefully　provide；　and；　that　they　may　do　so；　they　should　take　especial　care　that　neither　the　officers　nor　the　soldiers　do　forget　that　they　are　also　citizens。　　I　do　believe　that　the　English　army　would　have　continued　to　obey　the　parliament　with　all　duty；　but　for　one　act；　which；　as　it　was　in　intention；　in　seeming；　and　in　immediate　effect；　worthy　to　be　compared　with　the　most　famous　in　history；　so　was　it；　in　its　final　consequence；　most　injurious。　　I　speak　of　th