“For the Sake of Liberty” 1652–1654an agreement, but on April 20 the Rump acted quickly on a Bill that would retain
the principle of parliamentary supremacy and the power of present members, either
by recruiting new members to the existing parliament (as Cromwell insisted they
planned to do) or by making themselves judges of new members’ qualifications in
any election.^87 In Ludlow’s colorful account, just as the measure was to be voted
Cromwell began to denounce the Rump in scathing terms, charging that they had
done nothing for the public good, and that they had
espoused the corrupt interest of Presbytery and the lawyers, who were the supporters
of tyranny and oppression, accusing them of an intention to perpetuate themselves in
power... and thereupon told them, that the Lord had done with them, and had
chosen other instruments for carrying on his work that were more worthy... then
walking up and down the House like a mad-man, and kicking the ground with his
feet, he cried out, “You are no Parliament, I say you are no Parliament; I will put an
end to your sitting.”^88Berating the protesting Peter Wentworth and Henry Marten as whoremasters and
others as drunkards, he then called in the soldiers and had the speaker removed
from the chair.^89 When Vane protested, “This is not honest, yea it is against moral-
ity and common honesty,” Cromwell railed at him, “O Sir Henry Vane, Sir Henry
Vane, the Lord deliver me from Sir Henry Vane.” He had clearly counted on
Vane’s support for the compromise Council of Forty, underestimating the strength
of his republican convictions. Cromwell then had the speaker’s mace carried off,
saying, “What shall we do with this bauble? here, take it away.”^90 Milton would
also have heard from friends in the Council of State how Cromwell dismissed that
body over the strong protests of republicans, including Milton’s friend Bradshaw.
According to Ludlow, Cromwell
told them at his entrance, “Gentlemen, if you are met here as private persons, you
shall not be disturbed, but if as a Council of State, there is no place for you; and since
you can’t but know what was done at the House in the morning, so take notice, that
the Parliament is dissolved.” To this Serjeant Bradshaw answered; “Sir, we have heard
what you did at the House in the morning, and before many hours all England will
hear it: but, Sir, you are mistaken to think that the Parliament is dissolved; for no
power under heaven can dissolve them but themselves; therefore take you notice of
that.” Something more was said to the same purpose by Sir Arthur Haslerig, Mr.
Love, and Mr. Scot; and then the Council of State perceiving themselves to be under
the same violence, departed.^91What Milton thought of all this at the time is not known. He was probably
shocked at first over the affront to the republican principle of parliamentary su-
premacy that he had so forcefully defended in the Defensio. But, as the Digression to
the History of Britain shows, he shared the army’s view of the corruption, reaction-