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made knight of the Bath at the coronation of king James; and Robert Cromwell, a younger fon; which Robert, though he was, by the countenance of his elder brother, made a justice of peace, in Huntingtonshire, had but a small eftate; but much of his fupport came from a brewhoufe, in Huntington, which was chiefly managed by his wife, who was filter to Sir Robert Steward, of the city of Ely, knight, and by her he had iffue our famous Oliver, ftiled Protector.

In his youth, he was for fome time bred up in the univerfity of Cambridge, where he made no great proficiency in any kind of learning; but then and afterwards affociating himself with drinking and rude company, (being of a rough and bluftering difpofition) he had the name of a Royfter amongst thofe that knew him; and by his extravagance, fo wafted his patrimony, that he applied to his uncle, Sir R. Steward, to fupply his wants; and when he could not prevail with him, by fair means, he endeavoured, by law, to deprive him of his eftate, by reprefenting him as a perfon not capable of managing it. And when he did not fucceed in this attempt, he defigned to go to New England; but obferving that that place was chiefly inhabited by thofe factious fpirits, who had oppofed the church difcipline, he knew that none would be welcome guefts there, but thofe who adopted the like principles. On this account he forthwith quitted his old companions, and betook himself to the acquaintance of the pretended holy tribe, that he might meet with a more favourable reception by their recommendation: and that he might gain the esteem of his friends, he moft formally canted in their demure language and affected tone, and frequented the fermons of the fiercest Boutefeu's. And thus, in a hort time, he gained a very high re

putation amongst them, as a bleffed convert, in whom they much gloried. And having better natural parts than most of that fect, and confidence enough to put himself forth on any fit occafion, he was made choice of by those who were ever ftudious to undermine the regal authority, to be their orator at Huntington, unto the king's commiffioners of fewers. there, in oppofition to his majesty's commendable defign of draining the fens; in which bufinefs, he gained fo much credit with the party, that foon after, when he was obliged, through neceffity, to quit a country farm, which he held at St. Ives, and to take a mean lodging at Cambridge, he was chofen burgefs, for that corporation, in that unhappy parliament of forty, by thefe fons of faction, wherein he beftirred himself with as much violence and heat as any factious bankrupt did in that destructive convention; being well aware that a general embroilment of the kingdom, by an intestine war, might be of advantage to fuch neceffitous and defperate people; whereupon, in a fhort time, he did obtain his long-defired ends: for, being one of those who put themfelves in arms against the king, he was made a captain of horfe in the earl of Effex's regiment, and afterwards lieutenant-general to the earl of Manchester; in which fervice, by his care and affiduity in the management of his men, he was raised higher in the army; where, foon difcerning the general humour of . his foldiers, and that many of them were poffeffed with conceited revclations-fome expecting a general reign of Chrift here on earth, fancying themfelves the men who were to make way for his coming; and to that purpofe, that they were to deftroy the wicked, and poffefs their eftates-he chiefly applied himself to the humour of thofe defperate famatics; and by his fubtle arts in

praying,

praying, preaching, groaning, and howling amongst them,, got himself no lefs credit than Mahomet of old did with his followers; and fo, by degrees, afcended those steps of command and power, which raised him at laft to the highest pitch of fovereignty. The stream at this time carried multitudes, fo violently, this way, that the foldiers fell to preaching in many places: fix of them in one day exercifing their gifts in that kind at Whitehall; infomuch as that grand impoftor Cromwell fubtilly obferving the bent of the tide, afcended the pulpit there himself, pretending that he was called up by the fpirit of God; and standing a good while with his eyes lifted up, (as it were in a trance) his head inclining to one fide, he fetched many deep groans; fpent one hour in prayer, and near two in his fermon; in which prayer his humility was fuch, that in imitation of Mofes, he defired God to take off his fhoulders the government of this mighty people of England, as being too heavy for him to bear. And

fo much did he pretend to revelations and infpirations, that when any weighty matter was propounded to him, he ufually retired for a quarter of an hour, or more, and declared what was revealed to him.

The following fingular account is extracted from the preceding authority. Notwithstanding the body of Oliver was artificially embowelled, and embalmed with aromatic odours, wrapt alfo in a fix-fold coarfe cloth, and put in a fheet of lead, with a wooden coffin over it, yet did it in a fhort time fo ftrangely ferment, that it burft all in pieces, and became fo noifom, that they were immediately neceffiated to commit it to the earth, and to celebrate his funeral with an empty coffin which folemnity was performed, from Somerset houfe, in the Strand, unto king Henry the Seventh's chapel, at Westminster, with that grandeur of ftate, upon the 23d of November following, that it did equalize the greatest and most glorious of our kings, amongst which they laid the corpfe of this infamous regicide.

HISTORY OF THE THEATRE.

JANUARY.

pleafed; particularly the queen. The 20th, Shirley's comedy of

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Italian opera at Mr. Colman's theatre in the Haymarket*, with the new opera of NINETTE, which, in its compofition, has not much to attract attention; but the mufic, in fome parts, is of the best quality. A new theatre is about to be erected in Leicester square.

The 11th, their majefties again paid a vifit to Covent Garden theatre. The play was The Way of the World. The audience received the king in their accustomed mode of hearty congratulation ;, at which the royal family were, as ufual, much * For an account of the deftruction of the Italian theatre, fee page 344, Vol. I. VOL. II.

vent theatre, was received with great applaufe. The characters are ftrongly coloured, and truly comic: the incidents are laughable, and tolerably probable; the language is lively, fraught with wit, and fome humour. This play was altered and revived by Garrick, in 1758, when he took the character of Wilding. It was afterwards revived at the fame theatre in 1772, Mr.King performing Jack Wilding; and Mis Younge, Mrs. Wilding. The fame characters were in the fame hands on the prefent occafion; and it is needlefs to fay, that their merit was as great, and their applaufe as general, as before.

The

The dramatic news, this month, of Drury Lane is trifling indeed. The Two Gentlemen of Verona have been revived; a play which holds

fo little eftimation in the opinion of the world, that it is seriously doubted, if the immortal Shakespeare had any thing to do with its compofition.

ODE FOR THE NEW YEAR 1790;
BY T. WARTON, ESQ. POET LAUREAT.

SET TO MUSIC BY MR. PARSONS; BUT, CONTRARY TO ANNUAL
CUSTOM, NOT PERFORMED ON THE PRESENT OCCASION.

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Not now,

Time's wizard eyes behold
A cluster'd range of Barons bold;
Not now, 'mongst steeds, the buckler'd
ray

Darts, as of yore, nocturnal day,
When Edward to the turney led
The Knights that rival Europe bred.
Yet ftill beneath the fretted roof,
Where war-won banners wave aloof,
In gorgeous garb fair dames afpire,
Spread with light fweep their tiffued
trains,

Shoot from foft orbs attractive fire,

. And lure to love the peopled plains. The fteel-clad champion's pond'rous plume,

The fword's gigantic stroke is o'er, Yet nobler now is Albion's alter'd doom, To lift the loyal lay, and Brunswick's Star adore.

11.

Vaft are the themes of Britain's boast,
Immortal Alfred rul'd her coaft;
For Rufus' fall a nation's tear,
Deplor'd the mifcreant's erring spear.
Sublime was valiant Henry's fate,
Sublime Eliza's fumptuous ftate.
Nor long did Richard's boar-like rage
Defile his country's pictur'd page.
The two contending Rofes fhoot
With stronger hold their mingled root.
But not alone for elder days,
Shall flow the tide of regal praife,
Our bounteous GEORGE, from ills re-
mov'd,

Has quench'd the flame which burnt
the land;

By richer rectitude belov'd,

He gives, with willing force, command. The fubject race who wail'd their stroke,

When England's Sun awhile was fet, Again find glory in their filken yoke, Nor tell of Fudor's line, nor proud Plan tagenet.

III.

Gaul of her fceptred honour horn,
Her lacerated lilies torn,
Vainly lifts up her wav'ring eye,
To all-delufive Liberty.

She tears her King's beft rights away,
And madly plants her civic Bay;
Each cloifter'd nook the next ex-
plores,

And gives to Demagogues her fhores.
Her letter'd fource with poifon teems,
Rul'd by each ruffian's myftic dreams.
Not thus, our ifle's exalted hour,
Calls forth the Poet's plaufive pow'r,
To hail a Patriot Monarch's part,

Who opes his virtuous pattern wide, And fhow'rs down wealth, and blifs, and art,

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Mr. Catcott, of Bristol, hearing the circumftance, defired, in confequence, to be introduced to him, and obtained from him, readily and gratuitoufly, at their firft interview, the Briftow Tragedy, Rowley's Epitaph on Canyng's ancestor, with fome fmaller pieces. A few days after Chatterton carried to him others; amongst which was the Yellow Roll. About this time, Mr. Barrett, of Bristol, a refpectable furgeon, having undertaken the hiftory of that city, the pieces in Mr. Catcott's poffeffion were communicated to him. It is obfervable, that in Mr. Catcott's firft converfation with Chatterton, the latter mentioned the titles of most of the poems which have fince been printed; though heafterwards grew referved about them, and with difficulty parted with any more originals. Several, indeed, he owned he had destroyed, and one in particular, a part of which Mr. Barrett has preferved, who at different times procured fragments from him, and fome of confiderable length, upon vellam, which he afferted were parts of the original MSS. Whatever might have been the liberality of thefe gentlemen in return, it is certain that Chatterton was not fatisfied with it, for he not only declared to Mr. Thiftlethwaite how much he felt disappointed, but, in a letter to his fifter from London, obferved, As to Mr. Barrett, Mr. Cat cott, Mr. Burgum, &c. &c. they rate literary lumber fo low, that I believe an author in their eftimation must be poor indeed! But here matters are otherwife; had Rowley been a Londoner, instead of a Briftowyan, I could have lived by copying his works. In my humble opinion I am under very few obligations to any perfon in Briftol. After his acquaintance, however, with thefe gentlemen, he affumed to

and the next to mufic, aftronomy, and medicine. Having a predilection for antiquities, he procured from Mr. Barrett, Skinner's Etymologicon and Benfon's Vocabulary, but returned them as ufelefs, being written in Latin. The place of thefe he fupplied with the Dictionary of Kerfey, and Speght's Gloffary to Chaucer, the latter of which he transcribed. He always was fond of the fields, and efpecially Redcliffe Meadows, and of talking of the MSS. and reading them there. One pot he affected in view of the church, and from it would recapitulate long paft events, apparently unknown. The attention, however, of Chatterton whilst at Bristol, was not entirely devoted to Rowley. From before November 1768, he began to write for magazines; and during 1769, his contributions were many and various, whilft extracts from Rowley made fome of the number. Difgufted at the profeffion for which he was defigned, and having his way in life to fhape, he attempted to obtain the patronage of Mr. Walpole, by offering him accounts of painters who had flourished at Bristol, and actually transmitted specimens of the poems, with an authentic tale of himself. The poems, however, being pronounced fpurious, perhaps too haftily, by Mr. Mason and Mr. Gray, a cool anfwer was returned, and the indignant Chatterton baffled in his hopes. On Mr. Walpole, however, he took a fevere revenge, in the character of The redoubted Baron Otranto, who has spent his whole life in conjectures.' After fome judicious and candid obfervations on Chatterton's mifadventure with the gentleman just mentioned, Dr. Gregory proceeds to notice the imputations of profligacy with which this illfated youth has been loaded, and very fatisfactorily defends him. The effect

ous hopes, the pangs of difappointment, failure of imaginary expedients, and piety to his mother, may be fairly afcribed his melancholy end. An attempt to deftroy himself at his master's was the caufe of his being difcharged, before three years of his clerkship were expired; and though his temper, which was naturally impetuous, cherished every idea of fuccefs in London; yet in cafe of the reverfe, he had refolved on the piftol. This alternative he mentioned, if neither his literary attempts, nor as a Methodist preacher, fhould fucceed. Whether he ever adventured in the latter capacity does not appear; but that he frequented methodistical conventicles, we have, from good authority, been affured. As a writer for the public, he exhibited himself in the character of a politician and a fatyrift, oppofing and defending each party by turns. On the 23d of April 1770, to his native city (from which he had never been abfent more than half a day's walk on a Sunday) he bade a laft farewel; and fo fanguine was he in profecuting his plan, that on the very evening of his arrival in London, he had an interview with Edmunds, Fell, Hamilton, and Dodfley; from all of whom receiving encourage ment, he wrote to his mother in the fpirit of exultation, and defired her to call with his letter on his late mafterShew him this,' fays he, or tell him, if I deferve a recommendation, he would oblige me to give me one-if I do not, it would be beneath him to take notice of me.' His firft habitation was at a plaifterer's in Shoreditch, where he feemed more than contented, having engaged himself to a magazine at four guineas a month, and contracted to write a history of England. Other employment crouded on his hands; and he had not only undertaken to fupply fongs for Ranelagh, Vauxhall, &c. but to compile a voluminous hiftory of London. Yet politics, and on the liberty fide, were his favourite employment, by means of which, he fought the patronage of Beckford; who died, however, with but little befriending him. His vifions of promotion from other quarters beginning alfo to vanish, he quitted his lodgings, without affigning any reafons, and removed to others in Holborn. The real motive of this step

was doubtless to conceal from his mother his true fituation, as fome of his relations had intercourse with the perfon to whom he had hitherto been a lodger. His pen becoming lefs productive than before, he refolved to embark on a different plan; and having acquired fome fmattering in furgery and medicine, he folicited Mr. Barrett to recommend him as furgeon's mate to Africa. This, however, Mr. Barrett confcientiously refufing, the laft hopes of Chatterton were blafted. Bereft of almost every refource, his principal concern was to buoy up with encouragement his mother and fifter. This he magnanimoufly attempted by fending them prefents, though deftitute himself of a morfel. Such, notwithstanding, was his fpirit, that though he had been without food for three days together, he refused an invitation to dine. In circumftances, thus defperate, he had recourfe to his laft expedient, and though not with a pistol, yet with arfenic, terminated his life on the 25th of August, after a refidence of four months in London. His body was buried in a fhell, in Shoe lane workhouse ground, at the parish expence. Before his death, whatever papers he was poffeffed of, he deftroyed. It is greatly to be lamented, that at the very time when Chatterton was in his deepest diftrefs, the late Dr. Fry, of Oxford, had actually gone to Bristol for the purpose of taking him under his protection.

"The perfon of Chatterton," fays Dr. Gregory, "like his genius, was premature; he had a manliness and dignity beyond his years, and there was fomething about him uncommonly prepoffeffing. His most remarkable features were his eyes, which, though grey, were uncommonly piercing; when he was warmed in argument, or otherwise, they fparkled with fire; and one eye, it is faid, was ftill more remarkable than the other-His genius will be most com. pletely eftimated from his writings."

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