Mr. Pitt, and the majority of the ministers was reduced to 37, the numbers being 240 to 203. In the House of Lords the Administration lately lost one question (probably through surprize) by a majority of one, and on several other questions the minority in the house of Peers has been great and encreasing.

Under these circumstances it is natural to anticipate a change of ministry; but of what materials any new administration may be formed, is matter of the most uncertain conjecture. The ground on which the defence of Mr. Addington has been partly rested, (we allude particularly to a speech of the Attorney General) has been the incoherency and even contrariety of sentiment which prevails among his adversaries; they are united, it is said, in pulling him down, but they are not likely to be equally agreed as to the person who shall be set up. To this objection, which indeed proves too much, since it would imply that even the worst measures of Government ought to be sanctioned under the present state of parties, it has been replied, and in language undoubtedly constitutional, that it belongs to parliament to censure, and even to turn out the administration; and to the king to chuse the men who may be substituted in their place. It is also urged, that an oblivion of old grounds of difference is often necessary in times of peril, and implies no dereliction of principle.

For our own part, we cannot forget the services which Mr. Addington rendered to his country by negotiating a peace; and we ascribe that zeal which has been so remarkably manifested in the defence of the kingdom, (a zeal which is of more effect than many thousand regulars) to an idea of the necessity of the war which the treaty of peace inspired, and which prevailed to such a degree that the grounds of the war were not much examined by the public.

On the other hand, we are arrived at a period in which the talents of our most distinguished statesmen, at all times a species of public property, ought unquestionably to be employed in devising the means, not of annoying each other, but of resisting the common enemy. When therefore we hear of the coalition of parties, especially of those which have not heretofore been the most directly op

posite, we ought to be far from imagining that there is a necessary sacrifice of principle. The common fault of those who coalesce is not that they coalesce, but that they were antecedently too violent in their differences; and to become enraged at new coalitions, is perhaps to perpetuate that political animosity which is one of our chief evils.

The nation may reflect with satis

faction that both Mr. Pitt and Mr. Fox approved of the peace; and it may therefore hope that they will each of them again be willing to make some sacrifices for the attainment of that blessing. If the present government, instead of being totally set aside, should be new modelled by the admission of some of its opponents, eminent for ta lents, integrity, and energy, who, as we presume, would in that case stand at the head of our affairs, the wishes of the nation would perhaps be more fully consulted, and unanimity be more promoted, than by any mere substitution of one party for another. May it please God to deliver us from all "Rancour of political as well as religious disputation;" may he dispose our public men to lay aside whatsoever is personal in their antipathies, and to unite for the purpose not of private ambition, but of general good; and may he be pleased to direct and prosper all the consultations of parliament to the advancement of his glory, the good of his church, the safety, honour, and welfare of our sovereign and his dominions; so that peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety, may be established among us for all generations.

We cannot close these remarks without adverting to an expression used by Mr. Pitt in one of the late debates:-In censuring the parsimony of Mr. Addington, in respect to the volunteers, he stated that it was not to be expected that men would continue long to give gratuitously the Sunday (their only day of recreation and of rest from labour) to the purposes of drilling. We trust that this observation may be considered as implying that the present system of Sunday drilling will not be the permanent policy of the country in the event of Mr. Pitt's returning into power. We deem this subject of so much importance, that we have thought proper to give to it a place in these general remarks.

A

T the present moment when the so many in this country, it may be pe culiarly seasonable to exhibit to public view the sentiments which, in former times, were avowed by a British soldier, and the sources from which he derived his support and consolation in the prospect of death.

The Honourable Colonel John Penruddock, during the protectorate of Cromwell, having been found guilty of high treason, under circumstances peculiarly partial and unjust, was condemned to die.

During the interval which preceded the execution of his sentence, he thus wrote to his lady.

"MY DEAREST HEART, "I even now received thy farewell letter, each word whereof represents unto me a most lively emblem of your affection, drawn with thine own hand in water-colours to the figure of a death's head. My dear, I embrace it, as coming first from God, and then from man; for what is there done in this city that the Lord hath not permitted? I look upon every line of thine, as so many threads twisted toge ther into that of my life, which being now woven, my meditations tell me, will make a fit remnant for my winding-sheet; upon the reading whereof, I may say with the prophet, I should have utterly fainted, but that I believe verily to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. As this is mine, my dear, so let it be thy consolation. When I think what wife and what children I go from, and look no farther, I begin to cry, O wretched man that I am! But when my thoughts soar higher, and fix themselves upon those things which are above, where I shall find God my Creator to my Father, and his Son my Redeemer to my brother, (for so they CHRIST. OBSERV, No. 29.

have vouchsafed to term themselves,)

do of all love, my dear, desire thee, not to look towards my grave where my body lies, but toward heaven, where I hope my soul shall gain a mansion in my Father's house. I do stedfastly believe that God hath heard the prayers of my friends, and thine, and mine; and how knowest thou, O woman, whether thou hast saved thy husband? Let those considerations raise thy spirit, I beseech thee; and that for God's sake, and mine. Though I lie among the children of men, which are set on fire against me, yet under the shadow of the Almighty's wings I will hide myself, till this tyranny be overpast. The greatest conflict I have had in this extremity, was my parting with thee: the next encounter is to be with death; and my Saviour hath so pulled out the sting thereof, that I hope to assault it without fear. Though the arms of men have been too hard for me, yet I am now listing myself under the conduct of my sovereign, and an army of martyrs, that the gates of hell cannot prevail against. My dear, I have now another subject to think on, therefore you must excuse the imperfections you find here. I have formerly given you directions concerning my children, to which I shall refer you. May the blessing of Almighty God be upon thee and them, and may there not want a man of my name to be ready to be a sacrifice in this cause of God and his Church, so long as the sun and moon shall endure. I shall now close up all with desiring you to give a testimony for me to the world, that I die with so much charity as to forgive all my enemies: I will join them in my last prayers for my friends, amongst which you and my children are, for my sake, obliged to pay a perpetual acknowledgment to Mr.

M m

"Thy dying and loving husband, 66 JOHN PENRUDDOCK."

Exon, May 7, 1655.

His execution took place on the 16th of May, following:

As he was ascending the scaffold, baring his knees, and humbly bowing himself, he used these words: "This, I hope, will prove to be like Jacob's ladder, though the feet of it rest on earth, yet I doubt not but the top of it reacheth to heaven." When he came upon the scaffold, he said, "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death? I thank God, who hath given me the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ." Then with abundance of christian cheerfulness he spake to the people as followeth :

“GENTLEMEN,

"It hath ever been the custom of all persons whatsoever, when they come to die, to give some satisfaction to the world, whether they be guilty of the fact of which they stand charged. The crime for which I am now to die, is loyalty, but in this age called high treason. I cannot deny but that I was at Southmoulton in this county: but whether my being there, or my action there, amounts to so high a crime as high treason, I leave to the world and the law to judge. Truly, if I were conscious to myself of any base ends that I had in this undertaking, I would not be so injurious to my own soul, or disingenuous to you, as not to make a public acknowledgment thereof. My trial was public, and my several examinations, I believe, will be produced when I am in my grave. I will refer you, therefore, to the first, which I am sure some of you heard; and to the latter, which many of you in good time may see. Had Captain Crook done himself and us that right which a gentleman and

"It is now our misfortunes to be made precedents and examples together; but I will not do the Protector so much injury as to load him with this dishonour; since I have been informed, that he would have made our conditions good, if Crook that gave them had not abjured them.

"This is not a time for me to enlarge upon any subject, since I am now become the subject of death; but since the articles were drawn by my own hand, I thought myself oblig ed in a particular justification of them.

"I could tell you of some soldiers who are turned out of his troop for justifying those conditions of ours: but let that pass; and henceforward, instead of life, liberty, and estate, which were the articles agreed upon, let drawing, hanging, and quartering bear the denomination of Captain Crook's articles.

"However, I thank the Protector for granting me this honourable death. I should now give you an account of my faith. But truly, gentlemen, this poor nation is rent into so many opinions, that it is impossible for me to give you mine without displeasing some of you; however, if any be so critical as to inquire in what faith I die, I shall refer him to the apostles, Athanasius, and the Nicene Creeds, and to the testimony of this reverend gentleman, Dr. Short, to whom I have unbosomed myself; and if this do not satisfy, look into the Thirty-nine Articles of the Catholic Church of England; to them I have subscribed, and do own them as authentic.

I have no more to say to you now, but to let you know that I am in charity with all men, I thank God: I both can and do forgive my greatest persecutors, and all that ever had any hand in my death.

"I have offered the Protector as good security for my future behaviour as I suppose he could have expected.

If he had thought fit to have given me my life, certainly I should not have been so ungrateful as to have employed it against him. I do humbly submit to God's pleasure, knowing that the issues of life and death are in his hand. My blood is but a small sacrifice; if it had been saved, I am so much of a gentleman, as to have given him thanks that had preserved it; and so much a christian, as to forgive them which take it. But seeing God by his Providence hath called me to lay it down, I willingly submit to it, though terrible to nature; but blessed be my Saviour, who hath taken out the sting, so that I look upon it without terror. Death is a debt, and a due debt; and it hath pleased God to make me so good a husband, that I am come to pay it be fore it is due. I am not ashamed of that cause for which I die, but rather rejoice that I am thought worthy to suffer in the defence and cause of God's true church, my lawful king, the liberty of the subject, and privilege of parliaments; therefore I hope none of my alliance and friends will be ashamed of it; it is so far from pulling down my family, that I look upon it as the raising it one story higher. Neither was I so prodigal of nature, as to throw away my life, but have used (though none but honourable and honest) means to preserve it.

"These unhappy times indeed have been very fatal to my family: two of my brothers already slain, and myself going to the slaughter. It is God's will, and I humbly submit to that Providence.

"I must render an acknowledgment of the great civilities that I have received from this city of Exon, and some persons of quality, and for their plentiful provision made for the prisoners. I thank Mr. Sheriff for his favour towards us, in particular to myself; and I desire him to present my due respects to the Protector, and though he had no mercy for myself, yet that he would have respect to my family.

"I am now stripping off my clothes to fight a duel with death, (1 conceive no other duel lawful*); but

*We hope this sentiment will be particularly marked: it is worthy of a christian soldier. How directly does it stand opposed to those false maxims of worldly

my Saviour hath pulled out the sting of this mine enemy, by making himself a sacrifice for me: and truly I do not think that man deserving of one drop of his blood, that will not spend all for him in so good a cause.

"The truth is, gentlemen, in this age, treason is an individuum vagum, like the wind in the gospel, it bloweth where it listeth; so now treason is what they please, and lighteth upon whom they will. Indeed no man, unless he will be a traitor, can avoid this censure of treason: I know not to what end it may come, but I pray God my own, and my brother's blood, that is now to die with me, may bę last upon this score.

Now, gentlemen, you may see what a condition you are in without a king. You have no law to protect you, no rule to walk by; when you perform your duty to God, your king, and country, you displease the arbitrary power now set up (I cannot call it government), I shall leave you to peruse my trial, and there you shall see what a condition this poor nation is brought into; and (no question) will be utterly destroyed, if not restored by loyal subjects to its old and glorious government. I pray God he lay not his judgments upon England for their sluggishness in doing their duty, and readiness to put their hands in their bosoms, or rather taking part with the enemy of truth. The Lord open their eyes, that they may be no longer led or drawn into such snares; else the child unborn will curse the day of their parent's birth.

"God Almighty preserve my lawful sovereign, King Charles the Second, from the hands of his enemies, and break down the wall of pride and rebellion, which so long hath kept him from his just rights. God preserve his royal mother, and all his majesty's royal brethren, and incline their hearts to seek after him: God incline the hearts of all true Englishmen to stand up as one man to bring in the king, and redeem themselves, and this poor kingdom, out of its more than Egyptian slavery.

"As Thave now put off these garments of cloth, so I hope I have put off my garments of sin, and have put

and military honour which are now so current. And yet does any one suspect that. Colonel Penruddock's determination to fight no duel sprung from cowardice?