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                         Heroes of the Nations


                    A Series of Biographical Studies
                      presenting the lives and work
                      of certain representative
                      historical characters, about
                      whom have gathered the
                      traditions of the nations to
                      which they belong, and who
                      have, in the majority of
                      instances, been accepted as
                      types of the several national
                      ideals.

                  FOR FULL LIST SEE END OF THIS VOLUME




 _Heroes of the Nations_

            EDITED BY
       Evelyn Abbott, M.A.
 FELLOW OF BALLIOL COLLEGE, OXFORD

       FACTA DUCIS VIVENT, OPEROSAQUE GLORIA RERUM.—OVID, IN LIVIAM 265.

       THE HERO’S DEEDS AND HARD-WON FAME SHALL LIVE.




                            OLIVER CROMWELL


[Illustration:

  OLIVER CROMWELL.

  (_From a painting by an unknown artist, in the National Portrait
    Gallery._)
]




                            OLIVER CROMWELL
                AND THE RULE OF THE PURITANS IN ENGLAND


                                   BY

                          CHARLES FIRTH, M.A.

                        BALLIOL COLLEGE, OXFORD


                          G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS
                          NEW YORK AND LONDON
                        The Knickerbocker Press




                            COPYRIGHT, 1900

                                   BY

                          G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS


                   The Knickerbocker Press, New York

------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Illustration]




                                PREFACE


This _Life of Cromwell_ is in part based on an article contributed by
the author to the _Dictionary of National Biography_ in 1888, but
embodies the result of later researches, and of recently discovered
documents such as the Clarke Papers. The battle plans have been
specially drawn for this volume by Mr. B. V. Darbishire, and in two
cases differ considerably from those generally accepted as correct. The
scheme of this series does not permit a discussion of the reasons why
these alterations have been made, but the evidence concerning the
battles in question has been carefully examined, and any divergence from
received accounts is intentional. The reader who wishes to see this
subject discussed at length is referred to a study of the battle of
Marston Moor printed in Volume XII. of the _Transactions of the Royal
Historical Society_ (new series), and to a similar paper on Dunbar which
will appear in Volume XIV.

The quotations from Cromwell’s letters or speeches are, where necessary,
freely abridged.

                                                                C. H. F.

 OXFORD, Feb. 6, 1900.

[Illustration]




                                CONTENTS


                               CHAPTER I
                                                        PAGE
           EARLY LIFE, 1599–1629                           