several of the gallants aforesaid happened to be promenading. Oliver, like a good, peaceable, inoffensive, harmless man as as he was, was dodging along apparently, as we have said, upon his needful and lawful errands, at a good swinging man-of-business like, though somewhat ungainly and ungraceful pace, heeding the gay and aristocratic men of arts and arms who where there grouped together no more, indeed considerably less, than the stones of the streets over which he was walking, when his attention was somewhat forcibly arrested by the unusual loudness and offensiveness of some remarks that seemed to be more immediately pointed at himself, and by the still more extraordinary loudness of the horse-laugh that accompanied them. Now Oliver, as all the world knows, although a person who professed very much of the Christian spirit, much consequently of meekness, long-suffering, slowness to anger, charity, and so forth,-was not exactly the person whom a prudent man would have liked to select for his butt, when he felt in the humour, if a prudent man indeed could ever be for a moment supposed to feel in such a humour to play off insolence with impunity. Oliver's was certainly no temper to sit down quietly under an insult. However, unfortunately for themselves, the noble, wise, and valiant young persons in question did not know this; and in their rash and aristocratic ignorance they judged Oliver to be some swashing young farmer of the better class of such persons, or at the best to be some very simple, somewhat slovenly and very rural gentleman, for Oliver happened then to wear the very coat of which Sir Philip Warwick then, as he himself informs us, a courtly gallant, and piquing himself not a little on his fine clothes and courtly address, speaks of so slightingly as having the appearance of being made by an ill country tailor, and judging thus, they shaped their behaviour towards him accordingly. "there goes "Why, only look there, gallants," exclaimed one; simple Simon either seeking the Lord or fleeing from the devil. Holloa! master, look behind you, or you will lose that hundred-weight of iron that hangs to your haunches by way of a sword." "What!" vociferated another, "does the bumpkin mean to call that thing a sword? I have heard of swords being turned into ploughshares, but here we have ploughshares turned into swords with a vengeance, I think. Ha! master Clod- Ha! ha! ha! ha ha!" And he laughed loudly and long at his own very sorry wit; in which facetious cachinnation he was joined, heart and voice, by his enlightened companions. Oliver stopped short in his career and swung round, as you may have seen a vessel swing round when suddenly acted upon in mid career, and stopped by her cable. He fronted the speaker, and his rbuicund and truculent nose and countenance seemed to become still more rubicund and truculent, though his manner at first was free from violence, and from all appearance of much passion; like that of a person whose object is rather investigation than resentment or punishment. He looked at them for some moments calmly, though somewhat sternly before he spoke, as if to ascertain as well as possible before he addressed them, how far insolence or aggression upon himself was contemplated by the aristocratic group before him. "Friend," said he then, addressing the first speaker, "am I to understand that I am the individual to whom thou wert pleased to address thy somewhat uncourteous speech but now, or do I err in my supposition, and were thy words intended to apply to some of thy mates?" The reply to this speech of Oliver's was a loud burst of laughter. Oliver's brow waxed blacker, and his nose more red; and his hand, as if by an involuntary and instinctive movement, found its way to the hilt of the somewhat portentous piece of iron that swung by his side, which he called an instrument of war, and which the young cavalier termed an instrument of agriculture. But while one hand grasped, or at least touched the hilt of his sword, Oliver's other hand grasped firmly his stout riding-rod; at the same time he again addressed his insolent assailants. "Young men," said he-" or rather young dogs, for that is a name that you better merit-if you do not instantly acknowledge your error, and the insolence you have been guilty of, I will beat you into a lesson of manners, discretion, and good government that you will retain to the latest day of your lives. There is no breaking puppies but by severe discipline." The answer to this was a cut across the face from a switch which the young officer who had first accosted him held in his hand. Oliver warded off the blow, or at least the chief force of it, with his ridingrod. It just grazed his cheek; but that was quite sufficient to put up the fiery blood of Oliver Cromwell, which it did in such sort, and with such effect, that almost before he could see from what quarter the blow came, the hero of the switch who had been so liberal of his gratuitous insolenee, had measured his length on the street. In a moment all was confusion. Some of the officers drew their swords, and Oliver had blows directed against his obnoxious person from all quarters, which he was obliged to parry with his stick in the best manner he could. But when he saw and felt steel come in contact with his oaken defence, he thought it high time for him to make use of steel too; and passing his riding-rod into his left hand, a hero of a novel or romance would have thrown it away with a gesture duly heroic-Oliver was a better reasoner than to do that, he drew his sword with his right. At this moment some gownsmen happened to be passing, who recognised an acquaintance in the person who was contending singly against such fearful odds, ran forthwith to his assistance, and joined the affray both with voice and hand. The affair had reached this point of its progress, when Milton and Neville entered the marketplace, the now fast-filling scene of action. On seeing, as they turned the corner, the cause of the tumult, which they had heard afar off; "By Heaven, John!" exclaimed Neville; "it is old Oliver attacked and insulted, I suppose, by some of those intolerable swaggering coxcombs. Did not I tell you we should see Oliver again to-night? It is lucky I did not turn into Trinity! I shall now have an opportunity of helping Oliver, and perhaps paying off some old scores;" and he shouted, "gown! gown! to the rescue! to the rescue!" and dashed into the thickest of the fray. He was followed somewhat more leisurely by his friend; for John, though possessed of great moral, and if we may be allowed the expression, intellectual VOL. II. 18 courage, did not possess that physical insensibility to danger which arises from a set of nerves that do not easily vibrate. This nervous temperament however he shared with almost all men of high intellect, and among others, with some of the most illustrious commanders that the world has ever seen. But though John did not rush into the fray with such headlong haste as his friend Neville, he did not on that account less surely or less firmly proceed to the assistance of his friend. As he was on the point of joining the combatants, a heavy hand laid upon his shoulder made him turn round, and on doing so he beheld by his side, arrayed in a Trinity gown a good deal the worse for wear, and which did not reach beyond his knees, a stalwart figure upwards of six feet in height, and bony and muscular in proportion, "Ha! Bigbone," John exclaimed, "you could not have come at a better time. We want such arms as yours: you see our friends are like to be hard pressed." "What is it? what is the matter? what's all the row about?" cried Bigbone. "Which side is for church and king?" Now prythee, good Passive Obedience," said Milton hastily, "be advised; let church, king, and passive obedience shift for themselves only for this once. Thou seest thy friends in eminent peril, and thou mayst be of service to get them out of jeopardy." 66 Well, well, John," growled Passive Obedience, "thou art a good fellow, in despite of thy vile rank republican, anti-monarchical principles, and hang me," he added heartily, "if I care which side be for church and king; I will even for once lend a helping hand to my friends in their need. So let us strike in-hurra! gown! gown!" "Gown! gown! down with the hireling cut-throats? down with the insolent coxcombs and the slaves they lead!" Thus shouting their war-cry, they dashed into the combat : Bigbone spreading havoc around him with the blows of a bar of iron which he had picked up, and brandished with his Herculean arm. And lest this should be wondered at, seeing that those academical combats, as we perhaps may call them, are usually carried on with no other arms than those with which the combatants have been furnished by nature, it may be proper to remark that as this rule had been, on the present occasion, departed from by their adversaries, who were armed with swords, the gownsmen were obliged in their own defence to arm themselves with what weapons they could lay hands on, which they did, in many instances, by closing with their adversaries, wrenching their swords out of their hands, and turning them against themselves. The combat now raged fiercely, receiving accessions of strength on both sides, as gownsmen poured in to join on one side, and soldiers to join the other. While the affairs of the belligerent powers were in this condition, the proctors, attended by their bull-dogs, arrived upon the scene of action. Notwithstanding however the sweeping and unlimited nature of their power in the University, their authority upon the present occasion was for a considerable time utterly disregarded; and indeed it seemed as if their presence at first was altogether unobserved, at least it was unheeded; an occurrence which we have seen take place in times that call themselves more civilized than those of which we at present treat. It was a curious spectacle to see them rushing up and down between the combatants, as it were in the front of the battle, for the purpose of separating them. Arrayed in their full academical dress, they seemed the ministers of peace, of which the canonicals of the others were but a bad representative. Wherever they appeared for the moment, the habitual respect entertained for their office rendering their persons sacred, though the sanctity has been sometimes invaded, restrained the combatants on both sides from pressing on them, and consequently kept them for the moment apart from one another. As they ran along they formed a lane, a sort of chasm which closed again the moment they had passed by. At length by dint of strong exertions particularly of voice, and by their exposing themselves to danger in no small degree, they succeeded in some measure in restoring peace, or at least, in producing a partial cessation of hostilities. They had most trouble with Oliver and Neville, who appeared to be the life and soul, the ruling principle of their party. They had especial difficulty in inducing Neville to resume his peacable demeanour. They found him engaged hand in hand in a desperate conflict with a young man, who appeared to be about his own age, and was dressed in a fellow commoner's gown. These two swordsmen appeared to maintain their encounter with more than ordinary skill, and much more than ordinary rancour. On the countenance of both there was an expression of deadly hatred: and when the proctors at last succeeded in separating them, Neville, as he gave up his sword, was heard to mutter between his teeth, "He has escaped me once, but another time will come.," One of the proctors addressed a severe rebuke to Oliver, whom he appeared to know at once. "A pretty employment this, for a gentleman of your standing, Master Cromwell, who ought to set an example of good order and de. cent and peaceable demeanour to these young madmen, instead of inciting them to and heading them in rebellion, and open war, and massacre, and leading them to cut each other's throats, and the throats of all sober persons who come near them. I promise you, sir, you shall answer for this anyhow; but if there be found to be any lives lost, or even serious injuries, wounds, or maiming, your life and those of your rebellious associates will have to pay the penalty. "Master Proctor," replied Oliver, somewhat more than sternly, for it was even fiercely, "your reverence should first take the trouble to inquire how the disturbance arose which moveth your reverent spleen to such an extreme degree, and having inquired, your proctorship will perhaps be pleased to acknowledge that the fault lay not with me or those who supported me, but with those malignants who are the pride of your illustrious university, and the scourge, terror, and detestation of all the land besides." So saying Oliver turned on his heel, and followed closely by Neville, Milton, Bigbone and a few others, and at a greater distance by the rest of his party, left the market-place. While they were walking off, the proctor made an immense bustle about procuring the names and colleges, in the university phrases. "Gentlemen, bachelors, my young masters, you must give me your names and colleges, particularly you who appear to be the ringleaders in this atrocious rebellion, or the discipline of the university will be ruined for ever. Ha! I know some of your leaders. Mark down Neville and Bigbone of Trinity, and Milton of Christ's. So we shall have up those at least before the Vice-Chancellor to-morrow; now see what damage is done. There are some wonnded, if not a few slain. If we find that to be the case, these rioters must be taken into custody immediately." DAY-DREAMS. Give me, oh! give me youth's passions unconfined, Its hate, its love, its once tumultuous mind,- YOUTH'S gay dreams are vanish'd now, Who wore of yore so smooth a brow, I seek not now the people's cheers, To rage in Freedom's cause,— To be a patriot's very fine,- Love has closed his weary wing, Ay-life's light dreams are vanish'd now! As he who wore youth's brighter brow, Yet laugh ye on, each merry one;- GOETHE. |