Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 5.djvu/303

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PLEA OF MERIT.
295

his orders for drawing out the army the next mornning, and placing guards in Westminster hall, the court of requests, and the lobby; who, in obedience to the general, in conjunction with those members who had opposed the vote, would let no member enter the house, except those of their own party. Upon which, the question for bringing the king to justice was immediately put, and carried without opposition that I can find. Then an order was made for his trial; the time and place appointed; the judges named, of whom Fairfax himself was one; although, by the advice or threats of his wife, he declined sitting among them. However, by fresh orders under his own hand, which I have seen in print, he appointed guards to attend the judges at the trial, and to keep the city in quiet; as he did likewise to prevent any opposition from the people, upon the day of execution.

From what I have already deduced, it appears manifest, that the differences between these two sects, presbyterian and independent, did not then amount to half so much, as what there is between a whig and tory at present among us. The design of utterly extirpating monarchy and episcopacy, was equally the same in both; evidently the consequence of the very same principles, upon which the presbyterians alone began, continued, and would have ended in the same events; if, toward the conclusion, they had not been bearded by that new party, with whom they could not agree about dividing the spoil. However, they held a good share of civil and military employments daring the whole time of the usurpation; and their names, actions, and preferments, are frequent in the accounts of those times. For I

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