[The Life of John Milton, Volume 5 (of 7), 1654-1660 by David Masson]@TWC D-Link bookThe Life of John Milton, Volume 5 (of 7), 1654-1660 CHAPTER I 70/75
The first of the two named pamphlets of Prynne appeared, with his name in full, May 13; the second, "by W.P.," May 30 .-- Prynne continued, in subsequent pamphlets, to attack the Rumpers for the wrong done to him and the other secluded members in still debarring them from their seats.
One was entitled _A True and Perfect Narrative of what was done, spoken, by and between Mr.Prynne, the old and newly-forcibly late Secluded Members, the Army Officers, and those now sitting both in the Commons Lobby, House, and elsewhere, on Saturday and Monday last (the 7 and 9 of this instant May)_.
Though so entitled, it did not appear till June 13.
It contained this passage against the Bumpers:--"Themselves in divers of their printed Declarations, and their instruments in sundry books (as JOHN GOODWIN, MARKHAM NEEDHAM, MELTON, and others), justified, maintained, the very highest, worst, treasonablest, execrablest, of all Popish, Jesuitical, Unchristian, tenets, practices, treasons, as the murthering of Christian Protestant Kings." This is a sample at once of Prynne's style and of his accuracy.
He does not take the trouble to know the names of the persons he writes about, but plods, on like a rhinoceros in blinkers.] For eighteen days after the resuscitation of the Rump, and notwithstanding their distinct announcement in their public declaration that they were to "endeavour the settlement" of the Commonwealth "without a Single Person, Kingship, or House of Peers," Richard still lingered in Whitehall and his Protectorship remained nominally in existence.
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