Oliver Cromwell had certainly this afflatus. One that I knew, that was
at the battle of Dunbar, told me that Oliver was carried on with a
divine impulse; he did laugh so excessively as if he had been drunk;
his eyes sparkled with spirits. He obtained a great victory; but the
action was said to be contrary to human prudence. The same fit of
laughter seized Oliver Cromwell, just before the battle of Naseby; as
a kinsman of mine, and a great favourite of his, Colonel J. P. then
present, testified. Cardinal Mazarine said, that he was a lucky fool.
In one of the great fields at Warminster in Wiltshire, in the harvest,
at the very time of the fight at Bosworth field, between King Eichard
III. and Henry VII. there was one of the parish took two sheaves,
crying (with some intervals) now for Richard, now for Henry; at last
lets fall the sheaf that did represent Richard; and cried, now
for King Henry, Richard is slain. This action did agree with the very
time, day and hour. When I was a schoolboy I have heard this
confidently delivered by tradition by some old men of our country.
Monsieur de Scudery in his Poem, entituled "Rome Vaincue", fancies an
angel to be sent to Alaric, to impel him to overrun the Roman empire
with his swarms of northern people. The like may be fancied upon all
changes of government; when providence destines the ends, it orders
the means.
Pages:
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134