September 1656
Wednesday, Sept. 17,1656. His Highness the Lord Protector, attended by the Lord President and the rest of his
Highness's Council, and other officers of state, came to the
Abbey Church in Westminster; where, also, the members
of Parliament met, and heard a sermon preached by Dr. Owen,
dean of Christ Church, and Vice-chancellor of the University
of Oxford; (fn. 1) and from thence his Highness came to the Painted Chamber, where most of the members of Parliament were
present: to whom his Highness communicated the occasion
of calling this present Parliament. (fn. 2)
Footnotes
| 1 |
From Isaiah, xiv. 32. Parl. Hist. xxi. 23. |
| 2 |
Journals. This Speech is now printed, most probably, for the first
time. I have copied it from the MS. collection described infra, p. 370,
ad fin. The following is the result of an earlier enquiry.
"Upon the strictest search, we have, not been able to meet with
Cromwell's speech, at the opening of this Parliament; nor is there the
least sketch of it in the Journals of the House, the diaries, or the contemporary writers. From hence, we are inclined to think that, for
reasons of state, it was never printed." Parl. Hist. (1760,) xxi. 24. |