Anecdote Of Cromwell

An Eiiglish rnerckant-ship was capured during :i pei'iod of profouud jeace willi Franco, by a vcsscl ot' ihat ïation and carried into St. Malo, vhere sho was condemned, and sold tor tlie boncflt of the captors, upon bomo ñivolüus and groundless proence. Tho ïnastor of tho nierehantnau, who happened to bo au honest Juaker, iimnodiately on li is return to Siiglaud, preseuted a petition, comdaining ot' th'is grievaiice, and prayng for redros, to the Protector in eoimcii. On Jicariitg the case, Cromwcll iiiformed tlie couucil tliat he wou ld take tlie affair iiuo hia. own landg, and ordered the masler to atleud him tlie uext niomiiig. Aftera strict oxamiiiation into the particülarfl of tho case, ñnfling the masler Lo be a (ilain, honest man, who had been einbavked in no Ilegal traflic, bo asked liiu it' lie would be the bearer of a letor to Paris. The man asseiiting, he deaitejd him to prepare for tin' ouruey without di'lay, anif wait 011 ttlfil ajaiii the i'ollowing mornillg. On the next inornilig be g:ive the masler a letter to Cardinal Mazarí n, witli direciioiis not to wait longer than three days for an answer. Tliis answer, ho int'onncd him, was to be uothing lese than the fiill value of what he might have made of his ship and cargo; desiring him to teil the cardinal that it it was not paid iu three days, he had strict orders froin him to return home. The honest Quaker appears to havo tbllowcd the injunction of the Protector to the very lei ter, and meeting with the usual sliiiilliiig evasious, common ainong diplomatists, took his leave on the third day, and retui'iied without accomplishing the object of his missiou. "Wrell, iriend," denianded the tor, on sueiiiií umi, -nave you outamcu yoar moiiey?" Iieing answerod in the negativo, lie told tho Quaker to lcave his address witU his secretary, promising to let Ui 111 hear from liim shortly. Without involving himself in tho delavs, Irickeriea uid evasions ot diplomatic negotiationa - without the empty paiiuAoof protocola aud conferences, whioh too ofton waste time without leading to satisfactory rosults - without even deigning to repeat his deinand ol' explaiu the grouud of liis proceoding, tliis distinguislied statcsmaii isstjod orders to seize every Freiich ship wiiieh liis cruisers feil iu witli and bring thein into port. In pursuaiiCQ of these orders several captures were inaOe, and their cargoes ordcrcd by the Protector to be minediately sold. Out of tho produce of these sales lie paid tho Quaker the lull value ot' his ship and cargo ; and bending i'or the Frcneli ambassndor, then resident in Loudou, he aequainted hm with the steps he liad taken, and tho reason ot' his doing so, inforniiiig him at the same time that there was a balanco out of iho sales, which shouhl bo pald to him it' hc pleased, for the purpose of returuiug it to the French owuerB. Tliis p rom i)tness liad the sirecl eílcct.-