The Committee was appointed April 9, and the House was to await the issue.[1] [Footnote 1: Carlyle, III.

218-228 (with Cromwell's _Speeches_ VII., VIII., and IX.); Commons Journals of dates.] It seemed as if it would never be reached.

The Conferences of the Committee with Cromwell between April 11 to May 8, their reasonings with him to induce him to accept the Kingship, his reasonings in reply in the four speeches now numbered X.-XIII.

of the Cromwell series, his doubts, delays, avoidances of several meetings, and constant adjournments of his final answer, make a story of great interest in the study of Cromwell's character, not without remarkable flashes of light on past transactions, and on Cromwell's theory of his Protectorship and of Government in general.

Speech XIII., in particular, which is by far the longest, and which was addressed to the Committee on April 21, is full of instruction.