Cromwell by Antonia Fraser

Wow, what an interesting personality.  Human on so many levels, Cromwell achieved superhuman feats in the political realm, all the while struggling with insecurities and frailties like the rest of us.

Cromwell is best known as the man who led the effort to prosecute, and eventually kill, King Charles I.  What I never realized was that Cromwell undertook serious negotiations with the King following the conclusion of the civil war, hoping to bring about reconciliation and perhaps a re-institution of King Charles.  Cromwell did this at great political risk to himself, only turning his back on the king when it became obvious he had not changed his ways.

It seems that Cromwell’s gripe was with the man King Charles and his alarming actions towards his people (including declaring war on them) and not the monarchy itself.  Cromwell was hopeful to the last that he could cure King Charles of his ways.  In the end he couldn’t, forcing Cromwell to exact the ultimate penalty.

Cromwell also draws comparison with Henry IV of France in his belief – almost unheard of in the 17^th century – in the idea of freedom of religion.  

A staunch Protestant, as he aged he came to believe that societies should allow freedom of consciousness when it comes to religion, as long as “sectarians” were peaceable and didn’t act out against the government.  One can trace a direct line, I believe, from Henry, to Cromwell, all the way to Jefferson’s advocacy of religious freedom in the foundation of the United States.  Each built upon the other’s work.

Speaking of Cromwell’s religion, a great deal of his life was spent looking for signs from God, instructing him how to act.  He believed firmly that God led him against King Charles, in his brutal wars against the Irish and Scotland, and in his ascending the “throne” of the Protectorate.  Cromwell interpreted the signs like a Roman augur, always on the lookout for Providential acts to show the way, often delaying key decisions that added further pressure from political friends and foes.

Cromwell was offered the Crown, the opportunity to establish a new bloodline in the British Monarchy that would perhaps continue to this very day.  After long deliberation, Cromwell passed on the opportunity, ultimately believing that God had not chosen this path for him.

Still, in light of his notoriety as the man who ended the monarchy, it’s incredible just how close he came to ultimately ascending the throne himself.  It’s to his credit that he turned down the kingship and all of the trappings that would fall to him and his descendants.  Who among us would do the same?

Great book on a perfectly imperfect man. 

I need to read more biographies.  Interestingly, biographies first introduced me to my love of history, yet I’ve somehow read many more broad histories over the last several years.  Biographies add depth and color that histories must pass over in the interest of consolidation.  Both have their place, but I need to tip the balance back towards biography.