Page:The child's pictorial history of England; (IA childspictorialh00corn).pdf/162

 28. At last, after being at hide and seek for nearly two months, he embarked at Shoreham, and reached the continent in safety.

29. Great Britain was now not a kingdom, for there was no king, but it was a Republic, or Commonwealth, which is a government managed by the people, or their representatives in parliament.

30. But Oliver Cromwell was an ambitious man, and wanted to have all the power in his own hands; so he got the soldiers on his side, and then told the members of parliament that it was time for them to go out of office, that there might be a new election; and on their refusal, he went to the House of Commons with a regiment of soldiers, turned out the members, locked the doors, and took away the keys.

31. He soon formed a new Parliament of men who were devoted to his interest, and he was made chief ruler of the state, under the name of Protector of the Commonwealth; but he might as well have been called king, for he was almost as absolute a sovereign as any that had yet reigned.

32. However, he made a good use of his power by promoting trade, and foreign commerce, besides which, he had an excellent army, and a good navy, so that England was considered of