The Speaker answered, "Unless you force me, I will not come down."
"Sir," replied Harrison, "I will lend you my hand."
And, so saying, he took hold of him and brought him down.
Then Cromwell turned again to the Members who were all coming from their places.
"It is you who have forced me to do this!" he cried, with passion, "for I have sought the Lord day and night that He would rather slay me than put me on the doing of this work!"
Turning to Lieutenant-General Wolseley, who commanded the muskets, he ordered him to clear the House, which was done, the Members forlornly departing under the command of the soldiers, Cromwell sternly watching the while.
And when the benches were all empty he went to the clerk, who was blankly and in a bewildered way holding Sir Harry Vane's Bill, and, snatching it from his hands, put it under his cloak.
Then ordering the doors to be locked, he went back to Whitehall with Lambert and Harrison. But the day's work was not yet complete; he had barely reached his headquarters before Lieutenant-General Wolseley came up to say that the late Parliament's creation, the Council of State, were sitting as usual in the Painted Chamber.
"Say you so?" replied Cromwell, and he turned back to Whitehall as he had turned back to Hampton when he heard of Charles' double dealing.
Lambert and Harrison accompanied him, and the three swept into the Painted Chamber with little ceremony.