CHAP. ordered to Oxford, that he might answer the charge laid LXII. against him. His established character for truth and fin

cerity here ftood him in great ftead; and upon his earnest 1659. proteftations and declarations, he was foon restored to his regiment, which he joined at the fiege of Nantwich. The day after his arrival, Fairfax attacked and defeated. the royalifts, commanded by Biron; and took colonel Monk prifoner. He was fent to the Tower, where he endured, above two years, all the rigours of poverty and confinement. The king, however, was fo mindful as to fend him, notwithstanding his own difficulties, a prefent of 100 guineas; but it was not till after the royalifts were totally fubdued, that he recovered his liberty. Monk, however diftreffed, had always refused the most inviting offers from the parliament: But Cromwel, fenfible of his merit, having folicited him to engage in the wars against the Irish, who were confidered as rebels both by king and parliament; he was not unwilling to repair his broken fortunes by accepting a command, which, he flattered. himself, was reconcileable to the ftricteft principles of honour. Having once engaged with the parliament, he was obliged to obey orders; and found himself neceffitated to fight, both against the marquis of Ormond in Ireland, and against the king himself in Scotland. Upon the reduction of this laft kingdom, Monk was left with the fupreme command; and by the equality and justice of his administration, he was able to give contentment to that reftlefs people, now reduced to fubjection by a nation whom they hated. No lefs acceptable was his authority to the officers and foldiers; and foreseeing, that the goodwill of the army under his command might some time be of great fervice to him, he had, with much care and fuccefs, cultivated their friendship.

THE Connexions, which he had formed with Cromwel, his benefactor, preferved him faithful to Richard, who had been enjoined by his father to follow in every thing the directions of general Monk. When the long parlia ment was restored, Monk, who was not prepared for uppofition, acknowledged their authority, and was continued in his command, from which it would not have been Monk de- fafe to attempt diflodging him. After the army had exclares for pelled the parliament, he protested against the violence, the parlia- and refolved, as he pretended, to vindicate their invaded privileges. Deeper defigns, either in the king's favour or

ment.

his own, were, from the beginning, fufpected to be the CHA P. motive of his actions.

A RIVALSHIP had long fubfifted between him and Lambert; and every body faw the reafon why he oppofed the elevation of that ambitious general, by whofe fuccefs his own authority, he knew, would foon be fubverted. But little friendship had ever been maintained between him and the parliamentary leaders; and it seemed no wife probable, that he intended to employ his industry, and fpend his blood, for the advancement of one enemy above another. How early he entertained defigns for the king's restoration, we know not with certainty: It is likely that, as foon as Richard was depofed, he forefaw that, without fuch an expedient, it would be impoffible ever to bring the nation to a regular fettlement. His elder, and younger brothers were entirely devoted to the royal caufe: The Granvilles, his near relations, and all the rest of his kindred, were in the fame interest: He himself was intoxicated with no fumes of enthusiasm, and had maintained no connexions with any of the fanatical tribe. His early engagements had been with the king, and he had left that fervice without receiving any difguft from the royal family. Since he had inlifted himself with the oppofite party, he had been guilty of no violence or rigour, which might render him obnoxious. His return, therefore, to loyalty was eafy and open; and nothing could be fuppofed to counterbalance his natural propenfity to that mealure, except the views of his own elevation, and the profpe&t of ulurping the fame grandeur and authority, which had been affumed by Cromwel. But from fuch exorbitant, if not impoffible projects, the natural tranquillity and modera. tion of his temper, the calmnels and folidity of his genius, and his limited capacity, not to mention his age, now upon the decline, feem to have fet him at a distance. Cromwel himself, he always afferted, could not long have maintained his ufurpation; and any other perfon, even equal to him in genius, it was obvious, would now find it more difficult to practife arts, of which every one, from experience, was fufficiently aware. It is more agreeable, therefore, to reafon as well as candour, to suppose, that Monk, fo foon as he put himself in movement, had entertained views of effe&uating the king's restoration; nor ought any objections, derived from his profound filence even

D Gumble's Life of Monk, p. 93. .

to

LXIII.

1659.

CHAP. to Charles himself, be regarded as confiderable. His temLXIII. per was naturally referved; his circumftances required diffimulation; the king, he knew, was furrounded with 1659. fpies and traitors; and, upon the whole, it feems hard to interpret that conduct, which ought to exalt our idea of his prudence, as a difparagement of his probity.

SIK John Granville, hoping that the general would engage in the king's fervice, fent into Scotland his younger brother, a clergyman, Dr. Monk, who carried him a letter and invitation from the king. When the doctor arrived, he found, that his brother was then holding a council of officers, and was not to be seen for fome hours. In the mean time, he was received and entertained by Price, the general's chaplain, a man of probity, as well as a partizan of the king's. The doctor having entire confidence in the chaplain, talked very freely to him about the object of his journey, and engaged him, if there should be occafion, to fecond his applications. At laft, the general arrives; the brothers embrace; and after fome preliminary conversation, the doctor opens his business. Monk interrupts him to know, whether he had ever before to any body mentioned the fubject. "To no body," replied his brother, "but to Price, whom I know to be entirely in your con"fidence." The general, altering his countenance, turned the difcourfe; and would enter into no farther confidence with him, but fent him away with the first opportunity. He would not truft his own brother the moment he knew that he had disclosed the fecret; though to a man whom he himself could have trufted E.

His conduct in all other particulars was full of the fame referve and prudence; and no lefs was requifite for effecting the difficult work, which he had undertaken. All the officers in his army, of whom he entertained any fufpicion, he immediately cafhiered; Cobbet, who had been fent by the committee of fafety, under pretence of communicating their refolutions to Monk, but really with a view of debauching his army, he committed to cuftody: He drew together the feveral fcattered regiments: He fummoned an affembly, fomewhat refembling a convention of ftates; and having communicated to them his refolution of marching into England, he receiv ed a feafonable, though no great fupply of money.

HEARING Lord Landfdown's defence of general Monk.

LXIII.

HEARING that Lambert was advancing northward CHAP. with his army, Monk fent Cloberry and two other commiffioners to London, with large profeffions of his in- ~~ clination to peace, and with offers of terms for an accom1659 modation. His chief aim was to gain time, and relax the preparations of his enemies. The committee of fafety fell into the fnare. A treaty was figned by Monk's commiffioners; but he refufed to ratify it, and complained that his commiffioners had exceeded their powers. He defired however to enter into a new negociation at Newcaftle. The committee willingly accepted this fallacious offer.

MEANWHILE thefe military fovereigns found them- Novemb. felves furrounded on all hands with inextricable difficulties. The nation had fallen into a total anarchy; and by refufing the payment of all taxes, reduced the army to the greatest neceffities. While Lambert's forces were affembling at Newcastle, Hazelrig and Morley took poffeffion of Portfinouth, and declared for the parliament. A party, sent to fupprefs them, was perfuaded by their commander to join in the fame declaration. The city apprentices rofe in a tumult, and demanded a free parliament. Though they were fuppreffed by colonel Hewfon, a man who from the profeffion of a cobler had rifen to a high rank in the army, the city ftill difcovered fymptoms of the most dangerous difcontent.. It even eftablished a kind of feparate government, and affumed the fupreme authority within itself. Admiral Lawfon with his squadron came into the river, and declared for the parliament. Hazelrig and Morley, hearing of this important event, left Portsmouth, and advanced towards London. The regiments near that city, being folicited by their old cfficers, who had been caihiered by the committee of fafety, revolted again to the parliament. Defborow's regiment, being fent by Lambert to fupport his friends, no fooner arrived at St. Albans, than it declared for the fame affembly.

FLEETWOOD's hand was found too weak and unstable. to fupport this ill founded fabric, which, every where around him, was falling into ruins. When he received intelligence of any murmurs among the foldiers, he would proftrate himself in prayer, and could hardly be prevailed with to join the troops. Even when among them, he would, in the midft of any difcourfe, invite them all to

prayer,

any

CHA P. prayer, and put himfelf on his knees before them. If LXIII. of his friends exhorted him to more vigour, they could get no other answer, than that God had spit in his 1659. face, and would not hear him. Men now ceased to wonder, why Lambert had promoted him to the office of general, and had contented himself with the fecond command in the army.

26th Dec.

Parlia

ment re

ftored.

1660.

LENTHAL, the fpeaker, being invited by the officers, again affumed authority, and fummoned together the parliament, which twice before had been expelled with fo much reproach and ignominy. As foon as affembled, they repealed their act against the payment of excise and cuftoms; they appointed commiffioners for affigning quarters to the army; and without taking any notice of Lambert, they fent orders to the forces under his command immediately to repair to those garrisons which were appointed them.

LAMBERT was now in a very difconfolate condition. ift Jan. Monk, he faw, had paffed the Tweed at Coldstream, and was advancing upon him. His own foldiers deserted him'in great multitudes, and joined the enemy. Lord Fairfax too, he heard, had raised forces behind him, and poffeffed himself of York, without declaring his purpose. The laft order of the parliament fo entirely ftripped him of his army, that there remained not with him above a hundred horse: All the reft went to their quarters with quietnefs and refignation; and he himself was, fome time after, arrefted and committed to the Tower. The other officers, who had formerly been cafhiered by the parliament, and who had refumed their commands, that they might fubdue that affembly, were again cafhiered and confined to their houfes. Sir Harry Vane and fome members, who had concurred with the committee of fafety, were ordered into a like confinement. And the parliament now feemed to be again poffeffed of more abfolute authority than ever, and to be without any danger of oppofition or controul.

THE republican party was at this time guided by two men, Hazelrig and Vane, who were of oppofite characters, and mortally hated each other: Hazelrig, who poffeffed greater authority in the parliament, was haughty, imperious, precipitate, vain-glorious; without civility, without prudence; qualified only by his noify, pertinasious obftinacy to acquire an afcendant in public councils.