BOOK besides that they had always looked upon him as XVI. entirely devoted to the person of Cromwell; other1659. wise, without obligation to any party or opinion, and Lambert sent against him. more like to be seduced by the king, than any man who had authority in the three kingdoms: therefore they resolved to send Lambert with their whole army into the north, that he might at least stop him in any march he should think of making; reserving only some troops to guard themselves, and keep the town quiet, and some others ↳ to send to Portsmouth, if not to reduce it, at least to hinder the garrison there from making incursions into the two neighbour counties of Sussex and Hampshire, where they had many friends. Whilst all preparations were making for the army to march towards Scotland, the committee of safety resolved once more to try if they could induce Monk to a conjunction with them; and to that purpose they sent to him two such persons as they thought might be grateful to him; of whom one was his wife's brother; and after them some officers of the army, and two independent ministers, d with offers of any thing he could desire of advantage to himself, or for any of his friends. He received these men with all imaginable civility and courtesy, making Monk's an- great professions, "that he desired nothing more, "than to unite himself and his army with that of They send swer to them. 66 66 England, provided that there might be a lawful power, to which they might all be subject: but "that the force that had been used upon the parlia b to guard themselves, and keep the town quiet, and some others] Not in MS. two such persons] a com mittee of such persons d and after them some officers of the army, and two independent ministers,] Not in MS. XVI. "ment was an action of such a nature, that was de- BOOK "structive to all government, and that it would be 66 66 absolutely necessary to restore that to its freedom, 1659. " rights, and privileges; which being done, he would 66 use all the instance and credit he had to procure "an act of pardon and oblivion, for all that had been "done amiss; and this would unite both parliament "and army for the public safety, which was appa 66 66 e points three commissioners to treat with of the army rently threatened and shakened by this disunion." He added, "that he so much desired peace and union, He ap" and so little thought of using force, that he would com appoint three officers of his army, Wilks, Clobery, " and Knight, to go to London, and treat with the the officers "committee of safety, of all particulars necessary at London. "thereunto." When the persons sent from London gave an account of their reception, and of the great professions the general made, and his resolution to send a committee to treat upon the accommodation, They at the committee of safety was very well pleased, and cept of a concluded, that the fame of their army's march had treaty. frighted him so that, as they willingly embraced the overture of a treaty, they likewise appointed Lambert to hasten his march, and to make no stay, till he should come to Newcastle. All which he observed with great punctuality and expedition, his army still increasing till he came thither. London ac lar account Monk. General Monk was a gentleman of a very good A particu extraction, of a very ancient family in Devonshire, of general always very loyally affected. Being a younger brother, he entered early into the life and condition of a soldier, upon that stage where some of all Europe then acted, between the Spaniard and the Dutch; and e shakened] shaken BOOK had the reputation of a very good foot-officer in the lord XVI. Vere's regiment in Holland, at the time when he as1659. signed it to the command of colonel Goring. When the first troubles begun in Scotland, Monk, and many other officers of the nation, left the Dutch service, and betook themselves to the service of the king. In the beginning of the Irish rebellion, he was sent thither, with the command of the lord Leicester's own regiment of foot, (who was then lieutenant of Ireland,) and continued in that service with singular reputation of courage and conduct. When the war broke out in England between the king and the parliament, he fell under some discountenance, upon a suspicion of an inclination to the parliament; which proceeded from his want of bitterness in his discourses against them, rather than from any inclination towards them; as appeared by his behaviour at Nantwich, where he was taken prisoner, and remained in the Tower till the end of the war. For though his behaviour had been such in Ireland, when the transportation of the regiment from thence, to serve the king in England, was in debate, that it was evident enough he had no mind his regiment should be sent on that expedition, and his answer to the lord of Ormond was so rough and doubtful, f that he thought not fit to trust him, but gave the command of the regiment to Harry Warren, the lieutenant colonel of it, an excellent officer, generally known, and exceedingly beloved where he was known; yet when those regiments were sent to Chester, and there were others at the same time sent to Bristol, and with them f rough and doubtful,] MS. cation but Dutch and Devonadds having had no other edu- shire, XVI. 1659. Monk went under some clouds, and from Bristol to BOOK the king at Oxford, where he was known to many persons of quality, (and his eldest brother being at the same time most zealous in the king's service in the west, and most useful,) his professions were so sincere, (he being, throughout his whole life, never suspected of dissimulation,) that all men there thought him very worthy of all trust; and the king was willing to send him into the west, where the gentlemen had a great opinion of his ability to command. But he desired that he might serve with his old friends and companions; and so, with the king's leave, made all haste towards Chester; where he arrived the very day before the defeat at Nantwich; and though his lieutenant colonel was very desirous to give up the command again to him, and to receive his orders, he would by no means at that time take it, but chose to serve, as a volunteer, in the first rank, with a pike in his hand; and was the next day, as was said, taken prisoner with the rest, and with most of the other officers sent to Hull, and shortly after from thence to the Tower of London. He was no sooner there, than the lord Lisle, who had great kindness for him, and good interest in the parliament, with much importunity endeavoured to persuade him to take a commission in that service, and offered him a command superior to what he had ever had before; which he positively and disdainfully refused to accept, though the straits he suffered in prison were very great, and he thought himself not kindly dealt with, that there was neither g went under some cloud] was sent prisoner hendeavoured to persuade] persuaded XVI. 1659. BOOK care for his exchange, nor money sent for his su port. But there was all possible endeavour used fo the first, by offering several officers of the same qua lity for his exchange; which was always refused there having been an ordinance made," that "officer who had been transported out of Ireland "should ever be exchanged;" so that most of the remained still in prison with him in the Tower, and the rest in other prisons; who all underwent the same hardships by the extreme necessity of the king' condition, which could not provide money enough for their supply; yet all was done towards it that was possible. When the war was at an end, and the king a prisoner, Cromwell prevailed with Monk, for his liberty and prefermenti, to engage himself again in the war of Ireland. And, from that time, Monk continued very firm to Cromwell; who was liberal and bountiful to him, and took him into his entire confidence; and after he had put the command of Scotland into his hands, he feared nothing from those quarters; nor was there any man in either of the armies, upon whose fidelity to himself Cromwell more depended. And those of his western friends, who thought best of him, thought it to no purpose to make any attempt upon him whilst Cromwell lived. But as soon as he was dead, Monk was generally looked upon as a man more inclined to the king, than any other in great authority, if he might discover it without too much loss or hazard. His elder brother had been entirely devoted to the king's service; and all his relations were of the same faith. He himself had no fumes i preferment] money, which he loved heartily |