Afterwards when the King was recognized by both Houses of Parliament it was thâ—… very first day that the Regal Authority had been so owned several persons of honour some who had abetted the King's and others the Parliament's cause dined with the General at St. Jame's And there arose a hot contest about the Lawfulness of the late War and whether the King should be admitted to return with or without conditions I observed the General to be silent tho some hard words had passed at his Table so he required me to say Grace â—…ather than he would stay out his Dinner â—…nd the Controversy But to return to the matter Greenvile's negotiation was managed with such secresie and his Journey to Brussels was so speedy and fortunate that few knew of it before his arrival tâ—…ere and those who did and went in his Company did not so much as suspect the errand he was sent on The King upon intimation of his being come went privately to hiâ—… Lodgings and was alone with him and Greenvile discovered his Instructions from the General to his Majefty by whom he was believed tho he brought no Letter For the King to debate what was to be done consulted with his Lord Chancellor Hide the Marquess of Ormond and Secretary Nicholas in the presence of Greenvile And in this privy Council Monks Commission Was signed to be Cap. General of all his Majefties Land Forces in the three Kingdoms and publick dispatches according to Instructions given were framed and signed here Likewise then the King removed from the Spanish to the United Netherlands according to the advice given by the General to Greenvile and this was done both in hast and Privacy His Majesty being come to Breda dated his publick dispatches from thence and there Sir John Greenvile â—…eceived them from his Majesty in order to his returning for England but the King would not send him back empty and without a mark of his favour Sir John Greenvile when he came first to Brâ—…ssels and had related Monks resoluâ—…ion to espouse the Kings Cause and Interest humbly desired his Majesties Pardon is in his negotiation he had exceeded his Instructions of reward To â—…hich the King graciously answered that whatever he had promised in his name should be punctually performed upon his Restauration But Greenvile then insormed his Majesty that he had propounded to the General 100000l pr. annum for ever as his Majesties donative to him and his Osficers with the Office of Lord High Chancellor and Constable of England for Himself and the Nomination of any other the great 〈◊〉 of the Crown All which Monk had generâ—…usly refused saying that he would not â—…ye the King to any tâ—…rms of reward and that he took more comfort and consent in that now he hoped he was able to do his Majesty and Country service then in expectations of greatness Besides that the General had given him this as a special charge that he should not propound any thing to his Majesty as a gratification for service either for himself or for any Friend or Officer of his upon His accompt The King then pressed Greenvile to know what he should do for Him but he after the General 's example nobly refused all Proposals of reward for the service in which he had been so eminently successful till he should happily see his Majesty at Whitehall However the King had then put up into Greenvile's Pocket though unknown to him a Warrant under his Hand and Seal for an English Earldom and the assurance of 3000l pr. annum for ever to support his Honour together with a Promise to pay his and his Fathers Debts which had been contracted in the War Time in the service of his Majesty and his Royal Father So Greenvile was sent back by his Majesty to the General and brought with him besides the above mentioned Commission his Majesties Seals and Signet by which the General was empowred to make a Secretary of State which he conferred upon Mr. Morrice by the advice of Sir John Greenvile Morrice upon the Kings Return was soon after toward the latter end of May Greenvils return to the General being about the beginning of April was Knighted and confirmed in his place of Secretary of State Now besides his publick Letters which were reserved to be communicated he brought with him a private one to the General from his Majesty written with his Maiesties own hand to this the General returned an answer to by Mr. Bernard Greenvile Broâ—…her to Sir John who at this time could not be spared to go over again to his Majesty because the Parliament was aproaching and he to present to both Houses his Majesties Letters and Declarations Wherefore Bernard Greenvile that this secret negotiaion might be continued in the Family was thought to be the most fit and the safest express that could be sent And indeed he could not but be as welcome to his Majesty for he brought now the assurances under his hand of the Generals resolution to adhere to the Kings cause against all opposition whatever I therefore notifie this because it was the first that the General duâ—…st adventure to his Majesty Nay and even this was with the soonest for Lambert by the secret connivance the Inâ—…erior Trustees of the Tower was escaped out of Prison this was the joy and tryumph of such as designed an after-game by the Sword for he had the good luck to be beloved by the Souldiery for which reason Oliver Cromwel when he was Protector revered but displaced him as divining that he would not only tread in his Steps but upon his Heels The News of Lamberts escape soon came to us at St. James's and almost at the same time a private information where he was hid Thither the General fenâ—… and found it true but he was got away before to set up the Trade of War in the Countrey Wherefore as soon as ever it was adverâ—…ised where Lambert was the General prepared or seemed to do itat least for a March From which he was easily prevailed upon to defist by those who represented unto him the necessity of keeping the Town in regard the Common Souldiers of the Army were not yet fixed to him however he had modelled the Officers of it and indeed many of these had already subscribed that they would rest satisfyed in what the Parliament should determine about Government as did all of them afterwards who continu'd in their commands and these Subscriptions not long after were required even of private Souldiers Lambert having gained some accomplices to his Designs they shisted Quarters into Northampton and Warwickshires to pick up more all whom the Council of State declared Traytors But Col. afterward Sir R. Ingoldbsy made them such for â—…e â—…ook Lambert Prisoner and sent him upâ—… in Easter-week to the Council of State Here it was that I first and last saw this Renowned Captain but now a Captive to our comfort be it spoken of whoâ—…e skill in the art of War the
that the General stood Engaged and from this time I do date that his Resolutions were fixed for the Kings Restauration So happy it was for His Majesty to employ Sir John Greenvile and so lucky for him to send his Clerk Mr. Nicholas Monk hither where he omitted nothing of his Instructions and prudently managed them as may reasonably be inferred from the good effect they had Thus did the sense of Allegiance and the Love of his Country prevail with his Brother against all hazzards And if I knew him right the revenge of slights was some part of a grain in the Scales It is not improbable neither that he had been in the Night quickned with a Curtain-Lecture of Damnation a Text that his Lady oft Preacâ—…ed upon to him and sometimes he would complain of it where he safely might Saturday came and brought Mr. Gumble to Dalkeith where now and then he used to give the General a Sermon or Two and so eased me for which I gave him thanks He was then one of the Chaplains of the â—…nto which Cromwel had Erected and which did act till the Deposition of Richard his Son nay the Officers were still continued upon that Establishment in expectation of what the Parliament would do in it Such a Cabal they found necessary for the support of their Usurpation and hereof the General from the time of its first Erection was nominated a Member So Mâ—… Gumble's imployment was such as made him well known beside that he was an acceptable Preacher and his Company much more so to very many Officers of Edenburgh where he resided and this the rather both to them and the General because he had not engaged into a Congregational Church as his Brother Chaplaine had done He was a strenuous asserter of Freedom and disrelished the single persons of Oliver and Richard Cromwel when they sate successively in the Throne of Usuâ—…pation he was somewhat better pleas'd at the return of the old Parliament but being of quick apprehension he soon discerned that those few Members of it would keep themselves within those Walls of Empire at Westminster and not suffer the Wheel to turn round and as a generous person did not dissemble his discontents but would speak them franckly and boldly enough to the General And this too was Sir George Booths quarrel So the General who knew how to make use of men after some conference with him made him his Minister of State And having received instructions how to proceed he came up to my Study where he found me then busie and alone So he bad me lay aside all thought of Preaching for to Morrow for he would undertake it for me Now at that time there happened to be other work upon my hands which required a quick Dispatch for I was transformed into a Secretary of State my province being to frame a Letter to the Parliament according to directions given which was to be sign'd by the General and such of the Officers as he could bring into this new design But Mr. Gumble said he was not fully satisfied of the grounds of the Generalls Engagement now after his Brother was come for he might have done that sooner and if he had I am confident that Mr. Gumble would not have been wanting on his part to serve the Publique But I told him that Mr. Nicholas Monks Journey was for his Daughter and it was necessary to try what his Brother would contribute towards her Marriage the match being to be with a Kinsman of theirs which the General had desired and approved So the motives of this Engagement being waved for Mr. Gumble did not insist upon them as a hindrance to the good cause in which he was resolved to embarque himself we proceeded to the finishing of the Letter to the Parliament which was that day done The next was the Lords day and the work of it was carried on by Mr. Gumble who in hâ—…s last Prayer put up a Petition for the good Intentions of the General which soon after were communicated in my Chamber whither came the General and his Brother Adjutant Smith and Mr. Gumble But before any discourse was enter'd upon I swore the General his hands being laid upon the Bible open in these words You 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 swear that you shall not reveal any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be discoursed of by us or read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the consent of all here present So he kissed the Book The rest I swore in order one by one after this manner You shall truly swear that you shall not reveal any thing that shall be discoursed of or read unto you without the consent of the General and all here present And lastly I â—…wore my self and I will be my own Casuist for publishing of this and keep the Bible for a Relique without feaâ—… of Superstition Our Declaration in deed but in form our Letter or Supplication to the Parliament was read 't is supposed to have been prefaced with good words clawing them for their glorious actions which we could not avoid doing But yet we took the liberty to mind them that we found the body of the English Nation disatisfied with their proceedings as apprehending that their Intention was to appropriate the Government to their Individual persons and that though there might possibly be â—…omething of danger in gratifying them for fear of the old Enemy yet however it did not appear to the good People who had fought for their Liberty that they had entertain'd any thought of the filling up of their Number much less done any thing toward the prescribing of Rules for the Future Elections of such Parliaments as were supposed to be contained under the name of a Common wealth which themselves owned to be the Supream Government and that otherwise their Armies could not protect them in their Authority this not being the good old Cause for which they fought and they could not answer to their consciences the effusion of so muâ—…h blood to uphold only a few men in their Sovereignty Wherefore to prevent the shedding of more we became Petitioners to them we said that they would speedily pass such votes and do such things as might satisfie all the honest and Gâ—…dly People in the Nation that they did not design their own greatness but the good and safety of the Common-wealth In the mean time the General declared that he would associate what force he could till he saw that their Votes and actions were satisfactory Here I confess that I have not related words but things for the Paper was the next day burnt because our design proved abortive This was the Substance of our intended Letter to the Parliament which having been read by me the General with his Confederates correcting or adding such expressions as were thought fit the Presenting of it to the Officers of our Army to signe as their humble Petition and Advice to the Parliament was resolved upon But theâ—… were to be Petitioners with Swords in their hands for the General
Commissâ—…oned the whole Scottish Nation to Rise This I believe they would have done at his Whistle for after the beating of Sir George Booth they began to be desperate and saw that the whole frame of a National Church was like to be lost Several of their own Country-men would not be kept within the bounds of Discipline Swinton and Osborne and others tacked about timely for Quakers as that which was most likely to be the thriving Sect the Principles of it being such that they put no rules to the conscience but only breathed the Air and lived in the Region of Enthusiasm It was a Trojan Horse of all Heresies every man might be of this comprehensive Religion with a Salvo to his own a Jew and a Jesuit might stand with his Hat on his Head for the Light within him and all Practical Villanies might have come in under this Shelter I told the General that if things did continue in this State much longer it would be found that the Quaker would be as great a Goad in the sides of our new Sects as ever the Old Puritan was to the Church of England For about this time came several Quakers from England who were cunning Seminaries of this new Faith and some of them came to our Heâ—…d Quarters and taught Doctrines not to be believed by Soldiers of the unlawfulness of such a bloody calling They were all Sheep and Doves to receive and not do injuries Once iâ—… was my ill luck to meet with Two of them in the Generals and his Ladys presence when they were upon the Theme of parting with their Coat and Cloak also His Lady very pleasantly forced me to stand the Brunt of their Folly to whom I had no other Answer to return but that they might have another Light within theâ—… one day which was that he that hath no Sword let him sell his Garment and buy one Afterwards there was a Number of them in Lambert's Army in New-Castle as it was related to us where they bargained for and sold Horses to be paid when â—…ch or such a Steeple-House in our Languaâ—… a Church was pulled down It was now high time for the General to look out for a Religion for himself though it was a Principle that the Marquis of Argiâ—… â—…ad taught that it was the Character of a Wise man not to let the World know of what Religion he was But the Generals Lady found him out one â—…or now she declares Mr. Monk is a Presbyterian and my Soâ—… Kit is for the Long Parliament and the Good Old 〈◊〉 This soon found it's Operation for tâ—… Câ—…rgy of Sâ—…land made their Addresses â—…o the General as their Patron They were of Two sorts the Publick Resolutions and the Remonstrators The Division occasioned thus After the battle of Dunbar was fought and lost by the Scotch Subjects an 1650 which consisted only of those who had taken the Solemn League and Covenant it came to a debate whether they might not without breach to their Covenant strengthen their Allegeance to the King by taking in a convenient number of their Fellow-Subjects whâ—… had fought for his Royal Father under the Marquis of Montross against the Covenanters 'T was voted that since they were reduced to unexpected streights their assistance might be accepted and they entertained into the Kings Service without damage to the cause of God and the Kirk This was the judgement of the Major part of the Clergy and prevailed but there were some whose Consciences being more nice remonstrated against this Resolution as ungodly which by the Artifice of the Marquiss of Argyle was fomented and so the party withdrew This became a feud so irreconcilable even when the whole Kingdom of Scotand was under the English Obedience that they would not converse or receive the sacrament each with other It was once told the General that at Leith there being a boat ready to go off for Fiffe a Remonstrating Minister stept in but seeing a Resolutioner of his Coat there he went out and would rather loose his passage then sail in the same boat This division I have the rather mentioned because it may be a word in season to the concerned to beware of the heats and pedantry of such Ecclesiastick Enthusiasts who do so much contribute to the ruine of Kingdoms and sometimes are destructive to their own Societies These men apart keeping Intelligence each upon another that they might not meet did make their frequent visits to the General being now a declared Presbyterian laid open the lamentable condition of the Kirk of Christ and implored his care and Patronage of it who gave them such comfortable words as his station would permit him then to do The end of Mr. Nicholas Monk's Embassy to his Brother was now frustrated and it being so it created some disfidence of his prudence and secresie In Negatives I can avouch for no man but my self and under the awe of the Searcher of hearts I do write and declare that the secret slept within my breast till after the King was restored and actually return'd and next I do think so well of Mr. Monk's care and prudence that he did not in Scotland communicate it to any but his Brother and me for so upon his return he told Sir John Greenvile But so it was that there were suggestions of Information or rather of Temptation to the General that the good man was like to be sacrificed But this went no further either that the suggesters would not stand the Test or that the probation would be injurious to more theâ—… one However I do conjecture there could have been found no other guilt in Mr. Monk than the curiosity of the Suggester This was a time of Hearsays and Discoveries of Plots for all Action ceased upon Booth's Defeat Mr. Gumble makes his frequent visits to Dalkeith to hear and report news keeps his correspondence with Scot Secretary of State to whom he was known when he was Vicar of Wickham in Buckinghamshire and by him understood how affairs went at London and what jealousies began to arise between the Parliament and Army and some of the more eminent Members and Officers of both makes his advantage of them and adds fuel to the fire I was taken into his Counsel sometimes and employed to write so we sent Letters by the Post either with no name at all or what we thought fit and this was a divertisement thus to play in the blind with the Grandees and to tell them those things which themselves knew could not be revealed but by their Treacherous Confidents The General now saw the usefulness and interest of Mr. Gumble and the danger of disobliging him wherefore he was retained as his Confident insomuch that when the General appeared against the Army for disturbing the Parliament the action was lookt upon as proceeding meerly upon Mr. Gumble's advice This was rather the General 's Protection then otherwise for had it been insinuated that his Engagement proceeded from any
do not believe that they added any great weight to his Honourable Designs for I will ask no leave to assume to my self this honour that I knew his Loyalty to his Prince to be most firm when the time to shew it was most hazardous and I am well acquainted with the scornful Smiles and Words he used to give of such Bravadâ—…-pretenders as sought to lessen his Merit And now the Ministers of the Presbyterian Perswasion daily frequented St. James's they were in a hopefâ—…l expectation that all those Sects who had supplanted them would with little difficulty be put under their feet that themselves alone should inherit the Blessing the Church of England at that time being below their fear for Monk was the Defender of their Faith and had wrested the Sword out of the Armies their Enemies hands And indeed he was their zealous Votary for one Lords day he and his Lady went and Communicated at Mr. Calamy's Church who afterward so far prevailed with him that none were to Preach before him but such only as he recommended I not knowing that he had so far yielded to Calamy consented that Dr. Pierson the now right Reverend and Learned Bishop of Chester should Preach for me on a Sunday Morning He came early to my Chamber but as we were ready to go to Church we found two Ministers sent from Mr. Calamy come to do the work of the Day among us but their Faces and Habits were strangely disguised with Mud and Dirt for their Coach had overthrown them by the Park-wall behind the Pell-mell I took what care I could to render them fit to appear and desired that but one of them would Preach that Day and the other should the next Mr. Pierson being present whom they knew This would not satisfie them nor could I prevail with the General to have him Preach tho I got Mr. Morrice to be my Advocate who kindly represented the Learning and peaceable temper of Mr. Pierson To this I might add a Fast kept at St. Pauls where Dr. Gauden preached his very Text pointing at more than the Return of the Secluded Members It was Jer. 6. 14. They have healed also the hurt of the Daughter of my People slightly saying Peace Peace when there is no Peace This Doctor had before bewailed the lamentable state of the Church of England in a Printed Folio being an elegant Preacher and dying afterwards Bishop of Exon. So much for the Affairs of the Church But the Civil and Military Affairs were upon the Wheel of Motion for the Parliament constituted a new Council of State took off the Engagement that was upon the File against the King and House of Lords and had been imposed on the Subject Anno 1648. when the Army after the Murder of Charles the First had set up the Remainder of the House of Commons for a Free State But the Solemn League and Covenant which was for Monarchy in some sence but in all against Prelacy hung still on the Walls of the House of Commons with the Names of the Renowned Subscribers being left to the Censure of the next Parliament The Genéral kept a vigilant eye upon his Enemy the Army set new Colonels at the Head of most Regiments and removed their inferiour Officers as they were represented to be either Troublesome or Disaffected But the Parliament eased him of much trouble by setling the Militia in which neither Independent Anabaptist Fifth-Monarchy-man or Quaker were allowed any sort of Command a Cavalier being now become a less odious Name Thus were things carried all over the Kingdom and a fair prospect given of the King's Return all the ambitious Officers of the Marching Army being laid aside Col. Overton the Governour of Hull whose Ambition was equal with theirs thought this a fit time to appear and draw over the Malecontents of the Army which every day increased in Number to his Party His Garrison was such and so placed as to render his Design practicable and his Hatred to the General was known to be most implacable for about two years before when Monk Commanded in Chief in Scotland and Overton as Major General of the Foot next under him Cromwel then being Protector he had drawn several Officers Zealots for a Commonwealth into â—… Conspiracy against him New-years Day in the Morning was the time agreed upon to surprize Monk at Dalkeith and the Attempt was not thought easie only but certain So the Question was moved what they should do with him when they had him The most desperate Syndercomb was in the Conspiracy were for killing him upon the place But one of the Godly judging that it would be a scandal to them to kill a man in cold blood when he was in their power openly protested that hew ould discover the Plot if they proceeded upon that Resolution Whereupon the Conspirators broke up the Meeting for that time Now because this interposition of Conscience saved the General 's Life and probably some of his Servants also I will gratefully mention the man It was Mr. Oates then a Chaplain of Note among those Conspirators and afterwards Beneficed in a small Living in the Diocess of Chichester May the able who are grateful to the Memory of the Duke of Albemarle be disposed to give him a better Overton from Hull a place fatal to the old King sent forth his Emissaries to insinuate the appearance of Monarchical Government for some men only hate Kings because they are not Kings themselves and to tell the Souldiery that the abandoned Interest of Charles Stuart did seem to shine in the face of the publick Transactions Conjuring the Brethren in the Army who remained faithful to the True Cause to signifie their concurrence with him Several Copies of his Letters were dispersed in the North and one of them was sent to the General by Col. Fairfax Governour of York where the General had many True Friends beside him that were active to suppress all such practices As Col. Bethel Smith and others The General did not only use his own Authority to command Overton out of Hull but recommended the matter to the of State also who sent thither Col. Alured and Major Smith The first prevaricated in his Trust and went privately to the Governor staying late with him at night But Smith getting Intelligence of this with Sums of Money borrowed in the Town being he was well known there forthwith bought off the Souldiers at the Parade to their obedience to the Parliament So that Overton was forced to obey the General 's Orders and came up to Town tho' he soon became so far reconcil'd to Monarchical Interests his own expression that he declared for King Jesus But his Souldiers rather followed Smith's Money And the Parliament knowing what Money would do with such people Voted no less a Tax upon England and Wales for six Months together than an hundred thousand pounds per mensem Now tho' they did not follow the Examples given of extending their Assessments upon