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his relation, was greatly caressed by him. The same age produced Cowley, Clarendon, and Harvey, who discovered the circulation of the blood.

H

CHAP. XVI.

The Reign of Charles II.

A. D. 1658.

AD Cromwell lived much longer, with all his policy it would have been impossible to have extended much longer his usurped administration; but when he was removed, the baseless fabric he had reared, was sure to tumble to pieces.

Richard his son possessed no qualities for government, except the virtues of private life; yet his succession was recognized by the council. His brother Henry, who governed Ireland with much popularity, insured him the obedience of that kingdom; and Monk proclaimed the new protector in Scotland. Above ninety addresses congratulated Richard on his accession; and a parliament being called, all the commons at first signed an engage- 1659. ment not to alter the present government.

A. D.

But there was another quarter from which
The

greater dangers were justly apprehended.
most considerable officers of the army, with
Fleetwood and Lambert at their head, were en-
tering into cabals against Richard. The young
protector, having neither resolution nor penetra-
tion, assented to permit the call of a general
council of officers, and no sooner were they assem.
bled, than they voted a remonstrance, in which
the good old cause, as they termed it, was set off in
the highest colours of panegyric, and its neglect

lamented; and as a remedy for past evils, they proposed that the whole military power should be intrusted to some person, in whom they might all confide.

measures.

Some of the partisans of Richard Cromwell proposed to put an end to these intrigues by the death of Lambert; but the protector declared he would not purchase power by such sanguinary Parliament, however, interfered, and passed a vote, that there should be no general council of officers without the protector's consent, and this brought matters to a crisis. The officers hastened to Richard, and demanded the dissolution of the parliament, which being complied with, the protector, unable or unwilling to make a stand for power, soon after signed his own resignation in form. Not long after, Henry Cromwell, being endowed with the same moderate disposition as his brother, though he possessed very great power and influence in Ireland, quietly resigned his command, and retired to England.

Thus fell, at once, the protectorate house of Cromwell; but by a rare fortune it was not mo. lested. Richard having burdened his estate to defray the expenses of his father's funeral, travelled for some years, and then returning to England, lived to extreme old age; beloved for his social virtues, and happier in contentment and tranquillity than he could possibly have been, had he retained the splendid but dangerous boon, left him by his father.

The council of officers, in whom the supreme authority was now lodged, agreed to revive the long parliament. The members never exceeded seventy; but they took care, by their ambition,. to thwart the measures of the officers, and to subject Fleetwood, who was appointed lieutenantgeneral, to their control.

Mutual danger, however, both from the royalists and the presbyterians, kept the officers and parliament together for a time; and Fleetwood having routed sir George Booth, who had taken up arms in Cheshire, the jails were filled with the open or pretended enemies of parliament; and designs were formed of transporting the royalists to the West-Indies, lest they should propagate children in England of the same malignant affections with themselves.

The army finding that parliament could not maintain its power without them, made bolder demands than ever, which could only be combated by feeble votes. Lambert drew together some troops in order to decide the controversy, and intercepting the members as they were coming to the house, sent them home under a mili tary escort.

By this decisive measure, the officers were once more in possession of supreme authority; but in order to keep up appearances, they elected twenty-three persons, called a committee of safety, which they invested with a nominal supremacy. Throughout the three kingdoms there prevailed nothing but melancholy fears of the bloody massacre of the nobility and gentry, and of perpetual servitude to the rest of the people.

But amidst the most gloomy prospects, Providence was preparing a way for the legitimate sovereign to mount in peace the throne of his ancestors. General George Monk, to whose prudence and loyalty the restoration of the mo narchy is chiefly to be ascribed, was the second son of an honourable family in Devonshire, but somewhat gone to decay. He had early sought military experience, and was so popular among the soldiers, that they used to call him honest George Monk. During the civil wars he was remarkably moderate; and from the candour of his behaviour, he fell under suspicion of the royalists, and was suspended for a time. the siege of Nantwich he was taken prisoner by Fairfax; and being sent to the tower, during two years, suffered all the rigours of poverty and confinement, and it was not till after the total defeat of the king's army, that he recovered his liberty.

At

Monk, however much distressed, had always resisted the most inviting offers from the parliament; but Cromwell, who was sensible of his merit, having importuned him to engage in the wars against the Irish, who were equally rebels to the king and parliament, Monk was prevailed on to accept a command. He afterwards fought in Scotland, and on the reduction of that kingdom, was left with the supreme command. In this capacity, he proved aqually agreeable both to the nation and the soldiery; and, foreseeing that the good will of the army might eventually be of great service to him, he cultivated their friendship with assiduity and success.

Hearing that Lambert was advancing north. wards, Monk affected to treat with the committee of safety; but his object seems to have been to gain time. In fact, the nation was falling into anarchy; while Lambert's forces were assembling at Newcastle, Haselrig and Morley took possession of Portsmouth for the parliament, and admiral Lawson, entering the river, declared on the same side. The city of London had established a kind of separate government within itself; and thus every thing was running into confusion, though the tide flowed in favour of parliament.

That assembly now took courage to revoke Lambert's commission, who, finding himself menaced by Monk in front, and in danger of being deserted by his own soldiers, suffered himself to be arrested, and committed to the tower.

Monk, who had now passed the Tweed, though informed of the restoration of parliament, continued to advance at the head of about six thousand men. During his march, he re-, ceived various addresses, requesting he would assist in settling the nation; but he affected to pay little regard to them.

At length, having taken up his quarters in Westminster, without opposition, he was introduced into the house, and thanked for his services. His answer was couched in terms of great reserve. He said, he had only performed his duty; and that it remained with them to render still more important services to the nation, by summoning a full and free parliament, in order to effect a settlement, which all men seemed anxious to procure, after so many convulsions. He hinted, that application had been made to him for that purpose; but that he had referred the petitioners to parliament, who were the best judges of these measures.

In a short time, however, the com- A. D. mon-council of London having de- 1660. clared, that they would pay no more taxes, till a free parliament was called, parliament gave orders to Monk to march into the

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