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1659.

before they were admitted to their Seats; as were alfo Inter-regnum. the Members of Parliament, as well thofe who then fat in the House, as those that were to fit hereafter. The Oath, or Engagement, was in these Words:

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January.

A. B. do hereby fwear, That I do renounce the An Abjuration pretended Title, or Titles, of Charles Stuart, and Oath. the whole Line of the late King James; and of every other Perfon, as a Single Perfon, pretending, or which shall pretend, to the Crown or Government of thefe Nations of England, Scotland, and Ireland, or any of them: And that I will, by the Grace and Affiftance of Almighty God, be true, faithful, and conftant to the Parliament and Commonwealth, and will oppofe the Bringing-in, or Setting-up of any Single Perfon or Houfe of Lords, and every of them, in this Commonwealth.

The Parliament being thus reinftated in their former Sovereignty, and having taken Care, as they thought, to build a Wall of Brass quite round them, on which were many Watch-Towers, to guard all the Avenues, in order to prevent fuch perverfe Accidents as had before happened to them: Thus, we fay, were they seemingly barricaded against all finifter Events, when the unerring Hand of Providence brought Deftruction upon them from afar, and gave them fuch a Fall as never to rife again.

It was on the ft Day of January, 16, that Monke enters General Monke began his March out of Scotland, and England with his Army. croffed the Tweed with the Infantry of his Army,' his Horfe following him on the next. Dr. Gumble, one of his Chaplains, and Author alfo of his Life, tells us, That the General had but four Regiments of Horfe and fix of Foot, making in all about 5000 Men, with him; and that this was all the Force he ever defigned for the Expedition. It was without any Call, Orders, or Summons from his Mafters at Westminster, that he began this March; and Lambert being now ftolen away from Newcastle, and his Army left without a Commander, Monke had nothing to fear from that Quarter to ftop his Pro

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1659. January,

Inter-regnum, grefs. The other Reverend Author we have before quoted, is very particular in his Account of this March, which we fhall follow as oft as there is Occafion; obferving here, that on this Day, Jan. 2, it was the General received a kind Letter from the Speaker, mentioned before out of the Journals, fignifying, indeed, that they were returned to the Exercise of their Authority, but not one Word about his marching towards them: And this, adds the Doctor, did but increase his Jeafoufy of them. But we shall leave the General now to pursue his March Southward, and return to our Journals.

The fame Day the House paffed a Vote, That all Officers who were in Commiffion on the 11th of October, 1659, and all other Officers and Soldiers in the late Defection and Rebellion, who have already fubmitted, and fuch as fhall hereafter fubmit themselves, and return to their Duty and Obedience to the Parliament, before the 9th Day of this Inftant January fhall be, and are hereby pardoned and indemnified for Life and Eftate; and all fuch Officers to be difpofed of by the Council of State, Commiffioners of the Army, or General Monke.'

The Question being put, That John Lambert, Efq; fhall be included within this Vote, the Houfe divided, and it was carried for the Queftion, 28 against 18.-Ordered, That this Vote be forthwith printed and published, and that the Council of State fee it put in Execution.'

Jan. 3. This Day it was refolved, on the Queftion, That Writs fhould iffue out for electing Members to fit and ferve in Parliament, in the Places of thofe Members of this House that were dead, under fuch Qualifications as fhould be agreed upon by the Houfe; and a Committee was named to draw up and bring in fuch Qualifications for Members for the Houfe to approve of.'

Sir Arthur Hafilrigge reported a Bill to the Houfe, For enacting the Oath of Renunciation of the Title of Charles Stuart, and the whole Line of the late King James, to be taken by every Member that

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now fitteth, or that fhall fit, in Parliament.-

This Bill being put to the Question for the first

Reading, on a Divifion, it was carried by 24 to 15.

The Bill was read accordingly, and ordered a fecond
Reading on the 6th Inftant.

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Jan. 4, was the Fast-Day, on which little Bufi-
nefs was done, befides returning Thanks to their
Preachers for their great Pains-taking, &c. After-
wards the House read fome Letters from different

Parts; one from York, dated Jan. 2, to Sir Arthur
Hafilrigge. Thefe might give fome Account of
Monke's and Lord Fairfax's Motions; but none of
their Contents are entered in the Journals, nor have
we met with them elsewhere.

Jan. 5. Nothing remarkable happened on this

Day, fave that, at the End of it, are fome Altera-

tions, the Note on which informs us, That here

three Entries are erazed in the Original, and on the

Margin is written, Nulled by Order of Feb. 21,

1659. The Reafon for which we fhall know

further when we come to that Day.

Jan. 6. Another Letter from General Monke,

dated from Coldstream, Dec. 29, was read in the

House, but the Contents not entered in the four-

nals: However, we have met with a Copy of it in

the old Pamphlet before-mentioned, which we

give accordingly:

A LETTER fent from General MONKE, fuperfcrib'd

To the Right Hon. WILLIAM LENTHALL, Efq;

Speaker to the Right Honourable the Parliament

of England,

To be communicated to the rest of the Members of

Parliament at London.

Right Honourable, Coldstream, Dec. 29, 1659.

yours of the 22d Instant, and defire to Another Letter
return to our good God hearty Thanks, that from him to the

he hath been pleased to own and appear for hist

• People

1659.

January.

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Inter-regnum. People in fuch glorious Inftances of Mercy and 6 Deliverance. I blefs the Lord, I never doubted of his Prefence and Succefs in this Undertaking, being fo righteous a Caufe, and had long fince 'put it to God's Determination; but upon Adver'tifements from Friends in England, That if I could ' continue here without engaging till the first of January, the Work would be done without Blood. I cannot but admire upon what Intelligence you 'fhould be perfuaded of a fecond Treaty: Indeed 'I was forced to make Use of such an Overture, ' to remove the Commiffioners from London, whom "I cannot but blame for receding from their In* ftructions; but I hope they will give you a fatisfactory Account of their Proceedings; yet I ac'knowledge that I could not but refent their Car< riage, having fecured one of them for betraying • the private Inftructions, of which I doubt not but 'you have been fully informed.

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My laft Anfwer to the Lord Lambert, who fent • feveral Meffengers to invite me to a fecond Trea· ty, was, That I could not treat without Authority from the Commiffioners for the Government ' of the Army; and to that End defired a Pass for the fame Meffengers to go to Portsmouth to receive their Commands and Inftructions, who were ' returned back with this Answer from Lambert and the Council of Officers, That they could not con• fent thereunto; and fince that I have not heard < from them.

I have your Army, I blefs God, upon the River Tweed, within three Hours ready to be drawn together, and they are very chearful and unanimous, willing to endure any Hardship for your • Service.

The laft Night Capt. Campbell came Exprefs from Ireland, giving a full Account of their Af⚫fection to the Parliament, and of the late Tranfactions there: That they had feized Dublin Caftle, and fecured Jones and others, with a Declaration to ftand by and own your Authority; for which,

1659.

on this Inftant, we kept a Day of Thanksgiving. Inter-regnum. • They writ also to the Irish Brigade in England, ⚫ which I dispatched to them. Sir Hardrefs Waller gives me an Account, that all the Forces and Garrifons in Ireland had declared for you.

This is fuch a Mercy, that I hope the Lord ⚫ will make us fenfible of, and careful to improve. They required my Opinion as to managing of the Affairs of the Army, which in fuch an urgent Neceffity I prefumed to give. I have difpofed of most of the vacant Commands in Scotland to very honeft Men, who are ready to die for your Ser⚫ vice, or to disband at your Command. And be• fore your Letter came to Hand, I had difposed of • Col. Saunders's and Major Barton's Commands, the Lord Lambert's Forces preffing upon me. I ⚫ could not leave my vacant Places unfupplied; but I know that (this Work profpering) you will have Opportunity enough to gratify them. Capt. Izods's • Place is referved for him according to your Plea• fure.

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"I humbly thank the Members of the Council for that great Honour they were pleafed to confer upon me, and hope you never shall find but such abfolute Obedience from me to your Commands, that I fhall be more ready to return that • Commiffion than to receive it. I believe that you never doubted of my perfevering in those good Principles I declared for; and that I fhould comfortably (if the Lord had pleased to frown upon us) have fuffered in this most righteous Undertaking. I have made ready to march, but am unwilling to hazard your Juftice and Authority upon a Fight, when it may be done with more Security. I fhall attend your further Commands, and defire the Lord to bless your Forces and •Counfels, and to restore you in your just Authority; which is both the Prayer and Endeavour Sir, your most humble

⚫ of

And faithful Servant,

GEORGE MONKE.

January.

The

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