1659.

December.

Inter-regnum, the concealed Lord Fairfax would do, who lay darking in and about York, and Nobody knew what to make of him. And now fays (Dr. Price) we fought in Paper, by sending and receiving Meffages, laying afide Powder and Shot, as dangerous Things, and not fit to be employed against Brethren: Yet we were not so careless as to neglect our own Security; for had Lambert marched against us thro' the Snows, he would have found a Battalion of Horfe and Foot, commanded by Col. Morgan, drawn upready to receive him.

In this Situation we were, (adds the Doctor) when very comfortable News throng'd in upon us as, That the growing Party in the Irish Army had declared for us, and were ready to lend us Affistance; that Portsmouth had opened her Gates to Hafilrigge, Morley, and Walton, three of the late Parliament's Commiffioners for governing the Army; Col. Wetham, the Governor of it, did this, as well in refpect to the General, as his Duty to the Parliament; that the Fleet under Lawson had owned Monke's Quarrel against the Army; and that the dark Lord Fairfax had at last unveiled himself, had raised Men, and was to fall upon Lambert's Rear, should he advance against Monke's Army; affuring us, That, whatever came on it, he would not fail being ready to affift us by the Firft of January next; which he performed better than his Word.

"The Stream of this good News did not hinder the General from continuing his wonted Care of keeping a good Guard; it being now evident, That within a few Days, Lambert must either fight or fall. The Soldiers were much revived at these glad Tidings, and hoped foon' to change their prefent cold Quarters for warmer and better Accommodations.' Dr. Price, in his Narrative, here ftops to make a Reflection of his own; which fince it lays open a very private Scene between his General and himfelf, we fhall give it in his own Words. Speaking of the former good Account of Affairs, he adds,

As

As for myself, I must confefs, that I was inwardly displeased at these many favourable Expres fes; as apprehending that this Name of a Parliament would, by nominating and fhifting Commiffioners for it, engage the Army fo much to their Devotion, and get fuch other Advantages of fixing their Oligarchy, that it would be no easy Matter to difpoffefs them. With these foolish Whimsies in my Head, I was refolved to fteal privately to the General, (who had caution'd me before-hand not to be seen to appear in these public Transactions) and to do this, I knew between Midnight and the Morning to be the only Time: So between Two and Three o'clock, by the Help of a Corporal, I came to his Chamber Door, found it only latched, the General in his Cloaths, his Head laid on the Side of the Bed, and his Body refting upon two Stools or a Form, Fire and Candles being in the Room. He awakened at my firft Entrance; I defired his Pardon, and he kindly gave Liberty of Speech. Upon my reprefenting to him what I judged to be his Intereft and Duty, that is to fay, the restoring of our known Laws, (for I never used to speak in any other Terms) I cannot forget his Paffion and his Pofture: Mr. Price, faid he, I ⚫ know your Meaning, and I have known it; by the

Grace of God I will do it, if ever I can find it in my • Power, and I do not much doubt but that I shall.' So clofing my Hands in both his he lifted them up, and devoutly uttered, By God's Help I will do it.'

I then took the further Liberty to mind him of the Papers he had figned, to ftand to this Parliament as it fat the 11th of October, and no other; and of feveral other Reftrictions, which he had needlessly, as I conceived, put upon himself. He anfwered me with fome Regret, You fee who are about me, and • write these Things: I muft not shew any Difike. • of them; I perceive they are jealous enough of me

already: Bidding me not look upon it as any Act of his. Having thus discoursed him of divers Things which I thought might be for his Service, (he courteously allowing me the Freedom) I left

Inter-regnum.
1659,

December,

1

him to his fhort Reft; for he was to be early at Bufinefs. And thus I became further fatisfied at what Port he aimed; however then and and afterwards with the Winds, he fteered his Courfe.'

Affairs now began to ripen very faft; for, as foon as Monke perfectly understood that there were like to be powerful Diverfions in the South; that Hafilrigge and his Party were actually in Poffeffion of Portsmouth, and had given out Orders and, were obeyed, he fuddenly turned the Tables upon Lambert, and fent him Word he fhould enter into no more Treaties with him, till he had confulted his Brethren at Portsmouth, and obtained their Confent for it; Lambert, by this, found he had been fooled all this while; vented his Refentment against Monke and his Officers, and imprisoned him who brought him the Meffage. Very foon after Lambert's short Reign was at an End; he was difpoffeffed of his Command, by Order of the Reftored Parliament, and fkulk'd away from Newcastle, in Disguise, in order to fave himself.

But, before that happened, the Committee of Safety kept their Seats, as ufual, and gave out Orders, though often perplexed with faucy Petitions; particularly one from the City of London, defiring to have fuch a Parliament as was in 1642; but this was laid aside, says Whitlocke, as a Design to bring in the Common Enemy. The General Council of the Officers of the Navy alfo petitioned them, That Writs might be iffued out for a new Election of Parliament Men. But this Committee of Safety, anxious to continue their Power to fave themselves, had devised and agreed to a Form of Government, which they hoped would please every one: And this Scheme was contained in the following fhort Article: That there be no Kingship; no Single Perfon as Chief Magistrate; that an Army be con-tinued; no Impofition upon Confcience; no Houfe of Peers; the Legiflative and Executive Powers to be in diftinct Hands; Parliaments to be elected by the People. Upon this laft Article the General Council of Officers, of the Armies and Fleet of

the

1659.

December.

the Three Nations, voted, That a Parliament Inter-regnum, be called before February next, to fit and act according to fuch Qualifications as are or fhall be agreed upon, and may beft fecure the juft Rights, Liberties, and Privileges, both Civil and Religious, of the People of this Commonwealth (b).' So that, by this laft Restriction, the People were to chufe the Members of Parliament, not such as they liked themselves, but fuch as were dictated to them by the Army.

But all these fine-spun Schemes and Forms of Government came to nothing; a fuperior Hand was over the Directors of them, and turned all their Projects into Water: Nay, tho' the Officers of the Armies defired the Committee of Safety to iffue out Writs for electing a new Parliament, to fit in January next, a fhorter Date, and fome Writs, Whitlocke tells us, he fealed himself; yet Monke's prevailing Arguments got the better of all, and drove them like Chaff before the Wind.

Indeed these might well be called Hurling Times; a Term made ufe of fome Centuries ago, in the Course of this Work, on much the fame Occafion. No Quiet was enjoyed by any Party: all were at Work, and the King's Party very active. Whitlocke tells us, 'That, now, every Man was guided by his own Fancy and Intereft; thofe in Employment, or Power, moft obnoxious to Trouble; that many wished themselves out of thefe daily Hazards, but knew not how to get free of them, the Diftractions were fo ftrangely high, and daily increasing.'

To fhew the Reader what a Part our Memorialift acted in this Scene of Affairs, and how, like a hunted Fox, when the Cry came close upon him, he skulk'd and fought about for Refuge, we fhall only fubjoin his own Words; and truly, confider ing the Character of this Man quite through thèse Troubles, and how ready he was ever to serve the Side that was uppermoft, he may, in this Affair, be easily believed. Speaking, as he always does in

(b) Whitlocke's Memoirs, p. 691.

the

Inter-regnum. the third Perfon, of the prefent Diftractions, he proceeds thus:

1659.

December.

A Conference between Fleet

wood and Whitlocke about bring ing in the King.

'These Paffages perplexed Whitlocke, as well as others, if not more, he all along fufpecting Monke's Defign. The Lord Willoughby, Alderman Robinson, M. G. Browne, Mr. Loe, and others, came to him, and confirmed his Sufpicion in this Particular; and propounded to him to go to Fleetwood, and to advise him to fend forthwith to the King at Breda, to offer to bring him in upon good Terms, and thereby to get before-hand with Monke, who queftionless did intend to bring in the King. Whitlocke, upon ferious Thoughts of this, went to Fleetwood, and they had a long private Discourse together, wherein Whitlocke told him, That, by the Defire of his Brother Sir William Flee:wood, and of the Lord Willoughby, M. G. Brown, Alderman Robinson, Mr. Loe, and others, he was come to difcourfe freely with him about their present Condition, and what was fit to be done in fuch an Exigency as their Affairs were now in. That it was more than evident that Monke's Design was to bring in the King, and that without any Terms for the Parliament Party; whereby all their Lives and Fortunes would be at the Mercy of the King and his Party, who were fufficiently enraged against them, and in Need of repairing their broken For

tunes :

That the Inclinations of the Prefbyterian Party generally, and of many others, and of the City, and moft of the Parliament's old Friends, were the fame Way and a great Part of the Soldiery:

And that thefe here were revolted from Fleetwood, as thofe in the North under Lambert, and thofe at Portfmouth, and other Places:

That Monke would eafily delude Hafirigge, and the reft of the old Parliament Men; and that al the incenfed Lords and fecluded Members would be, and were active in this Defign; fo that Whitlocke faid, the Coming-in of the King was unavoidable, and that he thought, being that muft be, that it was

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