month he was made colonel of Fleetwood's regiment of horse, which soon after declared for the parliament. A. D. 1659-60. on Sir An conduct. It would be needless to detain the reader with Remarks long remarks on Sir Anthony's conduct. It is thony's evident that, from the time of Richard Cromwell's parliament, at least from the first establishment of the committee of safety, he had framed and acted upon his scheme for the king's restoration. 50 and having no other intelligence but that the parliament was restored, and that the city, and Portsmouth, and other parts of England had declared for them, the officers durst not disobey, but all, according to their several orders, marched some one way, and some another; so that this army, which was the great strength of the gentlemen of Wallingford House, was by these means quite scattered, and rendered perfectly useless to the committee of safety, who were hereby perfectly reduced under the power of the parliament, as so many disarmed men to be disposed of as they thought fit." 50 In February of this year, Lady Willoughby writes to Clarendon that Sir Anthony is his majesty's fast friend. The king had before written to Sir Anthony, desiring his assistance. The letter was conveyed by an agent of the royalists, named Mordaunt. Sir Anthony refused to treat, because he had heard, he said, that the king had made a grant of his estate to his lord chancellor, Hyde. This the chancellor denies. "I have never," he says, "been corrupted with that appetite in the least degree; and if I were, I serve a master that would not satisfy it, and who, I dare swear, hath not so much in his own secret purposes designed any one man's estate in England to any third person, much less made a promise of it."-Clar. Papers, vol, iii. p. 512. A. D. 1659-60. Sir An thony encourages Monk to come to London. The nation was now thoroughly wearied of change, and disgusted with the ever varying forms of government which were daily imposed upon it. Sir Anthony saw that the first steps to a restoration must be dividing and disarming the officers, restoring the old parliament, and then obtaining a free one. He had formed his design with great penetration, and he conducted it with steadiness and activity. In pursuing it, he adapted himself to the different views and passions of several sorts of men, but kept his own intentions secret. It was owing solely to his interest that Portsmouth was put into the hands of Sir Arthur Haslerigge, whose view was only to restore the old parliament. He engaged the soldiers, and likewise secured the fleet, to favour this preliminary measure. He worked up a spirit in the city to declare for a free parliament; and by his policy broke the army, or, at least, deprived them of the power of doing any immediate mischief. With the same prudence, the same vigour, he pursued the other part of his design, and exerted the whole of his influence to procure a free parliament. Sir Anthony, soon after his conference with Monk's commissioners, sent a letter to persuade him to come to London, and assuring him he A. D. 1659-60. should meet with no obstruction in his march. This was subscribed, likewise, by some others, who had been of the council of state; but in his correspondence with Clarges, who was hearty for the restoration, Sir Anthony opened himself more freely, and showed him that it was practicable. Monk, upon the invitation which he had received, Monk's marched to Newark; and the way being cleared for him by the dispersing of Lambert's forces, he advanced towards London. On the road he was addressed by Lord Fairfax and others, who intimated their desire of seeing the ancient government restored. He received them with civility, but answered with great reserve. Sir Arthur Haslerigge, Mr. Scot, and others, grew jealous and apprehensive of him. They resolved to check the power of one whom they thought so dangerous; and therefore offered to make Sir Anthony general of their forces, if he would march against him. Though Sir Anthony might have promised himself success in the undertaking, Monk's army being small and his cavalry weak, he refused their offer, and told them he had given Monk a promise of his friendship, which he would not break. This reduced him to a worse state with them than Monk was. They perceived his opi A. D. 1659-60. Monk's arrival in London. nions to be repugnant to theirs, and from that time never consulted with him.5 51 Upon Monk's approach, Sir Anthony, to perform his promise and prevent any opposition, procured an order of parliament that the soldiers in and about London should march forth, and make room for Monk; who immediately entered the town, and ordered them into distant quarters. 51 Sir Anthony's great talent is at no period so apparent as in his conduct of the various and difficult intrigues with which this time was so rife. We always find him prominent and indefatigable, and he is generally successful. He overlooked no source of information, and he was almost always the first to surprise his friends and confound his opponents by a discovery of the most secret counsels and the most covert designs. He had undertaken a difficult task when he proposed to direct the conduct of Monk, a man who was ambitious, yet undecided as to the object of his ambition; desirous of power, yet without talent to acquire or retain it; and singularly fortunate in obtaining by conduct, which resulted only from irresolute selfishness, a reputation for deep thought and disinterested patriotism. Yet Sir Anthony, when he had once resolved to make him the instrument of a restoration, watched him with unerring caution, and guided him with the influence of a superior mind. For this purpose he had gained over the general's wife, who naturally dreading the result of the dark designs in which she feared her husband was engaged, confided to Sir Anthony all she either observed or suspected. This channel of information enabled him, on several occasions, to give Monk signal proofs that he had a superior master at intrigue to deal with,-one whom it was in vain for him to attempt to deceive. In The jealousy which had been conceived of Monk increasing every day amongst those who wished to establish an oligarchy, they resolved to put him upon some action that would lessen his interest in the city, and consequently in the country. order to this, Sir Arthur Haslerigge and his party procured a meeting, in the council-chamber at Whitehall, of such persons as they thought most attached to them among the members of the council of war and council of state. Sir Arthur himself carried the general to this assembly, who was no sooner entered but the doors were secured, and a guard placed without, with express orders that no one whatever should be admitted. ther Sir Anthony nor any friend of Monk's had the least notice of this till about an hour after the assembly had sat; when an officer of the army, by accident seeing Sir Anthony and Mr. Weaver in a coach in Fleet-street, acquainted them with it, apprehending it was upon some very important business, by the locking of the doors, and the orders that had been given to the guards; both which he (being then in the outward room) saw and heard. Upon this, Sir Anthony and Mr. Weaver hastened to Whitehall; where the guards, out of respect to them, (being both mem Nei A. D. 1659-60. |