Life of Edward Earl of Clarendon, vol 2 | Page 9

of his
intentions.
The first step was to restore to their places in Parliament all who had
been excluded in 1648 by Colonel Pride. On February 21st, all those
who remained of the Long Parliament once more assembled at
Westminster, and the majority soon reversed the action of the Rump.
Military commands were taken from the sectarian fanatics, and
replaced in the hands of men of station throughout the land. Temporary
provision was made for revenue, and the city readily advanced what
was required upon the credit of the Parliament that was yet to meet.
Writs were issued for a new Parliament to meet on April 25th. On
March 17th the Long Parliament was finally dispersed.
The Court of Charles at Brussels had meanwhile undergone all the
anxieties of alternating hope and despair. Monk's action against the city
had confirmed their worst forebodings; but "these fogs and mists," says

Hyde," were soon dispelled." It was only a few days later that better
news reached Hyde. Late one evening, Ormonde brought a young man
to the Lord Chancellor's lodgings, which were just beneath those of the
King. The young man [Footnote: "The man's name was Baily; he had
lived most in Ireland, and had served there as a foot-officer under the
Marquis (Ormonde)" (_Hist. of Rebellion_, Bk. xvi. p. 139).] looked
"as if he had drank much, or slept little." He had just travelled with all
expedition from London. From Lambeth, where he had been in a sort of
nominal confinement, with others of the King's friends, he had heard
the sound of the bells which had rung out when Monk came back to the
city as a friend, and had pronounced for a free Parliament. He had
crossed the river and viewed the scene of rejoicing in Cheapside; had
seen the bonfires, and heard the health of the King toasted. He had
joined in open proposals for the restoration of the rightful sovereign;
and straight from those unwonted experiences he had taken post for
Dover and crossed to Ostend.
It was hard to say how much comfort could be drawn from this report.
The messenger had brought a copy of Monk's published declaration;
but that contained no word about the restoration of the King. Even were
his friends encouraged to action, it was idle to hope for success in arms
without foreign aid; and Charles and Hyde knew how small were the
chances of such aid. Were the unpurged Long Parliament restored,
what better could be hoped from them than that they would open
negotiations upon the basis of the old treaty at Newport, which the late
King "had yielded to with much less cheerfulness than he had walked
to the scaffold"?
The portents, however, continued to be favourable. Addresses were
received from many whose favour for the royal cause had, hitherto,
been unsuspected, and whose new-found loyalty might well be
accepted as an indication of a change in the temper of the nation.
Patience was still the watchword urged by Hyde. The issues were
ripening, and even now he may have anticipated that bloodless
restoration towards which the current was quickly carrying the people.
A new danger suddenly arose, by the escape of Lambert from the

Tower in April. His influence in the army was unrivalled, and he alone
could raise a counterpoise to the power of Monk. So long as his rival
was at large, Monk could not, except at imminent risk, have declared
himself more decidedly. To do so would have aroused opposition that
would have strengthened that rival's hands. But Lambert's efforts were
unavailing. Had he been able to remain in London, Hyde thinks he
might, in time, have organized an effective opposition. Instead of this
he felt it needful to strike at once. He made his way to
Buckinghamshire, and from that county and Warwickshire he was able
to collect a considerable force. Colonel Ingoldsby was despatched in
pursuit of him, and soon overtook him at Daventry in
Northamptonshire. Ingoldsby had been a strong adherent of Cromwell,
and (as he asserted, against his will) had been forced to sign the death
warrant of the King. He had now an opportunity of rendering a service
that might wipe out some heavy scores against him. Lambert at first
endeavoured to detach Ingoldsby from his allegiance to Monk, by
offering to espouse the cause of Richard Cromwell. But Ingoldsby
rightly judged that such a scheme was doomed to failure. Lambert's
troops refused to fight and fast deserted him, and he was easily made
prisoner and once more committed to the Tower.
[Illustration: GENERAL LAMBERT. (_From the original by Robert
Walker, in the National Portrait Gallery._)]
During the interval between the Dissolution on March 17th, and the
meeting of the new Parliament, the administration was in the hands of a
Council