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but it would produce a restoration. In fine, the long parliament having dissolved themselves on March 16, and issued writs for a new one to meet on April 25, Monck, finding a ready concurrence in the council of state appointed to govern in the interval, (of which Arthur Annesley, afterwards earl of Anglesey, was president,) and seeing himself master of the kingdom, thought he might now take more direct steps to the end he aimed at, and sent his cousin sir John Grenville to the king, with a tender of his duty, and proper instructions with regard to the letters which he advised his majesty to write to himself, the new parliament, and the fleet, and a declaration to be published for the satisfaction of the kingdom.

Lord Mordaunt accompanied sir John in his journey to Brussels, where they arrived at the latter end of March. This I judge from the letters of the king, the marquis of Ormond, and lord Mordaunt, wrote from thence on the first of April to Paris, which were acknowledged by the answers of the queen to the king, and of lord Jermyn to the marquis of Ormond on the sixth of that month O. S. The king and the marquis had in their letters taken notice of his majesty's resolution to remove immediately out of Flanders to Breda, it not being proper for the king, at the time he was invited into England, to continue in the territories of a king of Spain, who was in 198 hostility with the English, and whose ministers might probably advise him to detain his majesty's person till he had delivered back Dunkirk and Jamaica. Lord Jermyn does not find fault with the resolution, the reasons for it (arising from the important particulars in the marquis's letter) being too clear to be disputed, yet presses much that the king would come to Paris, and make that the place of his residence, till he should go for England.

It was one considerable part of Monck's instructions to sir J. Grenville, that he should not return till he had

g E. E. 407.

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seen the king out of the Spanish dominions, and his majesty was desired to make haste to Breda, and from thence [despatch] all the letters and papers he should send to England. I have taken notice of these particulars, as well to do an act of justice to general Monck by shewing that his application to the king was earlier than is generally represented, and that he did not wait till he had seen the issue of the elections, by which he might judge of the temper of the members, as to do another to the marquis of Ormond, (from whom nobody I believe will separate the lord chancellor,) by shewing that he was not unacquainted with Monck's offers and instructions to the king. The surmise, that these were kept a secret from those two noble persons is so far from truth, that on the very next day after lord Mordaunt and sir J. Grenville parted from the king, lord Mordaunt, upon some fresh advices received from England of Monck's measures and further communication of his design, sent ha letter to the marquis of Ormond, desiring him to despatch Hartgill Baron with the commission for that general, and such further instructions as were necessary.

It may not be improper to observe further that Monck had recommended to his majesty to give satisfaction to all parties, to declare that he would pass an act of oblivion and indemnity for all offenders, grant a general liberty of conscience to gratify all humours in religion, and to leave every body in the state wherein they were, and in the possession they had of lands, belonging either to the church or crown, or taken from the royalists, whose estates had been confiscated as delinquents. Admiral Montague had sent to the king at the same time, offering him the fleet under his command, without any reserve, or insisting on any condition whatever. Lord Jermyn hereupon observes, that this last offer was the more considerable, because not clogged like the others with conditions,

h See his letter. G. 4to. p. 33.

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and from thence takes occasion to justify his opinion for the king's coming into France, because there he might, by the advantage of the ports of that kingdom, make the best use of the fleet for his service; and as the affair of his restoration was to be carried on by a treaty with the parliament, nothing would so effectually bring that body to more moderate terms, or secure the affair from miscarriage, as his majesty's being invited to Paris, and residing there.

This point of a treaty was indeed the only thing which caused any difficulty in the way of the king's return. The presbyterian party were many of them for the Isle of Wight propositions, and all of them for making terms with a prince whom they had offended to a degree not to be forgiven by a less generous nature. All that affected to set up for patrons of liberty, and abundance of well meaning persons that had always wished well to the royal cause, were afraid of the prerogative's being restored in its full extent; and if it had once come into debate, upon what conditions the king should be received, there would have been enough to join in insisting upon several articles that could not but be very disagreeable to his majesty. The cavaliers were much afraid of the consequences of such debates, in which all the republican party 199 and sectaries would find opportunities to shew their rancour to monarchy, and aversion to the king's restoration, in a way that would be acceptable to the people. At least it would cause a great delay in settling the kingdom, and expose that to great hazards which now seemed resolved by the general consent of the nation. Hence lord Mordaunt, upon his return to England, observing how passionately many of those of the presbyterian party who had appeared most zealous for the king's return were bent upon terms with him, advised his majesty to make no hesitation in the matter, but to consent absolutely to the first which should be proposed, lest the

matter should be drawn out into length, and his restoration finally prevented. These fears and inconveniences were removed by the wise conduct of Monck, who resolving generously to restore his prince, like a sovereign, with all the rights and prerogatives of his crown, would not suffer the matter to come into debate, and so defeated the schemes of those who designed either to oppose the reestablishment or to impair the power of the monarchy. Sir Mathew Hale, a man of great piety and moderation, good affections to the king, and unexceptionable in all points of his character, having moved the house of commons to consider upon what conditions his majesty should be recalled, the general got up and cautioned them against entering into a consideration which would cause an infinity of debates, and delay, if not prevent, the settlement of the nation. What the consequences thereof would prove, it behoved the house well to consider; but for his own part he declared, that if they entered upon that matter he would not answer for the army. This put a stop to any further debate; the king was invited over without any condition, and the marquis of Ormond, who had attended him in the whole course of his exile, attended him likewise at the latter end of May in his happy return into England.

END OF VOL. III.