eng: 
fettled gloom ; and he regarded every ftranger with fuf- 
picion. A tertian ague kindly intervened, to deliver him 
from this life of horror and anxiety. For the fpace of a 
week no dangerous fymptoms appeared ; and, in the inter¬ 
vals of the fits, he was able to walk abroad. But notwith- 
ftandirig thefe favourable affurances, the fatal fymptoms 
increafed ; and the phyficiahs were at laft obliged to de¬ 
clare that lie could not ftirvive the next fit. The coun¬ 
cil came to know his laft commands concerning the fuc- 
ceffion; but his fenfes were confufed : his departing foul 
was on the wing, and he had but juft time to anfwer ;yes 
to their demand, whether his fon Richard fliould be ap¬ 
pointed to fucceed' him. He died on the third of Sep¬ 
tember, 1658, the very day which he had always confi- 
dered as the mod fortunate of his life; he was then fifty- 
nine years old, and had ufurped the government nine 
years.—For the moft interefting particulars of his private 
life, perfonal acquirements, family, and character, fee the 
article Cromwell, vol. v. p. 378, &c. 
After the death of the ulurper, the influence of his 
name was (fill fufficient to get Richard, his foil, proclaimed 
“ Protestor of England but it was probably owing to 
the numerous parties that were formed in the kingdom, 
and their mutual hatred of each other, that Richard 
owed his peaceable advancement to this high ftation. It 
was found neceffitry, upon his firft advancement, to call 
a parliament to furnifh the fupplies to carry on the ordi¬ 
nary operations of government. But it was not on the 
parliament that the army chofe to rely. A great number 
of the principal malcontents of the army eftabliftied a 
meeting at general Fleetwood’s, which, as he dwelt in 
Wallingford-houfe, was called the Cabal of Walling¬ 
ford. The refult of their deliberations was a remon- 
firance, that the command of the army (hould be intruded 
to fome perfon in whom they might all confide ; and it 
was plainly given to underhand that the young protestor 
was not the perfon they meant. 
A propofal fo daring and dangerous did not fail to alarm 
Richard ; he applied to his council, and they referred it 
to the parliament. Both agreed to confider it as an au¬ 
dacious attempt, and a vote was palled that there fliould 
be no meeting, or general council of officers, with ut the 
protedlor’s permiffion. This brought affairs to an open 
rupture. The palace of the protedfor was the next day 
furrounded by a body of officers ; and one Defborow, a 
man of a’brutal difpofition, penetrating into his apart¬ 
ment with an armed retinue, threatened his life if he re- 
fufed to fubmit to the army. Richard wanted refolution 
to defend what had been conferred upon him; he dif- 
folved the parliament, and foon after (igned his own ab¬ 
dication. Henry Cromwell, his younger brother, who 
was appointed to the command in Ireland, followed the 
protedfor’s example, and refigned his commiffion, without 
ftriking a blow. Richard lived feveral years after his 
refignation, at firft on the continent, and afterwards upon 
his paternal eftate at Hurfley in Hampfliire. He was 
thought by the ignorant to be unworthy of his exaltation 
to the dignity of protestor ; but lie knew by his tran¬ 
quillity in private life, that he had made a moft defirable 
exchange.—See a biographical account of him, vol. v. 
P- 3 » 5 - 
The officers, being thus left to themfelves, determined 
to replace the remnant of the old parliament, which had 
beheaded the king, and which Cromwell had fo difgrace- 
fully turned out of the houfe. This was called the good 
old caufe, from their attachment to Republican principles ; 
and to the members of this the cabal of officers for a 
while delivered up their own authority. The members, 
who had been feci tided by colonel Pride’s purge, as it 
was called, attempted, in vain, to refume their feats 
among them. This was called the Rump Parliament ; and, 
although reinftated by the army, was yet very vigorous 
in its attempts to lelfen the power by which it was re¬ 
placed. They began their defign of humbling the army, 
by new-modelling part of the forces, calhiering fuch of 
.AND- .683 
the officers as were moft obnoxious, and appointing others 
on whom they could more implicitly rely. 
In this exigency, the officers held feveral conferences, 
with a defign to oppofe the parliament ; and they came 
to a refolution to diffiolve that aifembly. Accordingly, 
Lambert, one of the generals, drew up a chofen body of 
troops; and placing them in the ftreets which led to 
Weftrninfter-hall, when the fpeaker, Lenthal, proceeded 
in his carriage to the houfe, lie ordered the horfes to be 
turned, and fent him home, under a military efcort. The 
other members were likevvife intercepted, and driven 
back ; and the army returned to their quarters to obferve 
a folemn fa ft, which generally either preceded, or fol¬ 
lowed, their outrages. The officers, having thus re¬ 
fumed the power they had delegated to the rump parlia¬ 
ment, refolved to part with it no more ; but, in order to 
keep up the appearance of a government, they elefted a 
council of twenty-three perfons, called a Committee of 
Safety, which they invefted with a nominal fupremacy. 
Throughout the three kingdoms there now prevailed 
nothing but melancholy fears of the bloody maflacre of 
the nobility and gentry, and of perpetual fervitude to the 
reft of the people. 
But amidft thefe moft gloomy profpedts, Providence 
was preparing "a way for the legitimate fovereign to 
mount in peace the throne of his anceftors. General 
George Monk, to whole prudence and loyalty the refto- 
ration of the monarchy is chiefly to be aferibed, had 
fought in Scotland ; and, on the reduction of that king¬ 
dom, was left with the fupreme command. In this ca¬ 
pacity, he conducted himfelf equally to the futisfadfion of 
the nation and the foldiery ; and, forefeeing that the good¬ 
will of the army might eventually be of fervice to him, he 
cultivated their friendlhip with afliduity and fuccefs. 
Hearing that Lambert was advancing northward, Monk 
affedted to treat w.ith the committee of lafety ; but his 
object feems to have been to gain time. In fadt, the na¬ 
tion was falling into anarchy. While Lambert’s forces 
were affembling at Newcaftle, Hazelrig and Morley took 
poffeflion of Portfmouth for the parliament, and admiral 
Lawfon entering the river, declared on the fame fide. 
The city of London had eftablifhed a kind of feparate 
government within itfelf; and thus every thing teemed 
running intocrofs purpofes. The parliament now aflefn- 
bled, and took courage to revoke Lambert’s commiffion; 
who, finding himfelf menaced by Monk in front, and in 
danger of being deferted by his own foldiers, fuffered 
himfelf to be arrefted, and committed to the Tower. 
Monk, who had now pafled the Tweed, though in¬ 
formed of the re'ftoration of parliament, continued to 
advance at the head of about fix thoufand men. During 
his march, he received various addrefles, requefting lie 
would aflift in fettling the nation ; but he affedted to pay 
little regard to them. At length, having taken up his 
quarters in Weftminfter, without oppofition, he was in¬ 
troduced into the houfe, and thanked for his ferviccs. 
His anfwer was couched in terms of great referve. He 
laid, he had only performed his duty ; and that it re¬ 
mained with them to render (till more important fervices 
to the nation, by fummoning a full and free parliament, 
in order to effedt a fettlenient, which all men feemed 
anxious to procure, after fo many convullions. He hint¬ 
ed, that application had been made to him for that pur- 
pofe ; but that he had referred the petitioners to parlia¬ 
ment, who were the beft judges of thele meafures. 
In. a (hort time, however, the common council of Lon¬ 
don having declared that they would pay no more taxes, 
till a free parliament was called, the rump parliament 
gave orders to Monk to march into the city, and feize 
lome of thofe who were moft inimical to its fway. This 
order he hefitated not to execute ; but, reflecting that 
by this meafure he had broke through the general bene¬ 
volence of his character, and made himfelf the tool of a 
parliament which he detefted, he wrote a letter to the 
houfe, requiring them, in the name of the citizens, fol- 
3 diersj_ 
