M O 
Immediately on the death of Oliver, Monk proclaimed 
Richard, from whom he received a very kind letter, which 
among other things laid, “ that his father had directed 
him to be governed chiefly by his advice.” To this, Monk 
returned a prudent anfwer, but did not commit himfelf: 
he forefavv that Richard would not be able long to main¬ 
tain his authority, and was unqueftionably preparing to 
aft according to circumftances. Rut, whatever were his 
private views, no politician could have kept them more 
clofely concealed. His relation and early patron, fir John 
Granville, fent the general’s brother to him in Scotland, 
with a letter from the king, foliciting his fupport; but 
though he received his brother with kindnefs, he fent 
him back with no confidential communication on the 
fubjeft. Lambert, his principal rival, was at this period 
pofi'efled of the chief influence over the army in England. 
By direftio.n of the committee of fafety, who now held the 
reins of government, he marched northwards with the 
view of overawing Monk. The latter, to gain time, dif- 
patched commifiioners to London to treat of an accommo¬ 
dation ; and in the mean while the parliament refumed 
its authority. Monk fet out on his journey to the me¬ 
tropolis : his charafter was fo highly eftimated, that he 
received addrelfes on all fides, requelling that he would 
ufe his influence, and exert his power, in fettling a legal 
and equitable government. On his arrival, he took his 
quarters in Weftminfter, affeftinga perfeft and unlimited 
obedience to the exilling parliament, and even caufed 
fome of their orders to be executed which revolted againft 
his own mind. At length he complained of the odious 
fervice forced upon him ; and required the houfe, in a pe¬ 
remptory manner, to iflue writs for aflembling a new and 
free parliament. This was the death-warrant to the long 
or rump parliament; and the general rejoicings that were 
made on the occafion fufliciently proved the odium which 
that afiembly had incurred with the nation. Every thing 
now manifefely tended to the reftoration of monarchy ; 
and yet Monk Hill maintained the appearance of attach¬ 
ment to republican principles, and allowed, at leaft open¬ 
ly, no channel of communication between him and the 
king At length the general unbofomed himfelf to a per- 
fon of the name of Mortice, a relation and intimate friend; 
and through his means fir John Granville was admitted 
to a conference with the general, and entrufled with a 
verbal mefl'age to the king, confining of afl'urances of fide¬ 
lity, and advice for his conduft. Thus was the reftora¬ 
tion begun, profecuted, and perfefted, by Monk, who af- 
fifted, on the 8th of May, 1660, at the proclamation of 
Charles II. in the capital. See the article England, 
vol. vi. p. 683, 4. 
On the landing of the king at Dover, he was met by 
Monk, who w'as hailed by Charles and his brother with 
all the diftinftion juftly due to one who had been fo in- 
ftrumental in the great event. It was unqueftionably re¬ 
garded as an additional benefit conferred on the fovereign, 
though very unjuftifiable on the part of Monk, that he 
difeouraged and oppofed all thofe limitations of the royal 
power and prerogative which fome of the belt and moft 
judicious friends to political liberty had propofed; and in¬ 
filled that his reftoration ihould be unconditional, like 
that of Ferdinand the Beloved in our days. His rewards, 
as was natural, foon followed, and they were as ample as a 
fubjeft could expeft. His titles, preferments, and for¬ 
tune, he received as favours from the king, all which he 
might, perhaps, have received in another way, as a very 
large party in the country would have gladly made him 
Oliver’s fucceflor; but, as Campbell exprefles it, “ Monk 
generoufly delpifed a diadem to which he had no right, 
and, with equal greatnefs of mind, refilled to make any 
terms with him to whom it belonged, choofing to leave 
the king’s power, and the people’s freedom, to be dif- 
cufl’ed in the only afiembly that could have a right to med¬ 
dle with them.” He was created a knight of- the garter, 
was admitted into the privy-council, made mailer of the 
liorfe, gentleman of the bed-chamber, firft connuiflioner 
Vol, XV. No. 1075. 
N Kr 677 
of the treafury, and created duke of Albemarle, with the 
grant of a landed eftate of 7000I. a-year, befides other pen¬ 
sions. The lieutenancy of Devonihire and Middlefex, and 
of the borough of Southwark, were loon afterwards ad¬ 
ded to his honours. This elevation he bore with the 
modefty and diferetion that were inherent in his difpoli- 
tion ; and he never Ihowed any fymptoms of that over¬ 
valuation of fervices, which has been fo frequent among 
thofe who have had the fortune to lay their fovereigns un¬ 
der great obligations. He fat as one of the commiifioners 
for the trial of the regicides, in which he condufted him¬ 
felf with great moderation. His produftion, however, of 
private letters from the marquis of Argyle on the trial of 
that nobleman for high treafon, which were made inllru- 
mental to his conviftion, was much ccnfured, elpecially 
as the letters only exprefled attachment to that ufurped 
government which Monk himfelf then adminillered in 
Scotland. He joined the lord-chancellor Hyde in the 
conftitutional meafure of dilbanding the army, but was 
induced to confent to an exception in favour of his own 
regiment. The fuppreflion of the infurreftion of thole 
enthufiafts called the fifth- monarchy-men was chiefly ef- 
fefted by him at the head of that regiment. 
It might have been expefted, after fuch eminent fer¬ 
vices, and as nothing hereafter to be achieved could have 
railed his reputation higher than it flood, that the duke 
would have retired from public life, to enjoy his fame and 
fortune. This, however, was not the cafe. At the break¬ 
ing out of the Dutch war in 1664, he was entrufted by 
the duke of York with the fuperintendency of the ad¬ 
miralty-affairs ; and in the fubfequent year he was ap¬ 
pointed joint-admiral of the 'fleet with prince Rupert. 
He greatly exerted himfelf in refitting and manning the 
fleet, in which fervice his popularity among the failors, 
w r ho called him by the familiar name of “ Honeft George,” 
was of great ufe. The two commanders put to fea in 
April 1666, and fell in with the Dutch under the younger 
Tromp and the Ruyter. By Albemarle’s advice, Rupert 
took a divilion of the fleet to oppofe that of the French, 
which was coming to the aid of the Dutch. Although 
this detachment left the Englilh much inferior in num¬ 
ber, Albemarle did not helitate to begin the attack on. 
June 1, and a dreadful engagement enfued, which lafted 
four days. On the three firft, the Englilh, being out-num¬ 
bered, notwithftanding the utmoft exertions of valour, 
were obliged to make a retreating fight, Albemarle him¬ 
felf doling the rear, with a full refolution of blowing up 
his fliip rather than being taken. On the fourth, the re¬ 
turn of prince Rupert enabled the Englilh to face about, 
and a frelh aftion enfued, at the end of which they re¬ 
tired to their harbours, having been on the whole the 
principal fufferers. A new combat under the fame ad¬ 
mirals on both fides, on July 25, ended to the difadvan- 
tage of the Dutch ; after which Albemarle came home 
and llruck his flag. The daring enterprife of the Dutch. 
in 1667, who failed up the Thames and burnt the Ihips at 
Chatham, called forth the exertions of the veteran, w'ho 
expofed himfelf to great danger in the defence. At this 
time he began to be affefted with the fymptoms of a droply, 
which put a period to his life at his feat of Newhall in 
Eflex, in January 1670, in the 6 zd year of his age. He 
left a very large property, accumulated by frugality, to 
an only fon, whofe mother, a woman of low extraftion, 
had lived with him as a miftrefs fome years before their 
marriage. His remains were depofited, with great fune¬ 
ral pomp, in Henry VII’s chapei in Weftminiler-abbey ;, 
but no monument has been erefted to his memory. At 
the death of the fon we have mentioned, in 1686, the title . 
became extinft. The prefent Vifcount Monck, of the 
kingdom of Ireland, is a defeendant of the family, and 
bears the arms. (See Heraldry, Plate LX.) The lower 
part of the annexed engraving is copied from an original 
warrant. The reader converlant in heraldry may perhaps 
objeft to the peer’s helmet which furmounts the arms, 
fince Monk was not of .a noble family; but the helmet is 
8.K. of 
