Memorials of the English affairs, or, An historical account of what passed from the beginning of the reign of King Charles the First, to King Charles the Second his happy restauration containing the publick transactions, civil and military : together with the private consultations and secrets of the cabinet.

October, 1659.

1. The Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London, * 1.1 invited the Parliament to dinner at Grocers-Hall, upon the Thanksgiving Day, and the House accep∣ted their Invitation.

The City also Invited the Council of State, and the Officers of the Army to dinner the same day.

The Officers of the Army agreed upon the Pa∣per for their adherence to the Parliament.

Debate, touching the filling up of the House with Members.

Proposals Communicated to the Council, touch∣ing the raising of money.

3. A Committee to consider of qualifications, and distribution of Members for Parliaments.

4. Power continued to the Council of State to issue monies.

Votes for money for the Army and Navy.

The Chapel at Somerset-House, where the French meet, excepted from being sold.

Orders for maimed Souldiers.

5. Petitions from divers of the Prisoners.

Monk would have had Whitelocke one of the Com∣missioners * 1.2 for Scotland, but Whitelocke did put it off; and others were reported from the Council to the House.

Letter agreed from the House to General Monk, taking notice of his faithfulness to the Parliament.

Order for Seals for Scotland and Ireland.

Desborough and other Officers of the Army, in * 1.3 the name of the General Council of the Army, pre∣sented to the House a Petition and Representation, in * 1.4 which were several matters displeasing to the House, as infringing their Privileges, and seeming to impose upon them: But the House did return

thanks for their good expressions, and appointed a day to consider of it.

Orders for Provision for maimed Souldiers, and for monies for the Army.

6. The Members of Parliament, and of the Coun∣cil, and the Officers of the Army, after solem∣nizing * 1.5 the Thanksgiving, dined together with the * 1.6 Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common-council, at Grocers Hall where the City highly feasted them; and there were many mutual expressions of respect and love among them.

7. Order for thanks to the City for their En∣tertainment.

Several Addresses to the Parliament. * 1.7

Order for the Council to examine the account of the Monies for Piedmont.

Letters from publick Ministers.

8. Resolved, That no Officer of Profit or Trust be * 1.8 passed the same day that he is propounded.

A new Act of Sequestrations.

Debate upon the Representations of the Officers of the Army.

10. A Vote for liberty of Conscience.

Answers to some parts of the Armies Represen∣tation, * 1.9 and in justification of those Members of the House, who informed somewhat against the Offi∣cers.

11. Answers to others of the Proposals in the Ar∣mies Representation, somewhat reflecting upon the Officers and to allay them again.

Votes were past for pay for the Army, and for * 1.10 respect to those in the late Expedition under Lam∣bert, and for relief for wounded Souldiers, and for the Widows of Souldiers slain.

Haslerigge and his party being jealous that the Souldiers might break them, and raise money with∣out * 1.11 them, past an Act against raising any money without consent of Parliament. And this raised jea∣lousies in the Souldiers, especially being enacted High Treason.

12. Debate upon the Armies Representation, and a Letter directed to Colonel Okey, reflecting upon * 1.12 the Parliament; and a printed Paper of the Armies Representation, and the Parliaments Answers: which being read, the Parliament discharged Lambert, * 1.13 Desborough, and seven or eight more principal Of∣ficers of the Army, who had subscribed the Letter from their Military Imployment; and ordered, and past an Act for putting out Fleetwood from be∣ing Lieutenant General of the Army; and appoin∣ting him, and Ludlow, Monk, Haslerigge, Walton, Morley, and Overton, to be Commissioners to go∣vern all the Forces.

This further exasperated Lambert and his party, and most of the old Officers of the Army, then in London; and rashly added to the then Divisions.

Order for the next Officers to succeed those put out, and the Serjeant to carry the Orders of the House to them.

13. These proceedings of the Parliament netled the Officers of the Army, especially those who had performed so late and good Service, and caused them to consider what to do for their own Interest; and of these Lambert, Desborough, Berry, and the rost who were outed of their Commands, were the chief.

This Morning the Souldiers drew out of Scotland Yard, part of them to Westminster, and possessed themselves of the Hall, the Palace Yards and A∣venues; and these were such as Haslerigge, Morley, and their Party had to declare for the Parliament, and to be Guards to them.

Evelyn who commanded the Life-guards of the Parliament, marching forth with his Troop to doe his Service, was met by Lambert at Scotland-yard Gate; and Lambert commanded Evelyn to dis∣mount, who thought it safest to obey; and though Lambert were on foot, and none with him, yet Evelyn at the head of his Troop, dismounted at his command, and his Troop also obeyed Lambert; who drew together some other Forces, and placed them along in Kings Street, and near the Abbey Church and Yard, and when the Speaker came by in his Coach, they stopped him, and caused him to return back; and so the House did not sit.

The Council of State sate, where were both Parties * 1.14 of the opposite Souldiers, Lambert, Desborough, and Haslerigge, Morley, and others; and they had a long and smart debate. Some of the Members had got into the House, but the Speaker was kept from them, and most part of their Members. Those in the House were sent to from the Council of State, and consulted with about an Accommodation; and in the mean time, the several parties of the Souldi∣ers kept their stations, expecting Orders to fall on.

But the Council of State so managed the business, and so perswaded with all parties, that at the last they came to an Accommodation, to save the effu∣sion of blood; and the Parliament was not to sit, but the Council of Officers undertook to provide for the preservation of the Peace, and to have a form of Government to be drawn up for a new Parlia∣ment to be shortly summoned, and so to settle all things.

This being agreed upon (and it could not be obtained otherwise) the Council of State in the Evening sent their Orders, requiring all the Soul∣diers of each Party to draw off, and to depart to their several quarters; which was obeyed by them.

14. The Officers of the Army met, and had ma∣ny * 1.15 Debates about a settlement: they declared Fleetwood to be their Commander in chief.

On the other side, Haslerigge and his friends * 1.16 consulted what to do to restore themselves, and to curb the opposite Officers of the Army who had thus affronted them and the Parliament; and they had some hopes of Monk to be their Champion. * 1.17

15. The Council of State seldom met, but some few of them in private.

17. The Council of Officers sent one of their Company to Monk, and another into Ireland, to acquaint the Officers of those Forces, of the pro∣ceedings here, and to desire their concurrence therein.

They suspended from their Commands the Offi∣cers of the Army who appeared against them.

They nominated a Committee of ten of the * 1.18 Council of State, Fleetwood, Lambert, Whitelocke, Vane, Desborough, Harrington, Sydenham, Berry, Sal∣wey, and Warreston, to consider of fit ways to carry on the Affairs and Government.

At a General Council of Officers, they agreed upon Articles of War; they declared Fleetwood to be * 1.19 Commander in chief of all the Forces, and Lambert to be Major General of the Forces in England and Scotland; and this discontented Monk.

They appointed Fleetwood, Lambert, Vane, Des∣borough, * 1.20 Ludlow and Berry, to be a Committee to nominate Officers of the Army: and they kept a day of Humiliation in Whitehall Chapel.

19. Letters from the Zound that the Dutch and Danes Fleet were retreated.

21. Whitelocke had notice that he was named among the Officers of the Army to be one of that * 1.21 Council which they intended to set up to carry on the great Affairs of the Commonwealth; but he was not desirous of that Imployment, especially at such a time as this.

22. The Council of Officers agreed upon the names * 1.22 of 23 persons to be of this Council

26. The General Council of Officers agreed upon these persons to be intrusted with the management of publick Affairs; Fleetwood, Lambert, Desborough, Steel, Whitelocke, Vane, Ludlow, Sydenham, Salwey, * 1.23 Strickland, Berry, Lawrence, Harrington, Wareston, Lord Mayor Ireton, Tichburn, Brandrith, Thomson, Hewson, Clerk, Lilburn, Bennet, Holland; and gave them the same powers that the Council of State had, and more.

A printed Letter was published, as sent from General Monk, signifying his dissatisfaction with * 1.24 the proceedings of the Forces in England.

And another Letter was published as from divers of Monk's Officers, signifying their concurrence with the Officers in England.

Care was taken for government of the Army in England, and to prevent Insurrections.

27. The General Council of Officers agreed to call * 1.25 the new Council, The Committee of Safety; and that Letters should be sent to the several Members of it, to undertake the Trust.

The Letter to Whitelocke was this.

For our honoured Friend Bulstrode Lord White∣locke.

Sir,

Ʋpon consideration of the present posture of Affairs of this Commonwealth, the General Council of Officers of the Army, have thought fit to appoint a Committee of Safety for the preservation of the Peace, and manage∣ment of the present Government thereof; As also for the preparing of a Form of a future Government for these Nations, upon the foundation of a Commonwealth or free State: And your self being one of the persons nominated for that purpose, we do by their direction, hereby give you notice thereof, and desire you to repair tomorrow morning at Ten of the Clock, to the Horse Chamber in Whitehall, in order to the Service afore∣said. We rest,

Whitehall, 27. Octob. 1659.

Your faithfull Friends and Servants,

• Zankey,
• Packer,
• Salmon,
• Milles,
• Allen,
• Ashfield,
• Kelsey,
• Biscoe,
• Creed,
• Clerk,
• Gough,
• King.

Whitelocke was in some perplexity what to do upon this Letter, and had much discourse with his Friends about it; Desborough and some other great * 2.1 Officers of the Army, and Actors in this business, came to him, and made it their earnest request to him to undertake this Trust, and told him, That some of this Committee, as Vane, Salwey, and others, had a design to overthrow Magistracy, Ministry, and the Law; and that to be a balance to them, they had chosen Whitelocke and some others, to oppose this De∣sign, and to support and preserve the Laws, Magi∣stracy, and Ministry in these Nations.

That they knew their Abilities to do it, and de∣pended much upon them; and that if Whitelocke * 2.2 should deny to undertake this Charge, it would much trouble the General Council of Officers, and be of great prejudice to the intended settlement: and therefore they most earnestly desire him to accept of this Imploy∣ment. And Fleetwood perswaded Whitelocke to the same purpose, and many other Friends were of the same opinion, and earnest with him not to de∣cline it.

28. The Committee of Safety were to meet, White∣locke had revolved in his mind the present state of Affairs, that there was no visible Authority or power for Government at this time, but that of the Army; that if some Legal Authority were not a∣greed upon and settled, the Army would pro∣bably take it into their hands, and govern by the Sword, or set up some Form prejudicial to the Rights and Liberties of the People, and for the particular advantage and interest of the Souldiery, more than would be convenient.

That he knowing the purpose of Vane and others to be such, as to the lessening of the power of the Laws, and so to change them, and the Magistracy, Ministry, and Government of the Nation, as might be of dangerous consequence to the Peace and Rights of his Country: To prevent which, and to keep things in a better order and form, he might be instrumental in this Imployment. Upon these and the like grounds, as also by the ingagement of divers of the Committee to joyn with him therein, he was perswaded to undertake it, and did meet with them at the place appointed; where he was received by them with all respect and civility.

The Instructions of the Committee of Safety, were presented to them.

29. The Committee sate all day.

The Armies Declaration was published of the * 2.3 grounds of their late proceedings.

A Letter came from General Monk to the Offi∣cers of the Army here, of the dissatisfaction of him∣self, * 2.4 and some of his Officers, in the late proceed∣ings of the Army here.

Persons were sent to him for his better informa∣tion.

He secured Berwick for himself.

Lambert was appointed to command the Forces * 2.5 in the North, and to have more Regiments with him.

31. Bradshaw died of a Quartan Ague, which * 2.6 had held him a year, a stout man, and learned in his Profession: No friend of Monarchy.

Notes

• * 1.1

  London.
• * 1.2

  Monk.
• * 1.3

  Desborough
• * 1.4

  Petition.
• * 1.5

  London:
• * 1.6

  Feasting.
• * 1.7

  Addresses.
• * 1.8

  Vote.
• * 1.9

  Answers. Army.
• * 1.10

  Votes.
• * 1.11

  Jealousies.
• * 1.12

  Army.
• * 1.13

  Lambert.
• * 1.14

  Council of State.
• * 1.15

  Army.
• * 1.16

  Haslerigge.
• * 1.17

  Monk.
• * 1.18

  Commit. of ten.
• * 1.19

  Fleetwood.
• * 1.20

  Lambers.
• * 1.21

  Zound.
• * 1.22

  Council of Officers.
• * 1.23

  New Council.
• * 1.24

  Monk.
• * 1.25

  Commit. of Safety.
• * 2.1

  Desborough
• * 2.2

  Novem.
• * 2.3

  Declara∣tion.
• * 2.4

  Monk.
• * 2.5

  Lambert.
• * 2.6

  Bradshaw dies.