minates one, a Man highly cry'd up in the Popular Faction, a confiding Man, one of much Zeal, little Senfe, and no Quality, you may fuppofe him, Sir, a Zealous Cobler, the People in conclufion murmur'd at that, and were loth their Fellow-Mutineer, for no other Vertue but Mutinying, fhould come to be advanced to be their Mafter, and by their Looks and Murmur, fufficiently expreffed the Discontent they took at fuch a Motion: Then he nominates another, as mean a Mechanick as the former, you may imagine him, Sir, a bustling, rude, Drayman, or the like; he was no fooner named, but fome burst out a laughing, others grew Angry, and railed at him, and all detefted and fcorned him. Upon that a third was named for a Lord Protector, one of the fame Batch, and every way qualified to fit with the other Two. The People then fell into a confufed Laugh and Noife, and enquired if fuch were Lords, who (by all the Gods) would be content to be Commoners.

Sir, Let me be bold (by the good Leave of the other Houfe, and yours,) to ask the fame Question. But, Sir, to conclude the Story, and with it, the other House, When this Wife Man, I told you of, perceived they were now fenfible of the Inconvenience and Mischief they were running into, and faw

that

that the pulling down their Rulers would prove, in the end, but the fetting up of their Servants; he thought them then prepared, and told 'em, Tou fee, fays he, As bad as this Government is, we cannot, for any thing I fee, agree upon a better: What then, if af ter the Fright we have put our Nobility in, and the Demonftration we have given 'em of our Power, we try 'em once more, whether they will mend, and for the Future, behave themselves with more Moderation. That People, Mr. Speaker, were fo wife as to comply with the Wife Propofition, and fo think it easier to mend their Rulers, than to make New. And, I wish, Mr. Speaker, we may be fo wife as to think fo too.

344

General MONK's Speech (deliver'd in Writing) to the House of Commons in 1649. concerning the fettling the Conduct of the Armies of the Three Nations for the Safety thereof, and for the providing fufficient Maintenance for them, and for the appointing a Council of State with Authority to fettle the Civil Government and Judicatories in Scotland and Ireland, and the Summoning a Parliament of the Three Nations, and for the Diffolution of the prefent Parliament, to make way for the Succeffion of Parliaments.

Gentlemen,

Y

OU are not, I hope, ignorant, what Care and Endeavours have been used, and Means effayed, for healing the Breaches of our Divifions amongft our felves; and that in order thereunto, divers Conferences have been procur'd between you, though to fmall effect; yet having at length receiv'd fuller Satisfaction, from thofe worthy Gen

tlemen

men that were fecluded, than formerly; I was bold to put you all to the trouble of this Meeting, that I might open my felf to you all, even with more Freedom than formerly: But left I might be misapprehended or mistaken, as of late it befel me, I have committed to Writing the Heads of what I intend to Difcourfe to you, and defire it may be read openly to you all.

Gentlemen,

It appears unto me, by what I have heard from you and the whole Nation, that the Peace and happy Settlement of these bleeding Nations, next under God, lieth in your Hands. And when I confider that Wisdom, Piety, and Self-denyal, which I have reafon to be confident, lodgeth in you, and how great a Share of the Nations Sufferings will fall upon you, in Cafe the Lord deny us now a Settlement, I am in very good Hopes, there will be found in you all, fuch melting Bowels towards these poor Nations, and towards one another, that you will become Healers, and Makers up, of all its woful Breaches. And that fuch an Opportunity may clearly appear to be in your Hands, I thought Good to affure you, and that in the presence of God, that I have nothing before my Eyes but God's Glory, and the Settlement of these Nations upon Common-Wealth Foundations,

In

In pursuit whereof, I fhall think nothing too dear; and for my own particular, I fhall throw my felf down at your Feet to be any thing or nothing, in order to thefe great Ends. As to the way of future Settlement, far be it from me to impofe any thing; I defire you may be in perfect Freedom; only give me leave to mind you, that the Old Foundati ons are by God's Providence fo broken, that, in the Eye of Reafon, they cannot be reftored but upon the Ruins of the People of these Nations, that have engaged for their Rights, in defence of the Parliament, and the great. ́and main Ends of the Covenant, for uniting and making the Lord's Name one in the three Nations: And alfo the Liberty of the Peoples Reprefentatives in Parliament will be certainly loft; for if the People find, that after fo long and bloody a War against the King for breaking in upon their Liberties, yet at laft he must be taken in again, it will be out of question, and is moft manifeft, he may for the future govern by his Will, difpofe of Parliaments and Parliament-men as he pleafeth, and yet the People will never more rife for Affistance.

And as to the Interest of this famous City (which hath been in all Ages the Bulwark of Parliaments, and unto whom I am for their great Affection fo deeply engaged) certain

ly