hey were no
friends of arbitrary government; but it was certain that they would
restore the monarchy. A premature rising of incautious Royalists was
put down; and the object of Monk was to gain time, until the blindest
could perceive what was inevitable. His hand was forced by Fairfax,
who was ill with gout, but had himself lifted into the saddle, and
raised Yorkshire for a free parliament. Under that flag Monk crossed
the Tweed at Coldstream on New Year's Day. He was already the master
of England, and met with no resistance on the way to Westminster. The
Republicans, in their extremity, offered him the crown, which Monk
refused. He likewise refused the offers of the king, who would have
made him chancellor and grand constable, besides making lavish grants
of money, which the general was believed to like. He knew that he was
sure of his reward when the time came. It came quickly. The Long
Parliament made way for a Convention Parliament, which renewed the
fundamental laws, and finally abolished the feudal rights of the
crown. Whilst these bills were being voted, Charles issued the
Declaration of Breda, proposed by Monk, and resumed the crown without
a struggle.

The nation was glad to escape from the misgovernment of the Republic,
which had weighed heavily on numerous classes, and believed that the
crown had received a lesson which could not be forgotten. The new
government was not imposed by a victorious monarchy. It was an
expression of the national wish. Parliament retained control, and
there was no political reaction.

The changes now introduced went to strengthen not the prerogative, but
the gentry, who were the governing class. They were relieved from the
payment of feudal dues, by means of a tax which fell on other classes;
members were taken from the towns and added to the country districts;
and the militia, which was to protect society from the parliamentary
army, was placed in the hands of the gentry. The new order of things
was the work not of a party, but of a class. The dominant cavaliers
were willing to refuse a share in their power to the old Puritan
enemy, and passed every measure for inflicting disabilities on the
Nonconformists. They were excluded from all offices, in the Church and
in the State, even in the municipalities. In this way, by a religious
test, the class that consisted mainly of Churchmen secured all
political authority for themselves. They, however, added a political