point of numbers and experience the force under his command was no
match for that led by Lambert, but his magazines and treasury were amply
supplied, while his adversary possessed not money enough to keep his army
together for more than a few weeks. Before the major-general reached
Newcastle, he met three deputies from Monk on their way to treat with the
council in the capital. As no arguments could induce them to open the
negotiation with him, he allowed them to proceed, and impatiently awaited
the result. After much discussion, an agreement was concluded in London;
but Monk, instead of ratifying it with his signature, discovered,[a]
or pretended to discover, in it much that was obscure or ambiguous, or
contrary to the instructions received by the deputies; his council agreed
with him in opinion; and a second negotiation was opened with Lambert at
Newcastle, to obtain from him an explanation of the meaning of the officers
in the metropolis. Thus delay was added to delay; and Monk improved the
time to dismiss even the privates whose sentiments were suspected, and to
fill up the vacancies in the regiments of infantry by levies among the
Scots. At the same time he called a convention of the Scottish estates at
Berwick, of two representatives from each county and one from each borough,
recommended to them the peace of the country during his absence, and
obtained from them the grant of a year's arrears of their taxes, amounting
to sixty thousand pounds, in

[Footnote 1: See the Conferences of Ludlow and Whitelock with Fleetwood,
Ludlow, ii. 277; Whitelock, 690.]

[Sidenote a: A.D. 1659. Nov. 19.]

addition to the excise and customs. He then fixed his head-quarters at
Coldstream.[1]

In the mean while the detention of Lambert in the north by the artifices of
Monk had given occasion to many important events in the south. Within
the city several encounters had taken place between the military and the
apprentices;[2] a free parliament had become the general cry; and the
citizens exhorted each other to pay no taxes imposed by any other
authority. Lawson, though he wavered at first, declared against the army,
and advanced with his squadron up the river as far as Gravesend. Hazlerig
and Morley were admitted into Portsmouth by the governor, were joined by
the force sent against them by Fleetwood, and marched towards London, that
they might open a communication with the fleet in the river. Alarm produced
in the committee of safe