ty the most contradictory councils. A voice
ventured to suggest the restoration of Charles Stuart; but it was replied
that their offences against the family of Stuart were of too black a dye to
be forgiven; that the king might be lavish of promises now that he stood in
need of their services; but that the vengeance of parliament would absolve
him from the obligation, when the monarchy should once be established. The
final resolution was to call a new parliament against the 24th of January,
and to appoint twenty-one conservators of the public peace during the
interval. But they

[Footnote 1: Price, 741-744. Whitelock, 688, 699. Ludlow, 269, 271, 273.
Skinner, 161, 164.]

[Footnote 2: The posts occupied by the army within the city were, "St.
Paul's Church, the Royall Exchange, Peeter-house in Aldersgate-street, and
Bernet's Castle, Gresham Coledge, Sion Coledge. Without London, were the
Musses, Sumersett-house, Whitehall, St. James's, Scotland-yeard."--MS.
Diary by Thomas Rugge.]

[Sidenote a: A.D. 1659. Dec. 8.]
[Sidenote b: A.D. 1659. Dec. 17.]

reckoned on an authority which they no longer possessed. The fidelity
of the common soldiers had been shaken by the letters of Monk, and the
declaration of Lawson. Putting themselves under the command of the officers
who had been lately dismissed, they mustered[a] in Lincoln's Inn Fields,
marched before the house of Lenthall in Chancery Lame, and saluted him
with three volleys of musketry as the representative of the parliament and
lord-general of the army. Desborough, abandoned by his regiment, fled in
despair towards Lambert; and Fleetwood, who for some days had done nothing
but weep and pray, and complain that "the Lord had spit in his face,"
tamely endeavoured to disarm by submission the resentment of his
adversaries. He sought the speaker, fell on his knees before him, and
surrendered his commission.[1]

Thus the Rump was again triumphant. The members, with Lenthall at their
head, resumed[b] possession of the house amidst the loud acclamations
of the soldiery. Their first care was to establish a committee for the
government of the army, and to order the regiments in the north to separate
and march to their respective quarters. Of those among their colleagues who
had supported the late committee of safety, they excused some, and punished
others by suspension, or exclusion, or imprisonment: orders were sent to
Lambert, and the most active of his associates, to withdraw f