is troops
marched to Newcastle; but the soldiers deserted him for General Fairfax,
who had declared for a free Parliament, and were garrisoned at York.
Here Monk, entering England 2 January, 1660, joined them with his
forces. Lambert, deprived of his followers, was obliged to return to
London. His prompt arrest by order of Parliament followed, and he, Sir
Harry Vane and other members of the Committee of Safety were placed in
strict confinement. On 5 March Lambert was imprisoned in the Tower,
whence he escaped on 10 April, only to be recaptured a fortnight later.
There are vivid pictures in Aubrey, Pepys, and other writers, of the
wild enthusiasm at the fall of the Rump Parliament, with bonfires
blazing, all the church bells ringing, and the populace of London
carousing and pledging King Charles on their knees in the street. 'They
made little gibbets and roasted rumps of mutton. Nay, I saw some very
good rumps of beef,' writes Aubrey, and Pepys is even more vivid in his
tale than the good antiquary.

King Charles landed at Dover, 26 May, amid universal rejoicings.

Mrs. Behn has (quite legitimately) made considerable departures from
strict historical fact and the sequence of events for her dramatic
purposes.

Lambert and Fleetwood are scheming for the supreme power, and both
intrigue with Lord Wariston, the chairman of the Committee of Safety,
for his good word and influence. Lambert meantime fools Fleetwood by
flattery and a feigned indifference. Lady Lambert, who is eagerly
expecting her husband to be proclaimed King, and is assuming the state
and title of royalty to the anger of Cromwell's widow, falls in love
with a cavalier, Loveless. Her friend, Lady Desbro', a thorough loyalist
at heart, though wedded to an old parliamentarian, has long been
enamoured of Freeman, the cavalier's companion. Lambert surprises
Loveless and Freeman with his wife and Lady Desbro', but Lady Lambert
pretending they have come to petition her, abruptly dismisses them both
and so assuages all suspicion. At a meeting of the Committee the two
gallants are sent to prison for a loyal outburst on the part of
Loveless. Ananias Goggle, a lay elder, who having offered liberties to
Lady Desbro' is in her power, is by her obliged to obtain her lover's
release, and she at once holds an interview with him. They are
interrupted by Desbro' himself, but Freeman is concealed and makes an
undiscovered exit behind the shelter of Goggle's flowing cloak.