egiments near that city, being solicited by their old officers, who
had been cashiered by the committee of safety, revolted again to the
parliament. Desborow's regiment, being sent by Lambert to support his
friends, no sooner arrived at St. Albans, than it declared for the same
assembly.

Fleetwood's hand was found too weak and unstable to support this
ill-founded fabric, which every where around him was falling into ruins.
When he received intelligence of any murmurs among the soldiers, he
would prostrate himself in prayer, and could hardly be prevailed with
to join the troops. Even when among them, he would, in the midst of
any discourse, invite them all to prayer, and put himself on his knees
before them. If any of his friends exhorted him to more vigor, they
could get no other answer than, that God had spitten in his face, and
would not hear him. Men now ceased to wonder why Lambert had promoted
him to the office of general, and had contented himself with the second
command in the army.

Lenthal, the speaker, being invited by the officers, again assumed
authority, and summoned together the parliament, which twice before had
been expelled with so much reproach and ignominy. As soon as assembled,
they repealed their act against the payment of excise and customs; they
appointed commissioners for assigning quarters to the army; and, without
taking any notice of Lambert, they sent orders to the forces under his
command immediately to repair to those quarters which were appointed
them.

{1660.} Lambert was now in a very disconsolate condition. Monk, he saw,
had passed the Tweed at Coldstream, and was advancing upon him. His own
soldiers deserted him in great multitudes, and joined the enemy. Lord
Fairfax, too, he heard, had raised forces behind him, and had possessed
himself of York, without declaring his purpose. The last orders of the
parliament so entirely stripped him of his army, that there remained not
with him above a hundred horse: all the rest went to their quarters with
quietness and resignation; and he himself was, some time after, arrested
and committed to the Tower. The other officers, who had formerly been
cashiered by the parliament, and who had resumed their commands that
they might subdue that assembly, were again cashiered and confined to
their houses. Sir Harry Vane and some members who had concurred with
the committee of safety, were ordered into a like confinement. And the
parliament now seemed to