experience, allow the
officers to reassemble in general council? To the horror of Broghill,
Falconbridge, Thurloe, and the rest of the Court party, it was found
that, in a moment of weakness, cajoled privately by Fleetwood and
Desborough, he _had_ given the permission, without even
consulting his Council. Nothing could be done but let the convention
meet, taking care that as many officers as possible of the Court
party should be present in it. Accordingly, on the 5th of April 1659,
there were about 500 officers of all ranks at Wallingford House,
Fleetwood and Desborough at the head of one Protectoral party, and
Broghill, Viscount Howard, Falconbridge, with Whalley and Goffe,
representing the other, while among the general body there were no
one knew how many pure Republicans. The meeting having been solemnly
opened with prayer by Dr. Owen, there was a vehement speech from
Desborough. The essence of the speech was that "several sons of
Belial" had crept into the Army, corrupting its former integrity, and
that therefore he would propose that every officer should be
cashiered that would not "swear that he did believe in his conscience
that the putting to death of the late King, Charles Stuart, was
lawful and just." Amid the cheers that followed, Lords Howard and
Falconbridge (two of the denounced "sons of Belial"?) left in
disgust; but Broghill remained and opposed bravely. He disliked all
tests; but, if there was to be a test, he would propose that it
should be simply an oath "to defend the Government as it is now
established under the Protector and Parliament." If the present
meeting insisted on a test, and did not adopt that one, he would see
that it should be moved in Parliament. This, supported by Whalley and
Goffe, calmed the meeting somewhat; and, after much more speaking, in
which the necessity of a separation of the military power from the
civil was a prominent topic, the result was "_A Humble
Representation and Petition of the Officers of the Armies of England,
Scotland, and Ireland_," expressed in general and not unrespectful
terms, but conveying sufficiently the Army's demands. Presented to
Richard in Whitehall on the 6th of April, this petition was forwarded
by him to the Commons on the 8th, with a letter to the Speaker. For
more than a week no notice was taken by the House; but, the petition
having been circulated in print, with other petitions and documents
more fierce for "the good old cause," and the gene