ral council of
officers still continuing the meetings at Wallingford House, with the
excitement of sermons and prayers added to that of their debates, the
House was driven at last into that attitude of direct antagonism to
the Army in the name of the Protectorate on which both Royalists and
Republicans had calculated. Thurloe would fain have avoided this, and
had almost longed for some Cavalier outbreak to occupy the two
conflicting Protectoral parties and reunite them. But the numerous
Cavaliers in London had been well instructed and lay provokingly
still; and the management of the crisis for Richard had passed from
Thurloe to the House itself. On Monday the 18th of April, in a House
of 250, with shut doors to prevent any from leaving, it was resolved,
by 163 votes to 87, "That, during the sitting of the Parliament there
shall be no general council or meeting of the officers of the Army
without the direction, leave, and authority of his Highness the Lord
Protector and both Houses of Parliament"; and it was also resolved,
"That no person shall have or continue any command or trust in any of
the Armies or Navies of England, Scotland, or Ireland, or any of the
Dominions or Territories thereto belonging, who shall refuse to
subscribe, That he will not disturb nor interrupt the free meetings
in Parliament of any of the members of either House of Parliament, or
their freedom in their debates and counsels." The concurrence of the
Other House was desired in these votes; and the Commons, who had
noted with surprise that Hasilrig, Ludlow, Scott, and Vane, rather
took part with the Army in the debate, proceeded to the serious
consideration of the arrears of pay due to the officers and soldiers,
and of other real military grievances, in order to reconcile the
Army, if possible, to their strong Resolutions.[1]

[Footnote 1: Ludlow, 633-638; Commons Journals of dates; Guizot, I.
112-120; Phillips, 641; Thurloe, VII. 657-658; Letters of M. de
Bordeaux to Mazarin, in Guizot, I. 361-365.]

That was not possible. Richard, urged by Broghill and others, and
strengthened by the votes of the Commons, summoned up courage to go
to the council of officers at Wallingford House next day, and, after
listening to their debates for a while, declare their meetings
dissolved. The only effect was that they dispersed themselves then,
to meet from day to day just as before, Dr. Owen and other preachers
still among them. Meanwhile, the concurrence of t