old Council of State during the late
interruption, that commission did not now hold, and he had really no
other authority than that implied by his appointment before Lambert's
_coup d'etat_ to be fellow-commissioner with Fleetwood, Ludlow,
Hasilrig, Walton, and Morley for the regulation of the Army. The last
three of these, as still acting in the commission, were nominally his
equals. But every care was taken to testify to Monk the sense of his
extraordinary services. A chair was set for him opposite the Speaker;
at the back of which, as he declined the invitation to be seated, he
stood while the Speaker addressed him in a harangue of glowing
thanks. Then, with his hand on the chair, he spoke in return the
speech he had carefully conned. "Sir, I shall not trouble you with
large narratives," he said; "only give me leave to acquaint you that,
as I marched from Scotland hither, I observed the people in most
counties in great and earnest expectations of Settlement, and they
made several applications to me, with numerous subscriptions. The
chiefest heads of their desires were:--for a free and full
Parliament, and that you would determine your sitting; a Gospel
Ministry; encouragement of Learning and Universities; and for
admittance of the members secluded before 1648, without any previous
oath or engagement. To which I commonly answered, That you are now in
a _free_ Parliament, and, if there were any force remaining upon
you, I would endeavour to remove it; and that you had voted to fill
up your House, and then you would be a _full_ Parliament
also...; but, as for those gentlemen secluded in 1648, I told them
you had given judgment in it and all people ought to acquiesce in
that judgment; but to admit any members to sit in Parliament without
a previous oath or engagement to secure the Government in being, it
was never yet done in England. And, although I said it not to them, I
must say it with pardon to you, that the less oaths and engagements
are imposed (with respect had to the security of the common cause)
your settlement will be the sooner attained to." He was now half
through his speech; and the rest consisted of general recommendations
of a policy in accordance with "the sober interest," with care that
"neither the Cavalier nor Fanatic party" should have a share of the
civil or military power. He ended with a glance at Ireland and
Scotland, bespeaking particular attention to the Scots, as "a nation
deserving much to be