by some Republican utterance of
Scott, moved that the House, before dissolving, should testify its
abhorrence of the murder of the late King by a resolution disclaiming
all hand in that affair. The untimely proposal caused a great
excitement, various members starting up to protest that they at least
had never concurred in the horrid act, while others, who had been
King's judges or regicides, betrayed their uneasiness by
prevarications and excuses. Not so Scott. "Though I know not where to
hide my head at this time," he said boldly, "yet I dare not refuse
to own that not only my hand, but my heart also, was in that action";
and he concluded by declaring he should consider it the highest
honour of his existence to have it inscribed on his tomb: "_Here
lieth one who had a hand and a heart in the execution of Charles
Stuart_." Having thus spoken, he left the House, most of the
Republicans accompanying him. The Dissolution Act was passed, and
there was an end of the Long Parliament. Their last resolution was
that the 6th of April should be a day of general fasting and
humiliation.[1]

[Footnote 1: Commons Journals of dates; Ludlow, 863-864; Noble's
Lives of the Regicides, II. 169-199 (Life of Scott, with evidence of
Lenthall and others at his trial); Phillips, 694; Guizot, II.
167-168.]

Though the House was dissolved, the Council of State was to sit on,
with full executive powers, till the meeting of the new Parliament.
Annesley was now generally, if not habitually, the President of the
Council, and in that capacity divided the principal management of
affairs with Monk.

The Parliament having provided for expenses by an assessment of
L100,000 a month for six months, the Council could give full
attention to the main business of preserving the peace till the
elections should be over. Conjoined with this, however, was the
important duty of carrying out a new Militia Act which the Parliament
had framed. It was an Act disbanding all the militia forces as they
had been raised and officered by the Rump, and ordering the militia
in each county to be reorganized by commissioners of Presbyterian or
other suitable principles. The Act had given great offence to the
regular Army, naturally jealous at all times of the civilian
soldiery, but especially alarmed now by observing into what hands the
Militia was going. It would be a militia of King's men, they said,
and the Commonwealth would be undone! So strong was this feeling in
the