King; and that is mine Answer to this
great and weighty business."[1]

[Footnote 1: Carlyle, III. 280-301 (with Speeches X.--XIV.); Commons
Journals of dates; Whitlocke, IV. 289-290.]

The story in Ludlow is that to the last moment Cromwell had meant to
accept, and that his sudden and unexpected refusal was occasioned by
a bold stroke of the Army-men. Having invited himself to dine at
Desborough's, says Ludlow, he had taken Fleetwood with him, and had
begun "to droll with them about monarchy," and ask them why sensible
men like them should make so much of the affair, and refuse to please
the children by permitting them to have "their rattle." Fleetwood and
Desborough still remaining grave, he had called them "a couple of
scrupulous fellows," and left them. Next day (May 6) he had sent a
message to the House to meet him in the Painted Chamber next morning;
and, casually encountering Desborough again, he had told Desborough
what he intended. That same day Desborough had told Pride, whereupon
that resolute colonel had surprised Desborongh by saying he would
prevent it still. Going to Dr. Owen on the instant, Pride had made
him draft an Officers' Petition to the House. It was to the effect
that the petitioners, having "hazarded their lives against monarchy,"
and being "still ready to do so," observed with pain the "great
endeavours to bring the nation again under their old servitude," and
begged the House not to allow a title to be pressed upon their
General which would be destructive to himself and the Commonwealth.
To this petition Pride had obtained the signatures of two Colonels,
seven Lieutenant-Colonels, eight Majors, and sixteen Captains, not
members of the House; and Cromwell, learning what was in progress,
had sent for Fleetwood, and scolded him for allowing such a thing,
the rather as Fleetwood must know "his resolution not to accept the
crown without the consent of the Army." The appointment with the
House in the Painted Chamber for the 7th was changed, however, into
that in the Banqueting House on the 8th, the latter place, as the
more familiar, being fitter for the negative answer he now meant to
give.--Ludlow's story, though he cites Desborough as his chief
informant, is not perfectly credible in all its details; but the
Commons Journals do show that the meeting originally appointed by
Cromwell on the 6th for the Painted Chamber on the 7th was put off to
the 8th, and then held in the Banqueting House, and a