first labour
after the dissolution was to attack that vast complication of dangers
of which he had already sure knowledge, and which he declared to have
been caused, or brought to a head, by the wretched conduct of the
Commons through their sixteen days of session, and by the positive
treason of some of their number. He had described the dangers as
gathering from two quarters, though they were already interrelated
and would run together at last. There was "the King of Scots' game,"
or the plot of a Royalist commotion in conjunction with a threatened
invasion of the Spanish-Stuartist Army; and there was the design of a
great insurrection of Old Commonwealth's men for a subversion of the
Protectorate and a return to the pure Single-House Republic. Of the
first danger he had said, "I think myself bound before God to do what
I can to prevent it"; the second he had denounced as rebellion,
saying, "I hope I shall make it appear to be no better, if God assist
me." For three or four months he was to be engaged in making good
these words; but he had begun already. On February 6, at a great
meeting of the Army-officers in the Banqueting House, he had
discoursed to them impressively for two hours, abashing two or three
that had been tampered with, and receiving from the rest assurances
of their eternal fidelity. Ludlow says that, for several nights
successively, before or after this meeting, Cromwell himself took the
inspection of the watch among the soldiers at Whitehall.[1]

[Footnote 1: 2 Ludlow, 598-600; Godwin. IV. 496-7.]

As always, Cromwell's tenderness towards the Republicans or Old
Commonwealth's men appeared now in his dealings with the new
commotion on that side. Colonel Packer and Captain Gladman, two
disaffected officers in his own regiment of horse, appear to have
been merely dismissed from their commands; and one hears besides of
but a few arrests, with no farther consequences than examination
before the Council and temporary imprisonment. Harrison was again
arrested, the Fifth-Monarchy men having, of course, lent themselves
to the agitation, and Harrison having this time, Whitlocke says, been
certainly "deep in it." Among the others arrested were Mr. John
Carew, the Regicide and Councillor under the Commonwealth, John
Portman, who had been secretary to Blake in the Fleet, a Hugh
Courtney, and John Rogers, a preacher. There seems to have been no
thought of any proceedings against Hasilrig, Scott, Sir Anthony
As