He suffered
the usual punishment of traitors.[1]
The intelligence of the late revolution had been received by the military
in Ireland and Scotland with open murmurs on the part of some, and a
suspicious acquiescence on that of others. In Ireland, Fleetwood knew not
how to reconcile the conduct of his father-in-law with his own principles,
and expressed a wish to resign the government of the island; Ludlow and
Jones, both stanch republicans, looked on the protector as a hypocrite and
an apostate, and though the latter was more cautious in his language, the
[Footnote 1: Thurloe, ii. 406. Whitelock, 592. Challoner, ii. 354.
Knaresborough's Collections, MS.]
[Sidenote a: A.D. 1654 June 23.]
former openly refused to act as civil commissioner under the new
constitution; and in most of the garrisons several of the principal
officers made no secret of their dissatisfaction: in one case they even
drew up a remonstrance against "the government by a single person." But
Cromwell averted the storm which threatened him, by his prudence and
firmness. He sent his son Henry on a visit to Fleetwood, that he might
learn the true disposition of the military; the more formidable of his
opponents were silently withdrawn to England; and several of the others
found themselves suddenly but successively deprived of their commands.
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