His first care was to intercept
the access of members to the house, and to prevent the egress of the
militia from the city. He then marched to Westminster. Meeting the speaker,
who was attended by his guard, he ordered the officer on duty to dismount,
gave the command to Major Creed, one of those who had been deprived of
their commissions by the preceding vote, and scornfully directed him to
conduct the "lord-general" to Whitehall, whence he was permitted to return
to his own house. In Westminster, the two parties faced each other; but the
ardour of the privates did not correspond with that of the leaders; and,
having so often fought in the same ranks, they showed no disposition to
imbrue their hands in each other's blood. In the mean time the council
of state assembled: on the one side Lambert and Desborough, on the other
Hazlerig and Morley, appeared to support their pretensions; much time
was spent in complaint and recrimination, much in hopeless attempts to
reconcile the parties; but the cause of the military continued to make
converts; the advocates of the "rump," aware that to resist was fruitless,
consented to yield; and it was stipulated that the house should cease to
sit, that the council of officers should provide for the public peace,
arrange a new form of government, and submit it to the approbation of a new
parliament.
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