Charles had been induced to make to him repeatedly the most
tempting offers, which were supported by the solicitations of his wife and
his domestic chaplain; Monk listened to them without displeasure, though he
never unbosomed himself to the agents or to his chaplain so far as to put
himself in their power. Cromwell had obtained some information of these
intrigues; but, unable to discover any real ground of suspicion, he
contented himself with putting Monk on his guard by a bantering postscript
to one of his letters. "Tis said," he added, "there is a cunning fellow in
Scotland,
[Footnote 1: "His natural taciturnity was such, that most of his friends,
who thought they knew him best, looked upon George Monk to have no other
craft in him than that of a plain soldier, who would obey the parliament's
orders, and see that his own were obeyed."--Price, Mystery and Method of
his Majesty's happy Restoration, in Select Tracts relating to the Civil
Wars in England, published by Baron Maseres, ii. 700.]
called George Monk, who lies in wait there to serve Charles Stuart; pray
use your diligence to take him and send him up to me."[1] After the fall
of the protector Richard, he became an object of greater distrust. To
undermine his power, Fleetwood ordered two regiments of horse attached
to the Scottish army to return to England; and the republicans, when the
military commissions were issued by the speaker, removed a great number of
his officers, and supplied their places with creatures of their own.
Pages:
822
823
824
825
826
827
828
829
830
831
832
833
834
835
836
837
838
839
840
841
842
843
844
845
846