Jars, known by the name of Mofs troopers; and reducing Darlington, Rofwell, Brothwick, and Tantallon, caftles, where they used to harbour. He was alfo concerned in fettling the articles for the furrender of Edinburgh-caftle; and, being left Commander in Chief in Scotland, at the head of 6000 men, by Cromwell, when he returned to England in purfait of King Charles II, he belieged and took Stirling, and carried Dundee by ftorm; where he behaved with great cruelty, putting Lunfdaine, the Governor, and 800 men to the fword. Soon after ahis, St. Andrews and Aberdeen having alfo fubmitted to him, he was feized with a vioJent fit of illness, which obliged him in 1652 to have recourfe to the Bath for his recovery: Whence returning, he fet out again for Scotland, as one of the Commiffioners for uniting that kingdom with the newerected English Commonwealth; which having brought to a fuccefsful conclufion, he returned with the others again to London. The Dutch war having now been carried on for some months, Lieutenant-general Monk, on the death of Colonel Popham, was joined with the Admirals Blake and Dean in the command at fea; in which fervice he had made his firft military effay, the 2d of Jure, 1653, and by his courage and conduct greatly contributed to the defeat then given to the Dutch fleet, and likewife to the next on the 31ft of July following. While they were thus triumphing over the nation's enemies, and increafing the honour of the Commonwealth abroad, Cromwell was paving his way to the Supremacy at home, which, on the 16th of December, 1653, he obtained under the title of Protector. In this capacity, he foon concluded a peace with the Dutch, who obtained much more favourable terms from him than what the Council of State and Parliament had appeared willing to grant. General Monk, who lay with his fleet on the Dutch coaft, remonftrated fo warmly againft this peace, and thofe remonftrances were fo well received by Oliver's own Parliament, and Monk, on his return, was treated fo kindly by them, that Oliver is faid to grow jealous of him to that degree, that he clofeted him, to find whether he was inclined to any other intereft; but, receiving fatisfaction from the General on this head, he not only took him into favour, but, on the breaking out of fresh troubles in the north of Scotland, where the Marquis of Athol, the Earl of Glencairne, Major-general Middleton, and feveral more of the Nobility and others, had raised forces on the behalf of King Charles II, fent him down there Commander in Chief, for which poft he fet out in April 1654. Arriving at Leith, he fent Col. Morgan with a large detachment against the Royalists; and having affifted at proclaiming the Protector at Edin burgh, on the 14th of May, followed himfelf with the reft of the forces. Through the General's prudent management this war was finished by Auguft, when he returned from the Highlands, and fixed his abode at Dalkeith, a feat belonging to the Countess of Buccleugh, within four or five miles of Edinburgh, where he conftantly refided during the remaining time, which was five years, that he ftaid in Scotland; amufing himself with the pleasures of a rural life, and beloved by the people, though his government was more abfolute than any of their Princes had dared to practife. The war in Scotland being put an end to thus fpeedily and happily for the Protector, he appointed a Council of State for that part of his government, confifting of the Lord Broghill, General Monk, Col. Howard, created Earl of Carlisle after the reftoration, Colonel Wil liam Lockhart, Col. Adrian Scroop, Col. John Whetham, and Major general De borough; who came to Scotland in September 1655, and began to exercise their autho rity, which was very extenfive. The majority of thefe Commiffioners (three of whom, Lord Broghill, Col. Howard, and Col. Whetham, were afterwards very inftrumental in the Restoration) concurred with General Monk in almost every thing he propofed, by which means the government of Scotland ftill remained chiefly in his hands : which, together with his affable behaviour towards the better fort of all parties, made Cromwell begin to entertain fome fufpicions of him; and, in order to prevent his influence from growing too powerful, the Protector ufed to make frequent changes in the forces under his command, by recalling fuch regiments as were most trusted by the General, and fending in their room those who were most violent and refractory at home; who gave him much trouble to bring them into order, and make them fubmit to that discipline which he obliged all under him ftrictly to obferve. Nor was this dikruft intirely without fome appearance of foundation. It is certain the King entertained good hopes of him, and, to that purpose, wrote to him from Colen on the 12th of August 1655. This letter was as follows: One, who believes he knows your nature and inclinations very well, affures me, that, notwithstanding all ill accidents and misfortunes, you ftill retain your old affection to me, and refolve to exprefs it upon the first feafonable opportunity; which is as much as I look I look for from you. We must all patiently wait for that opportunity, which may be offered fooner than we expect: When it is, let it find you ready; and in the mean time have a care to keep yourself out of their hands, who know the hurt you can do them in a good conjuncture; and can never but fufpect your affection to be, as I am confident it is, towards Yours, &c. CHARLES, Rex.' Colen, Aug. 12, 1655. However, the General made no fcruple of discovering every step taken by the Cavaliers which came to his knowledge, even to the fending the Protector this letter, and joined in promoting addreffes to him from the army in Scotland, one of which was most gracioully received by the Protector, March 19, 1657, and the fame year he received a funimons to Oliver's House of Lords. Clarges had informed him by Richard's or- ་ It is well known a Parliament was called by Richard Gromwell, and alfo, that by the divifions arifing in the Upper House thereof, which fpread their influence over the army, he was foon obliged to diffolve it. The General, receiving advice of thefe tranfac tions, and of the depofition of Richard, readily abandoned him, and, his brother-in-law being again fent to him from the Ramp-Parliament on their restoration, he acquiefced in all they had done, (as the furest way to preferve his own command) only recommending Richard to their favour, and with his Officers figned the engagement against Charles Stuart, or any other fingle perfon, being admitted to the Government. But when their Committee, confifting of ten perfons, began, on the information of Peirfon and Malon, two republican Colonels in his army, to make confiderable alterations therein, by cashiering of thofe Officers in whom he most confided, of which his brother-inlaw Clarges gave him information, he wrote a letter to the Houfe, complaining of this treatment in fo warm a ftyle, at the fame time engaging for the fidelity of his Offi cers, that they ordered their Committee not to proceed farther therein till the General himfelf was confulted. The Royalifts were far from being idle on this conjuncture; there had been a kind of fecret Committee of that party, for managing affairs in behalf of the Crown, ever fince the death of Charles I, among whom was Sir John Greenvile, our General's kinfman, who had lately given a very good living in Comwall to Mr. Nicholas Monk, his brother; and Sir John receiving at this time two letters from King Charles II, then at Bruffels, one directed to himself, and the other to the General, together with a private commifion to treat with the latter; the fuccefs of that overture ended, as is well known, in the reftor tion of the King. About this time George, fecond fon of General Monk, died in his infancy, which was a great affliction to his father, who was doatingly fond of him. From this period to the death of Oliver, the General maintained Scotland in abfolute fubjection, and lived free from all disturbance, not intermeddling further with the mad politics of thofe times, than to put what orders he received from England punctually into execution; in purfuance of which plan he proclaimed Richard Cromwell Protector there after his father's death, Richard having dispatched Dr. (after wards Sir) Thomas Clarges, then Commiffioner of the Scotch and Irish forces, whofe fifter the General had fome time before owned for his wife, with letters to him, to which he returned a fuitable and respectful, anfwer, aiming only at fecuring his own command; at the fame time joining with the reft of the Officers and army under his command, in an addrefs to the new Protector, whofe power he might eafily forefee would have but a fhort date, it having been his opinion, that Oliver, had he lived much longer, would fcarce have been able to preserve himfelf in his station. And indeed Cromwell began to be apprehensive of that great alteration which happened in the Government, and fearful that the General was deeply en aged in those measures which procured it; if we may judge from a letter wrote by him to General Monk but a little while before his death, to which was added the following remarkable poftfcript: There be that tell me, that there is a certain cunning fellow called George Monk, who is faid to lie in wait there to introduce Charles Stuart; I pray you use your diligence to apprehend him, and fend him up to me. However, as On the 8th of May, the General affifted at the proclamation of King Charles II, and having received advice by Sir Thomas Clarges, that his Majefty intended to land at Dover, on the 23d the General fet out for that place, (being the fame day the King embarked for Holland) and lying at RoDover, chefter that night, arrived the next day-at Dover, where the King landed the 25th. The interview between the King and the General was conformable to every one's expectation, full of duty on one fide, and favour and efteem on the other; the King permitting the General to ride in his coach two miles out of the town, when his Majefty took horfe, and, with General Monk on his left hand, and his two brothers on his right, proceeded to Canterbury, where he conferred the Order of the Garter on General Monk, the Dukes of York and Gloucef ter investing him with the honourable badges of that dignity. From Canterbury the King removed to Rochester, where he lay on Mon day the 28th, and, the next morning being his birth-day, fet out for Blackheath to review the army which the General had caufed to be drawn up there, and from thence proceeded to his capital, into which he made his public entry with much magnificence. General Monk was now fworn one of the Privy-council, made Master of the Horfe, and one of the Gentlemen of the Bed-chainber, and had apartments in the Cockpit, and was in a little time made Firft Lord-commiffioner of the Treafury, and in about a month afterwards was created a Peer, being made Baron Monk of Potheridge, Beauchamp, and Tees, Earl of Torrington, and Duke of Albemarle, with a grant of 7000l. a year eftate of inheritance, befides other penfions; and received a very peculiar acknowledgment of regard on being thus called to the Peerage, almoft the whole Houfe of Commons attending him to the very door of the House of Lords, whither, Dr. Skinner obferves, he carried the fame temper, moderation, filence, and humility, that he had hewn in the House of Commons. By the income of his grants and places, he was inabled in eight years time to amass a fortune of 400,000l. in lands and money; yet, it must be owned, he was not overpaid for the fhare he had in this glorious revolution: So great a fervice, that his Majefty ufed to call him his political father; and he behaved fo modeftly after it, that the King faid of him, The Duke of Albemarle demeaned himself in fuch a manner to the Prince he had obliged, as never to feem to overvalue the fervices of General Monk.' And we are told, that Sir Edward Nicholas, who had been Secretary of State to two Kings, faid, That the industry and Yervice which the Duke of Albemarle had paid to the Crown fince the King's restoration, without reflecting upon his fervice before, deferved all the favour and bounty which his Majefty had been pleased to confer upon him. In Cctober, the Duke was made one of the Commiffioners for trying the Regicides, and acted accordingly under it, but obferved great moderation. Soon after his Grace was made Lord Lieutenant of the counties of Devonshire and Middlesex, and of the borough of Southwark; and, the Parliament voting the difbanding of the army, the Duke joined very heartily with Lord Chancellor Hyde in promoting that step, and took great pains, by changing of Officers, to bring it to be fubmitted to quietly; in which he fucceeded, all but his own regiment of foot, and a new-raised regiment of horfe for the King's guard, being paid off and difinifled, as fome time before had been the Commiffioners for Scotland, by a letter from the Duke of Albemarle, fignifying to them, that it was the King's pleasure not to have them intermeddle any more in the government of that kingdom. In January following, while the King was accompanying his mother and ffter on their return to France, the Duke was em ployed at London in quelling an infurrce tion made by fome Fifth-Monarchy men, under one Venner, a wine-cooper; who were with fome difficulty reduced by the Duke of Albemarle's regiment, after repul fing fome detachments of the city militia, and the new raifed horfe. This gave rife to a propofal for keeping up fome standing forces, but the Duke was averfe thereto, faying, That his endeavouring to continue any part of the army would be liable to fo much misinterpretation, that he would by no means appear in it: But, being much follicited to countenance the fcheme, he ta citly confented not to hinder their endea vours therein, and fairly infinuated, that the keeping his regiment on foot (the first model of a ftanding army in time of peace in England) was owing to his want of oppofition. The 22d of April, 1661, the Duke, as Master of the Horfe, attended the King in his proceffion (leading the horse of state) from the Tower to Whitehall, and the next day carried the fceptre and dove, and was one of the fupporters of the canopy during the royal unction at the Coronation; after which, he and the Duke of Buckingham did homage for themselves, and the rest of their degree. The latter part of this year he was attacked with a dangerous illness, from which he was recovered by the King's phyfician, Sir Robert Frazer; after this, every thing being in full peace, he enjoyed himself for fome time in retirement; till, on the breaking out of the first Dutch war, in 1664, he was, by his Royal Highness the Duke of York, who commanded the flect, intrufted with the care of the Admiralty, re ceiving iving at the fame time a very obliging letter from his Royal Highness. The plague broke out in London the fame year, and, the King removing from thence to Oxford, the Duke of Albemarle's vigilance and activity made his Majefty regard him as the fittest Nobleman to intruft with the care of his capital city in that time of imminent danger and diftreis; which additional burden he chearfully underwent, and was greatly affifted therein by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Earl of Craven. About Michaelmas the King fent for him to Oxford, whither he went poft, and on his arrival found his Majefty had appointed Prince Rupert and himself joint Admirals of the fleet for the enfuing year; which dangerous poft, though many of his friends diffuaded him, he readily accepted, and immediately fet himfelf diligently about his new employment, wherein all the care of finishing those new fhips which were on the ftocks, repairing the old ones which had been much damaged in an action with the Dutch that fummer, rigging, victualling, and manning the whole fleet, fell chiefly to his lot, and was fo effectually and expeditoufly purfued by him, the feamen offering in crowds to the fervice, because they fail they were fure honeft George (as they commonly called him) would fee them well fed and juftiy paid, that on the 23d of April, 1666, the Prince and he took their leaves of the King, and repaired on board the feet; where the former hoisted his flag, having Sir George Afcough under him, as Admiral of the White on board the Royal James; and the latter, as Admiral of the Red, on board the Royal Charles. The particulars of his bravery against the Dutch in this ftation are, properly, the fubject of general history, to which we therefore refer. He returned home in the beginning of September, and lay with the fleet at anchor in the bay of St. Helen's, near Spithead During that interval, broke out the terrible fire in London, which beginning on the ad of September, 1666, burned with unparalleled fury for three days, and laid the greatest part of the city in afhes; this unexpested accident occafioned the Duke of Albemarle to be recalled from the fleet, to affift in quieting the minds of the people, who expreffed their affection and elteem for him, by crying out publicly, as he passed through the ruined streets, that, if his Grace had been there, the city had not been burnt; than which they could fcarce give a more extravagant mark, in what high opinion they held his abilities. The Earl of Southampton dying on the 16th of May, 1667, his Majesty, after the peace, put the Treasury in commiffion, at the head of which was again placed his Grace the Duke of Albemarle, This was the laft teftimony of the royal favour his Grace received; for, being now in the 60th year of his age, the many hardships and fatigues he had undergone in a military life began to shake his conftitution hitherto remarkably healthy, he being about this time attacked with a dropfy, the firit fymptoms of which were too much neglected. In this declining condition, he withdrew from public business, as much as his poft and the ftate of affairs would permit, and retired to his feat at Newhall, in the county of Effex, where he was prevailed upon by the importunity of friends to try a pill then in vogue, being a preparation of one Doctor Sennon, of Bristol, who had formerly ferved under his Grace, as a common foldier; from which he at firft received fuch confiderable relief, that towards the latter end of the year he returned to town. But, foon after falling into a relapfe, with the addition of an asthmatic complaint, he fet about finifhing the laft great temporal affair, the mariage of his only fon with the Lady Elifabeth, eldest daughter to Henry, Earl of Ogle, only fon to Charles, the then Duke of Newcastle: Which being fettled, the nuptial ceremony was performed in his own chamber, Dec. 30, 1669; and, on January 3, four days after, he died fitting in his chair, without a fingle grozn. Thus, in the entrance of the 62d year of his life, died this noble and valiant Comman der (for, whatever difputes there have been about his civil cap city, his military skill or his courage was never called in question) beloved by mott, admired by many, and envied but by few. In his last year, many differences arifing between the perfons in power, and especially between the two Houles of Parliament, he endeavoured, almost to his latest minute, to recommend unanimity to the ftudy of those who visited him, which were the greatest men in the nation; particularly the Earl of Bath and the Lord Arlington, as well as feveral of the Members of both Houfes; whom he conjured to preferve always a good understanding between the two Howfes, and to prevent his Majefty's Crown and Government from suffering any inconvenience by the paffions or prejudices of thole who were fo nearly obliged to take care of it. That he died in the esteem of his Sovereign and his brother the Duke of York is very clear, not only from the high pofts he enjoyed under, and the great trust repofed in him by both ; but also from the tender concem thown by them, in a conftant inquiry after after his state during the latter part of his illnets, and by the public and princely regard paid to his memory after his dece fe, by honouring his funeral folemnity with all the pomp fuch forrowful pageantry is capable of; and admitting his afnes to mingle with thofe of the ancestors of that King whom he had fixed in their throne. Extraordinary merit, w ether real or imputed, muft always tub mit to pay the tax of envy, and, frequently, the greater the defert, the heavier the impontion of calumny; fuch the Duke of Albemarle found it while living, fuch the treatment his name has met with tince his deceafe. His loyalty has been termed felf intersit, his valour rathness, his oeconomy avarice, and his clofenefs and taciturnity want of capacity; and, not content with thus depreciating his worth as a man, they have brought fome very heavy accufations against him as a Counfllor of State: The first is his occafioning the death of the Marquis of Argyle, by betraying a private correfpondence; the fecond was his propofing the King's match with Catharine of Portugal; and the third his not only confenting to, but advifing the fale of Dunkirk. All three have been brought against him only by Bishop Burnet, which is almoft fufficient to overthrow them; but whoever is not of that opinion may find him fully juftified from each in Campbell's Lives of the Admirals. We fhall here clofe his public character by obferving, that he had abilities fufficient to carry all his defigns into execution, and to defeat the attempts of thofe who oppofed him; and was fortunate enough to have it in his power, and in his only, to do more than ever any fubject did, recall his Sovereign, from a 12 years exile in poverty and diftrefs, to the full and peaceable poffeflion of the dignity, wealth, and potency of his progenitors. The means and motives which induced him to undertake, or were ufed by him to perfect this great inciden, in his life, have been varioutly treated by various writers, nor have there been wanting competitors for the fʊle honour of the action; but, upon a ftrict examination of the feveral bare facts, it will appear, that, if General Monk had not readily and heartily thrown his weight into the fcale, faction would have continued to outweigh loyalty; and the great change for the worle, which happened foon after his death, is the greatest compliment that can be paid to the memory, counfels, and conduct of the Duke of Albemarle. His person was of the middle ftature, and every way well proportioned, which, with a remarkable good conftitution, rendered him both strong and active, and, by an early temperance, he made himself hardy to fuch = degree, that he was inabled to march at the head of his regiment every day on horfeback, under the mall-pox; and, by a conftant perfeverance in the fame virtue, he could fupport fatigue longer than most men, without fleep. His countenance is said to carry in it much military grandeur and affability; his fight was rather fhort, but his hearing remarkably quick, and both continued good to the laft. He was ever an early riter, and, having dispatched all his domeftic affairs by feven in the morning, he applied himself to the public bufinefs of the day, giving audience to all that camme; and, if poffible, difpatched the requests of the poor inftantaneoutly. He conftantly difcouraged oppreffion, laying it down as a maxim, that thofe in command under him ought to exert their power rather in protecting, than in pillaging thofe who did their duty, for the neglect of which, he admitted no excufe; being very ftrict in difcipline, and a punctual obferver of his word, a remarkable inftance of both being told of him, at the clofe of the first Dutch war under Cromwell. The failors, growing very importunate for their prizemoney, affembled in great numbers about the Navy-office to demand it: He spoke to them, telling them there were 1500 fhips to be difpofed of, and as foon as thofe were fold they fhould be paid; upon this, they all difperfed: But, in the afternoon, they affembled again, to the number of near 5000, with arms, and came towards Whitehall, near which they were met by Cromwell and other Officers, accompanied by General Monk; who, reproaching them with dif trufting his word, which he had never broke, he drew his fword, and, wounding fome of the foremost, the reft were fo alarmed at his intrepidity, that they inftantly retired, and waited patiently for his promife, which was in a fhort time punctually performed. His courage was truly great, he being as cool and fedate in the midit of the hottest service, as at any other period, as his behaviour on the death of Admiral Dean, who was killed by his fide, fufficiently thews: And when fome about him in the action at Chatham, where he expofed himself to the thickest of the enemy's fhot, advised him to retire to fome fafer place; he only answered, Sir, If I had been afraid of bullets, I fhould have quitted this trade of a foldier long ago." And we are told, by no lefs authority than that of the Duke of Buckingham, an eyewitness, that in King Charles the Second's Dutch war, in the engagement on the first of June, before he began, he declared, He was fure of one thing, that he would not be takca;' |