Econlib

The Library

Other Sites

 Front Page arrow Titles (by Subject) arrow General Monck to Lieutenant-General Fleetwood - The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, vol. 4

Return to Title Page for The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, vol. 4

Search this Title:

Also in the Library:

Subject Area: Political Theory
Subject Area: History
Topic: The English Revolution

General Monck to Lieutenant-General Fleetwood - Sir William Clarke, The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, vol. 4 [1901]

Edition used:

The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, Secretary to the Council of the Army, 1647-1649, and to General Monck and the Commanders of the Army in Scotland, 1651-1660, ed. C.H. Firth (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1901). 4 vols.

Part of: The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, 4 vols.

About Liberty Fund:

Liberty Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals.


General Monck to Lieutenant-General Fleetwood

My Lord,

lii. f. 37b.I have received your Lordshipps of the 6th of December, in which your Lordshipp is pleased to intimate the receipt of mine by Captain Loyde. My Lord, I can say it in the integrity of my heart that there is not a man liveing in these Nations who doth with greater ardency of affection desire a righteouse and wellgrounded peace then my selfe, and a unanimouse consent in the armyes of this Commonwealth in carryeing on the good worke of the blessed Reformation in these nations. In which greate and gloriouse worke, I can assure your Lordshipp, these two are my cheife aymes: the security and incurragement of the chosen people of God and theire Christian concernements, and the civill rights and libertyes of the people of these Nations. And if it shall please the Lord to incline your heart, and the hearts of those that are under your command, to a complyance with mee in the necessary medicines that conduces to these ends, there cannot (I may speake it with boldnesse) bee the least appearance of difference betwixt us. I am deepely sensible of the danger of delay in this worke, and doe therefore desire that all diligence may bee used to putt our present differences to a speedy issue, I hope a peaceable one, and that private concernement may keepe noe place in our hearts whilst the greate interests of our Country lye at stake. I am obliged to your Lordshipp for the accompt yow have given mee of the affaires of London and Portsmouth. It cannot but bee a greife unspeakeable uppon my heart that such as are raised and maintained by theire Country for the preservation of itts peace and libertyes should by theire high violence to civill authority engage it in bloud, and I hope by this time your Lordshipp is truly sensible of the danger of dissolveing by force the authority of a Nation, and withall I heartily pray you may not heare of sadder consequences of their late unadvised actions then yet yow have. My heart is ready to bleede when I think of the lamentable confusions these Nations are involved in, but I hope the Lord will of his abundant grace and mercy yet guide our feete into the wayes of peace, and heale the breaches which our iniquityes and backslideings have made amongst his people. I have sent the inclosed to the Lord Lambert in order to a farther Treaty,1 to which his Lordshipp condescending, I shall send my Commissioners with all possible speede to joyne with his Lordshipp, and beseech the Lord to give a blessed issue to theire endeavoures for peace. Wherein I hope your prayers wilbee joyned with those of

Your affectionate and humble servant,

G. M.

Barwick, 14 December,
1659.

[1 ]The letter to Lambert is evidently that printed in the Report on Mr. Leyborne-Popham’s MSS., p. 133.