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

General Monck to the Speaker - 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.

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General Monck to the Speaker

Right Honourable,

lii. f. 60b.I have some days since received a Commission from the Councill of State under theire seale, dated the twenty fourth of November,1 which was brought to mee by Captain Goodwin, in which the Councill are pleased, by the authority derived to them from yow,2 to constitute mee therein Comander-in-Cheife of your forces in England and Scotland, with diverse powers which may bee seene at large in the transcript thereof,1 which I make bould to send yow heere inclosed, desireing that uppon your consideration of itt yow will confirme soe much of it as yow shall conceive necessary for the Commonwealth and your service. I had sent you the originall, but I thought it incumbent to your service not to march soe greate a party of your army without power. I have alsoe herewith sent you a list of such officers as I have commissioned in your service since your interruption, who are all honnest and religiouse men, and such as will obey and not dispute the power the Lord has placed over them, and preserve the souldjers under them in an obedient discipline, and not to permitt them to bee troublesome with seditiouse adgitations. I must confesse I thinke it an extraordinary testimony of your favoure to mee that yow are pleased, by your vote of the 29th of December, to resolve that the respective officers placed by mee bee and are thereby confirmed in theire respective offices and places, and I doe ingage that they shalbee faithefull to the Commonwealthes interest, if your kindenesse may bee soe farr compleated to us as to lett us have our Commissions signed by you, our renouned and ever faithfull Generall. I cannot sufficiently admire the goodnesse of the greate God, that from soe small an appeareance as wee were able to make at first was pleased to worke such greate things for the good of these poore Nations; and when your enimies boasted of theire numbers and mighty preparations, neither yow nor wee were daunted in prosecution of the cause of God to restore our magistracy and ministry most violently invaded, and likely to bee destroyed by the malice of unreasonable men. This is the Lords doeing, and mervilouse in our eyes; and I doubt not but hee will put it into your hearts to improve this greate mercy in the setlement of these nations in holinesse and righteousenesse, that a wise and godly magistracy may bee continued amongst us, and a learned and piouse ministry upheld and countenanced, and theire legall maintenance preserved and augemented, and the universityes reformed and incurraged, that from thence may come a supply of godly and learned labourers in the Lords vinyard. I know I neede not in this, nor any thing to you concerning your forces, theire late disorders sufficiently instructing you in the greate neede there is in putting over them godly and sober officers and men of estates and qualitie in the Nation, whose interest will thereby bee soe involued in yours that like Hipocrites twins you will laugh and weepe together, and bee soe strengthen’d that the malice of all sorts of enimies shall not prevale over yow; and the Nations will blesse the Lord for yow, and the divisions and animosities, of late too much fomented and increased by the impatient nations of the late disturbers, will bee healed and forgotten. These considerations, amongst many others, have drawne mee out and strengthened mee in my duty to you, to act with chearefulnes in your service, and to thinke life and fortune and all that was neere and deare to mee too little to venture to indeavoure to free you and my Native Country from the confusions wee were brought into. I shall inlarge noe further, but intreate your favourable contribution of this addresse from

Your Honours most faithfull servant,

G. M.

Nottingham, 22 Jan. 1659.

To Mr. Speaker.

I have given a Commission to a Captain in Col: Knight’s regiment to command that troope that was lately Capt. Izods, but I thinke not fitt to send his name in this list, because I have given it uppon condition that hee shall resigne it to Captain Izod, if yow provide not better for him at London. The list of Col. Robinson’s Company at Ayre is not yet come to hand, but it shalbee sent shortly, with some others from remote parts in Scotland in case there bee any omitted out of this list.1

[1 ]See p. 137, ante.

[2 ]The members of the Council of State appointed on May 19, 1659, continued to meet after the expulsion of the Long Parliament by Lambert on October 11, and the forcible interruption of their own meetings by the soldiers (Ludlow, Memoirs, ii. 83). Nine of them met in London on November 19 and sent a letter of encouragement to Monck, which is reprinted in Baker’s Chronicle, p. 695. Phillips mentions this commission, and says that it was left in the hands of Clarges till a safe messenger could be found. Clarges had rejoined Monck at Nottingham (ibid. p. 701; Clarke MSS. lii. 50). The commission was approved on January 26, when this letter was read in Parliament (Commons’ Journals, vii. 823).

[1 ]The lists of the officers commissioned by Monck are contained in vol. lii. of the Clarke MSS., but would require too much space to print here.