of their Commissions for having subscribed the copy of the petition sent to Colonel Okey; and, by a second, Fleetwood was dismissed from his office of commander-in-chief, and made president of a board of seven members established for the government of the army.  Aware, however, that he might expect resistance, the republican chieftain called his friends around him during the night; and, at the dawn of day, it was discovered that he had taken military possession of King-street and the Palace-yard with two regiments of foot and four troops of horse, who protested aloud that they would live and die with the parliament.[1][c]

[Footnote 1:  Journals, Sept. 28, Oct. 5, 10, 11, 12.  Ludlow, ii. 229, 247.  Carte’s Letters, ii, 246.  Thurloe, vii. 755.  Declaration of General Council of Officers, 9-16.  True Narrative of the Proceedings in Parliament, Council of State, &c., published by special order, 1659.  Printed by John Redmayne.]

[Sidenote a:  A.D. 1659.  Oct 11.] [Sidenote b:  A.D. 1659.  Oct 12.] [Sidenote c:  A.D. 1659.  Oct 13.]

Lambert mustered about three thousand men.  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.  An order, that the forces on both sides should retire to their respective quarters, was gladly obeyed; the men mixed together as friends and brothers, and reciprocally promised never more to draw the sword against each other.[1]

[Footnote 1:  Whitelock, 685.  Journals, Oct. 13.  Clar.  Pap. iii. 581, 590.  Ludlow, ii. 247-251.  Ludlow’s account differs considerably from that by Whitelock.  But the former was in Ireland, the latter present at the council.]