[Footnote 1:  Clar.  Pap. iii. 715.]

[Sidenote a:  A.D. 1660.  April 11.] [Sidenote b:  A.D. 1660.  April 13.] [Sidenote c:  A.D. 1660.  April 21.] [Sidenote d:  A.D. 1660.  April 24.]

and the spectators hailed with shouts and exclamations the disgrace of the prisoner.[1]

The Convention parliament (so it was called, because it had not been legally summoned) met[a] on the appointed day, the 25th of April.  The Presbyterians, by artful management, placed Sir Harbottle Grimstone, one of their party, in the chair; but the Cavaliers, with their adherents, formed a powerful majority, and the new speaker, instead of undertaking to stem, had the prudence to go along with, the stream.  Monk sat as representative of Devonshire, his native county.

To neutralize the influence of the Cavaliers among the Commons, the Presbyterian peers who sat in 1648, assembled in the House of Lords, and chose the earl of Manchester for their speaker.  But what right had they exclusively to constitute a house of parliament?  They had not been summoned in the usual manner by writ; they could not sit as a part of the long parliament, which was now at least defunct; and, if they founded their pretensions on their birthright, as consiliarii nati, other peers were in possession of the same privilege.  The question was propounded to the lord-general, who replied that he had no authority to determine the claims of any individual.  Encouraged by this answer, a few of the excluded peers attempted to take their seats, and met with no opposition; the example was imitated by others, and in a few days the Presbyterian lords did not amount to more than one-fifth of the house.  Still, however, to avoid cavil, the peers who sat in the king’s parliament at Oxford, as well as those whose patents bore date after the

[Footnote 1:  Kennet’s Reg. 120.  Price, 792, 794.  Ludlow, 379.  Philips, 607.  Clar.  Pap. iii. 735.]

[Sidenote a:  A.D. 1660.  April 25.]

commencement of the civil war, abstained for the present from demanding admission.[1]

Monk continued to dissemble.  By his direction Grenville applied to a member, who was entering the council-chamber, for an opportunity of speaking to the lord-general.  Monk came to the door, received from him a letter, and, recognizing on the seal the royal arms, commanded the guards to take care that the bearer did not depart.  In a few minutes Grenville was called in, interrogated by the president as to the manner in which he became possessed of the letter, and ordered to be taken into custody.  “That is unnecessary,” said Monk; “I find that he is my near kinsman, and I will be security for his appearance.”

The ice was now[a] broken.  Grenville was treated not as a prisoner, but a confidential servant of the sovereign.  He delivered to the two houses the letters addressed to them, and received in return a vote of thanks, with a present of five hundred pounds.  The letter for the army was read by Monk to his officers, that for the navy by Montague to the captains under his command, and that for the city by the lord mayor to the common council in the Guildhall.  Each of these bodies voted an address of thanks and congratulation to the king.