privilege of debating and theorizing which had been asserted by Cromwell in the Civil War, and which Cromwell afterwards, while regulating and checking it, had never abolished.  Were they to meet no more, agitate no more?  Was the great Army of the Commonwealth to be degraded, for the benefit of this new Protector, into a mere collection of men paid for bestriding horses and handling pikes and ramrods?  So reasoned the rank and file and the subalterns; but the chiefs, while sharing the general feeling, had additional alarms of their own.  They had left actions behind them, done in their major-generalcies or other commands for Cromwell, for which they might be called to account under a civilian Protectorate, or other merely constitutional Government.  There had actually been signs in the present Parliament of a tendency to the re-investigation of cases of military oppression and the impeachment of selected culprits.  Were the Army-men to consent, in such circumstances, to give up their powers of self-defence and corporate action?  No!  Oliver’s son might deserve consideration; but Oliver’s Army had prior claims.

Hitherto, Fleetwood, Desborough, and the rest of the Wallingford-House Party, had been content with private remonstrances with Richard on Army grievances in general, or particular grievances occasioned by his own exercise of Army-patronage.  A saying of Richard’s in one of these conferences had been widely reported and had given great offence.  In reply to a suggestion that he was doing wrong in appointing any but “godly” officers, he had said, “Here is Dick Ingoldsby, who can neither pray nor preach, and yet I will trust him before ye all.”  As nothing was to be made of Richard in this private way, the Army party had resolved on another great convention of officers in London, nominally for the consideration of Army affairs, but really to constrain both Richard and the Parliament.  Ludlow, who had hitherto been the medium of communication between the Republicans and the Wallingford-House men, was informed of this proposal; and he and the other Republicans looked on with the keenest interest.  Would Richard, with his recent experience, allow the officers to reassemble in general council?  To the horror of Broghill, Falconbridge, Thurloe, and the rest of the Court party, it was found that, in a moment of weakness, cajoled privately by Fleetwood and Desborough, he had given the permission, without even consulting his Council.  Nothing could be done but let the convention meet, taking care that as many officers as possible of the Court party should be present in it.  Accordingly, on the 5th of April 1659, there were about 500 officers of all ranks at Wallingford House, Fleetwood and Desborough at the head of one Protectoral party, and Broghill, Viscount Howard, Falconbridge, with Whalley and Goffe, representing the other, while among the general body there were no one knew how many pure Republicans.  The meeting having been solemnly opened with prayer