to such representations by their wild utterances in private, there had been printed protests to the contrary by leading Royalists in London and in many of the counties.  They desired no revenges, they said; they reflected on the past as the mysterious course of an all-wise Providence; they were anxious for an amicable reunion of all in the path so wonderfully opened up by the wisdom and valour of General Monk; they utterly disowned the indiscreet expressions of fools and “hot-spirited persons”; and they would take no steps themselves, but would confide in Monk, the Council of State, and the Parliament, The London “declaration” to this effect was signed by ten earls, four viscounts, five lords, many baronets, knights, and squires, with several Anglican clergymen, among whom was Jeremy Taylor.  It was of no small use to Monk, who had equally to be on his guard against too great haste.  They were crowding round him now, and asking why there should be any more delay, why the king should not be brought to England at once.  His one reply still was that the Parliament alone could decide what was to be done, and that he and others were bound to leave all to the Parliament.  Meanwhile Sir John Greenville had been back from his mission for some time, and had duly delivered to Monk the important documents from Breda.  Monk had kept Charles’s private letter, but had given Greenville back all the rest, including his own commission to be his Majesty’s Captain-General.  Not a soul was to know of their existence till the moment when they should be produced in the Parliament.[1]

[Footnote 1:  Phillips, 699-701; Skinner, 283-284 and 290-294; Clarendon, 902.]

CHAPTER II.

First Section.

MILTON’S LIFE AND SECRETARYSHIP THROUGH RICHARD’S PROTECTORATE:  SEPT. 1658-MAY 1659.

MILTON AND MARVELL STILL IN THE LATIN SECRETARYSHIP:  MILTON’S FIRST
FIVE STATE-LETTERS FOR RICHARD (NOS.  CXXXIII.-CXXXVII.):  NEW EDITION
OF MILTON’S DEFENSIO PRIMA:  REMARKABLE POSTSRCIPT TO THAT
EDITION:  SIX MORE STATE-LETTERS FOR RICHARD (NOS.  CXXXVIII.-CXLIII.): 
MILTON’S RELATIONS TO THE CONFLICT OF PARTIES ROUND RICHARD AND IN
RICHARD’S PARLIAMENT:  HIS PROBABLE CAREER BUT FOR HIS BLINDNESS:  HIS
CONTINUED CROMWELLIANISM IN POLITICS, BUT WITH STRONGER PRIVATE
RESERVES, ESPECIALLY ON THE QUESTION OF AN ESTABLISHED CHURCH:  HIS
REPUTATION THAT OF A MAN OF THE COURT-PARTY AMONG THE
PROTECTORATISTS:  HIS TREATISE OF CIVIL POWER IN ECCLESIASTICAL
CAUSES:  ACCOUNT OF THE TREATISE, WITH EXTRACTS:  THE TREATISE MORE
THAN A PLEA FOR RELIGIOUS TOLERATION:  CHURCH-DISESTABLISHMENT THE
FUNDAMENTAL IDEA:  THE TREATISE ADDRESSED TO RICHARD’S PARLIAMENT, AND
CHIEFLY TO VANE AND THE REPUBLICANS THERE:  NO EFFECT FROM IT: 
MILTON’S FOUR LAST STATE-LETTERS FOR RICHARD (NOS.  CXLIV.-CXLVII.): 
HIS PRIVATE EPISTLE TO JEAN LABADIE, WITH ACCOUNT OF THAT PERSON: 
MILTON IN THE MONTH BETWEEN RICHARD’S DISSOLUTION OF HIS PARLIAMENT
AND HIS FORMAL ABDICATION:  HIS TWO STATE-LETTERS FOR THE RESTORED
RUMP (NOS.  CXLVIII.-CXLIX.).