On Saturday, April 28, the Council of State are met at Whitehall, Annesley in the chair as usual.  Colonel Birch, one of the members, entering late, informs General Monk that there is a gentleman at the door who desires to speak with him.  Monk goes to the door, finds Sir John Greenville there, and receives him as a perfect stranger, the guards looking on.  Sir John delivers to him a letter, and tells him that he does so by command of his Majesty.  Monk orders the guards to detain this gentleman, and returns to the Council-room with the letter.  Having broken the seal, but not opened the letter, he hands it to the President, intimating from whom it has come.  The superscription itself leaves no doubt on that point.  The letter is one of the six, dated “At our Court at Breda this 4/14th of April 1660, in the twelfth year of Our Reign,” which Sir John Greenville had brought over to be used by Monk at his discretion, and which Monk had given back into Greenville’s custody till the proper moment for using them should arrive.  It was that particular one of the six which was addressed to Monk himself, to be communicated by him to the Council of State and the Officers of the Army.  There was much surprise in the Council, real or affected, Colonel Birch protesting that he knew nothing of the business, but had merely found a gentleman at the door inquiring for General Monk and had brought in his message to the General.  That gentleman was sent for and asked how he came by the letter.  “It was given to me by his Majesty with his own hand,” said Sir John.  Altogether the Council were at a loss how to act; but finally it was agreed that they dared not read the letter without leave from Parliament.  There was some question of sending Greenville into custody meanwhile; but Monk said he was a kinsman of his and he would be answerable for his appearance.  In short, this attempt to apply the match in the Council had not sufficiently succeeded, and Sir John knew that he must be forthcoming in the two Houses themselves.

Sir John was equal to the occasion.  Early in the morning of Tuesday, the 1st of May, he was at the door of the House of Lords with that one of the six Letters from Breda which was addressed to their Lordships.  There were now forty-two peers present.  By one of these Greenville sent in his name to Speaker the Earl of Manchester, with an intimation of the nature of his message.  The Earl had no sooner informed the House who and what were at the door than it was voted that the Earl should walk down the floor, all present attending him, to receive his Majesty’s letter.  Sir John having thus got rid of two of his documents, presented himself next at the door of the Commons, to try his chance with a third.  He had already conveyed to Speaker Sir Harbottle Grimstone the fact that he was in attendance with a letter from his Majesty.  He came now at the most fit moment, for the House had just received a report from the Council of State of what had happened at the sitting