1660, and read in Parliament with his Majesties Letter of
the same date to his Excellence the Ld. Gen. Monck to be
communicated to the Ld. President of the Council of State and
to the Officers of the Army under his Command. London, Printed by
W. Godbid for John Playford in the Temple, 1660.” 40, pp. 8.]
The contents of the letter are his offer of grace to all that will come in within forty days, only excepting them that the Parliament shall hereafter except. That the sales of lands during these troubles, and all other things, shall be left to the Parliament, by which he will stand. The letter dated at Breda, April, 4 1660, in the 12th year of his reign. Upon the receipt of it this morning by an express, Mr. Phillips, one of the messengers of the Council from General Monk, my Lord summoned a council of war, and in the mean time did dictate to me how he would have the vote ordered which he would have pass this council. Which done, the Commanders all came on board, and the council sat in the coach (the first council of war that had been in my time), where I read the letter and declaration; and while they were discoursing upon it, I seemed to draw up a vote, which being offered, they passed. Not one man seemed to say no to it, though I am confident many in their hearts were against it. After this was done, I went up to the quarter-deck with my Lord and the Commanders, and there read both the papers and the vote; which done, and demanding their opinion, the seamen did all of them cry out, “God bless King Charles!” with the greatest joy imaginable. That being done, Sir R. Stayner, who had invited us yesterday, took all the Commanders and myself on board him to dinner, which not being ready, I went with Captain Hayward to the Plimouth and Essex, and did what I had to do there and returned, where very merry at dinner. After dinner, to the rest of the ships (staid at the Assistance to hear the harper a good while) quite through the fleet. Which was a very brave sight to visit all the ships, and to be received with the respect and honour that I was on board them all; and much more to see the great joy that I brought to all men; not one through the whole fleet showing the least dislike of the business. In the evening as I was going on board the Vice-Admiral, the General began to fire his guns, which he did all that he had in the ship, and so did all the rest of the Commanders, which was very gallant, and to hear the bullets go hissing over our heads as we were in the boat. This done and finished my Proclamation, I returned to the Nazeby, where my Lord was much pleased to hear how all the fleet took it in a transport of joy, showed me a private letter of the King’s to him, and another from the Duke of York in such familiar style as to their common friend, with all kindness imaginable. And I found by the letters, and so my Lord told me too, that there had been many letters passed between them for a great while, and I perceive unknown to Monk. And among the rest that had carried these letters Sir John Boys is one, and that Mr. Norwood, which had a ship to carry him over the other day, when my Lord would not have me put down his name in the book. The King speaks of his being courted to come to the Hague, but do desire my Lord’s advice whither to come to take ship. And the Duke offers to learn the seaman’s trade of him, in such familiar words as if Jack Cole and I had writ them. This was very strange to me, that my Lord should carry all things so wisely and prudently as he do, and I was over joyful to see him in so good condition, and he did not a little please himself to tell me how he had provided for himself so great a hold on the King.
After this to supper, and then to writing of letters till twelve at night, and so up again at three in the morning. My Lord seemed to put great confidence in me, and would take my advice in many things. I perceive his being willing to do all the honour in the world to Monk, and to let him have all the honour of doing the business, though he will many times express his thoughts of him to be but a thick-sculled fool. So that I do believe there is some agreement more than ordinary between the King and my Lord to let Monk carry on the business, for it is he that must do the business, or at least that can hinder it, if he be not flattered and observed. This, my Lord will hint himself sometimes. My Lord, I perceive by the King’s letter, had writ to him about his father, Crew—[When only seventeen years old, Montagu had married Jemima, daughter of John Crew, created afterwards Baron Crew of Stene.]—and the King did speak well of him; but my Lord tells me, that he is afeard that he hath too much concerned himself with the Presbyterians against the House of Lords, which will do him a great discourtesy.
4th. I wrote this morning many letters, and to all the copies of the vote of the council of war I put my name, that if it should come in print my name maybe at it. I sent a copy of the vote to Doling, inclosed in this letter:
“SIR,
“He that can fancy a fleet (like ours) in her pride, with pendants
loose, guns roaring, caps flying, and the loud ‘Vive le Roys,’
echoed from one ship’s company to another, he, and he only, can
apprehend the joy this inclosed vote was received with, or the
blessing he thought himself possessed of that bore it, and is
“Your humble servant.”
About nine o’clock I got all my letters done, and sent them by the messenger that came yesterday. This morning came Captain Isham on board with a gentleman going to the King, by whom very cunningly, my Lord tells me, he intends to send an account of this day’s and yesterday’s actions here, notwithstanding he had writ to the Parliament to have leave of them to send the King the answer of the fleet. Since my writing of the last paragraph, my Lord called me to him to read his letter to the King, to see whether I could find any slips in it or no. And as much of the letter’ as I can remember, is thus:
“May it please your Most Excellent Majesty,” and so begins.
“That he yesterday received from General Monk his Majesty’s letter
and direction; and that General Monk had desired him to write to the
Parliament to have leave to send the vote of the seamen before he
did send it to him, which he had done by writing to both Speakers;
but for his private satisfaction he had sent it thus privately (and
so the copy of the proceedings yesterday was sent him), and that
this come by a gentleman that came this day on board, intending to
wait upon his Majesty, that he is my Lord’s countryman, and one
whose friends have suffered much on his Majesty’s behalf. That my
Lords Pembroke and Salisbury are put out of the House of Lords.
That my Lord is very joyful that other countries do pay him the
civility and respect due to him; and that he do much rejoice to see
that the King do resolve to receive none of their assistance (or
some such words), from them, he having strength enough in the love
and loyalty of his own subjects to support him. That his Majesty
had chosen the best place, Scheveling—[Schevingen, the port of the
Hague]—for his embarking, and that there is nothing in the world of
which he is more ambitious, than to have the honour of attending his
Majesty, which he hoped would be speedy. That he had commanded the
vessel to attend at Helversluce—[Hellevoetsluis, in South Holland]
—till this gentleman returns, that so if his Majesty do not think
it fit to command the fleet himself, yet that he may be there to
receive his commands and bring them to his Lordship. He ends his
letter, that he is confounded with the thoughts of the high
expressions of love to him in the King’s letter, and concludes,
“Your most loyall, dutifull, faithfull and obedient subject and
servant, E. M.”
The rest of the afternoon at ninepins. In the evening came a packet from London, among the rest a letter from my wife, which