[Footnote 1: Balfour, iv. 41, 60, 61, 64, 65, 67, 73, 77, 78. Whitelock,
462. Clarendon, iii. 346, 356, 357.]

[Footnote 2: Whitelock, 438.]

lord lieutenant had put his troops into winter quarters, an order was
obtained from parliament for him to attend his duty in the house; but he
resumed his military operations,[a] and two months were suffered to elapse
before he noticed the command of the supreme authority, and condescended to
make an unmeaning apology for his disobedience.[b] On the renewal of the
order,[c] he left the command in Ireland to Ireton, and, returning to
England, appeared in his seat.[d] He was received with acclamations; the
palace of St. James's was allotted for his residence, and a valuable grant
of lands was voted[e] as a reward for his eminent services. In a few days
followed the appointment of Fairfax to the office of commander-in-chief,[f]
and of Cromwell to that of lieutenant-general of the army designed to be
employed in Scotland. Each signified his "readiness to observe the orders
of the house;" but Fairfax at the same time revealed his secret and
conscientious objections to the council of state. A deputation of five
members, Cromwell, Lambert, Harrison, Whitelock, and St. John, waited on
him at his house;[g] the conference was opened by a solemn invocation of
the Holy Spirit, and the three officers prayed in succession with the most
edifying fervour. Then Fairfax said that, to his mind, the invasion of
Scotland appeared a violation of the solemn league and covenant which he
had sworn to observe. It was replied that the Scots themselves had broken
the league by the invasion of England under the duke of Hamilton; and that
it was always lawful to prevent the hostile designs of another power. But
he answered that the Scottish parliament had given satisfaction by the
punishment of the guilty; that the probability of hostile designs ought