office, where I sat in his study singing, while he was with his man (Mr.
Powell's son) looking after his business. Thence we took coach for the
City to Guildhall, where the Hall was full of people expecting Monk and
Lord Mayor to come thither, and all very joyfull. Here we stayed a great
while, and at last meeting with a friend of his we went to the 3 Tun
tavern and drank half a pint of wine, and not liking the wine we went to
an alehouse, where we met with company of this third man's acquaintance,
and there we drank a little. Hence I went alone to Guildhall to see
whether Monk was come again or no, and met with him coming out of the
chamber where he had been with the Mayor and Aldermen, but such a shout I
never heard in all my life, crying out, "God bless your Excellence." Here
I met with Mr. Lock, and took him to an alehouse, and left him there to
fetch Chetwind; when we were come together, Lock told us the substance of
the letter that went from Monk to the Parliament; wherein, after
complaints that he and his officers were put upon such offices against the
City as they could not do with any content or honour, that there are many
members now in the House that were of the late tyrannical Committee of
Safety. That Lambert and Vane are now in town, contrary to the vote of
Parliament. That there were many in the House that do press for new oaths
to be put upon men; whereas we have more cause to be sorry for the many
oaths that we have already taken and broken. That the late petition of
the fanatique people presented by Barebone, for the imposing of an oath
upon all sorts of people, was received by the House with thanks. That
therefore he [Monk] do desire that all writs for filling up of the House
be issued by Friday next, and that in the mean time, he would retire into
the City and only leave them guards for the security of the House and
Council. The occasion of this was the order that he had last night to go
into the City and disarm them, and take away their charter; whereby he and
his officers say that the House had a mind to put them upon things that
should make them odious; and so it would be in their power to do what they