APPENDIX IV

EVELYN AND COLONEL MORLEY

In the Edition of Sir Richard Baker's Chronicle, published with additions by Edward Philips (Milton's nephew), there is an account of the transactions between Evelyn and Colonel Morley, with particular reference to the influence strenuously used to induce Morley, after Cromwell's death, to declare for the King. In a subsequent edition, in 1730, this account is considerably altered. But among Evelyn's papers at Wotton has been found the original account drawn up by Sir Thomas Clarges, and sent to Mr. Philips. It is in Sir Thomas's own handwriting, had been evidently sent to Evelyn for his perusal, and is thus indorsed by him:

"Sir Thomas Clarges's (brother-in-law to the Duke of Albemarle) insertion of what concerned Mr. Evelyn and Colonel Morley in continuation of the History written by Mr. Philips, and added to Sir Rich. Baker's Chronicle. Note that my letter to Colonel Morley was not rightly copied; there was likewise too much said concerning me, which is better, and as it ought to be in the second impression, 1664."

Mr. Philips's account is as follows:

"In the seven hundred and nineteenth page of this History we omitted to insert a very material negotiation for the King's service, attempted upon the interruption given to the Parliament by Colonel Lambert and those that joined with him therein, which was managed by Mr. Evelyn, of Sayes Court, by Deptford, in Kent, an active, vigilant, and very industrious agent on all occasions for his Majesty's Restoration; who, supposing the members of this suppositious Parliament could not but ill resent that affront, thought to make advantage of fixing the impression of it to the ruin of the Army, for the effecting whereof he applied

himself to Colonel Herbert Morley, then newly constituted one of the five Commissioners for the command of the Army, as a person by his birth, education, and interest, unlikely to be cordially inclined to prostitute himself to the ruin of his country and the infamy of his posterity.

"Mr. Evelyn gave him some visits to tempt his affection by degrees to a confidence in him, and then by consequence to engage him in his designs; and to induce him the more powerfully thereunto, he put into his hands an excellent and unanswerable hardy treatise by him written, called An Apology for the Royal Party, which he backed with so good arguments and a very dexterous address in the prosecution of them, that the Colonel was wholly convinced, and recommended to him the procurement of the King's pardon for him, his brother-in-law, Mr. Fagg, and one or two more of his relations. This Mr. Evelyn faithfully promised to endeavour, and taking the opportunity of Sir Samuel Tuke's going at that time into France, he by him acquainted the King (being then at Pontoise) with the relation of this affair, wherewith he was so well pleased as to declare if Colonel Morley, and those for whom he interceded, were not of those execrable judges of his blessed Royal father, they should have his pardon, and he receive such other reward as his services should deserve. Upon the sending this advice to the King, the Colonel left London, because of the jealousy which Fleetwood and Lambert had of him; but, before he went, he desired Mr. Evelyn to correspond with him in Sussex, by means of Mr. Fagg, his brother-in-law, who then lay in the Mews.

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Mr. Evelyn had good reason to believe Colonel Morley very capable of serving the King at this time; for he had a much better interest in Sussex than any of his party; whereby he might have facilitated his Majesty's reception in that county, in case his affairs had required his landing there; but, besides his power in Sussex, he had (as he said) an influence on two of the best regiments of the Army, and good credit with many of the Officers of the Fleet.

"But before the return from France of the King's resolution in this matter, there intervened many little changes in the posture of affairs.

"Upon the advance of General Monck in favour of the Parliament, and the general inclination of the Army to him, Colonel Morley expected the restitution of that power, and with it of his own authority, and was leagued with Walton

and Hazlerig in a private treaty with Colonel Whetham, the Governor of Portsmouth, for the delivery of that garrison to them; and Fagg went privately from London to raise a regiment in Sussex to promote these designs; but was suppressed before he got any considerable number of men together.

"Mr. Evelyn, not knowing of these intrigues, in vain endeavoured by all imaginable ways to communicate the King's pleasure to Morley, who was by this time in the garrison of Portsmouth.

"But when the Parliament resumed their power, and he [Morley] was placed in the government of the Tower, he [Evelyn] thought it expedient to renew the former negotiation betwixt them for his Majesty's service, and in order thereunto, he often by visits made application to him, but could never but once procure access; and then he dismissed him with a faint answer, "That he would shortly wait upon him at his lodging.'

"This put Evelyn into so much passion that he resolved to surmount the difficulty of access by writing freely to him, which he did in this manner :—

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"TO COLONEL MORLEY, LIEUTENANT OF THE TOWER.1

"SIR,

with him for delivery of

London, and to declare for the King, a

little before General had he done, he had that great man de

Monck's, and which

have

"For many obligations, but especially for the last testimonies of your confidence in my friendship, begun so long since, and conserved so inviolably When I transacted through so many changes, and in so universal the Tower of a decadence of honour, and all that is sacred amongst men, I come with this profound acknowledgment of the favours you done me; and had a great desire to have made this a personal recognition and to congratulate your return, and the dignities which your merits have acquired, and for which none does more sincerely rejoice; could I promise myself the happiness of finding you in your station at any season wherein the Public, and more weighty concernments did afford you the leisure of receiving a visit from a person so inconsiderable as myself.

received the honour

served and obtained soon after.

"But, since I may not hope for that good fortune, and such an opportunity of conveying my respects and the great 1 The letter following is taken from Evelyn's own copy.

affections which I owe you, I did presume to transmit this express; and by it, to present you with the worthiest indications of my zeal to continue in the possession of your good graces, by assuring you of my great desires to serve you in whatsoever may best conduce to your honour, and to a stability of it, beyond all that any future contingencies of things can promise: because I am confident that you have a nobler prospect upon the success of your designs than to prostitute your virtues and your conduct to serve the passions, or avarice of any particular persons whatsoever; being (as you are) free and incontaminate, well-born, and abhorring to dishonour or enrich yourself with the spoils which by others have been ravished from our miserable, yet dearest country; and which renders them so zealous to pursue the ruin of it, by labouring to involve men of the best natures and reputation into their own inextricable labyrinths, and to gratify that which will pay them with so much infamy in the event of things, and with so inevitable a perdition of their precious souls, when all these uncertainties (how specious soever at present) shall vanish and come to nothing.

your

"There is now, Sir, an opportunity put into your hands, by improving whereof you may securely act for the good of your country, and the redemption of it from the insupportable tyrannies, injustice, and impieties under which it has now groaned for so many years, through the treachery of many wicked, and the mistakes of some few good men. For by this, Sir, you shall best do honour to God, and merit of country; by this you shall secure yourself, and make your name great to succeeding ages: by this you shall crown yourself with real and lasting dignities. In sum, by this, you shall oblige even those whom you may mistake to be your greatest enemies, to embrace and cherish you as a person becoming the honour of a brave and worthy patriot, and to be rewarded with the noblest expressions of it: when by the best interpretations of your charity and obedience to the dictates of a Christian, you shall thus heap coals of fire upon their head; and which will at once give both light and warmth to this afflicted Nation, Church, and People, not to be extinguished by any more of those impostors whom God has so signally blown off the stage, to place such in their stead, as have opportunities given them of restoring us to our ancient known laws, native and most happy liberties.—It is this, Sir, which I am obliged to wish to encourage you in, and to

pronounce as the worthiest testimony of my congratulations for your return; and which, you may assure yourself, has the suffrages of the solidest and best ingredient of this whole

nation.

"And having said thus much, I am sure you will not look upon this letter as a servile address; but, if you still retain that favour and goodness for the person who presents it, that I have reason to promise myself, from the integrity which I have hitherto observed in all your professions; I conjure you to believe, that you have made a perfect acquisition of my service; and, that (however events succeed) I am still the same person, greedy of an opportunity to recommend the sincerity of my affection, by doing you whatsoever service lies in my power; and I hope you shall not find me without some capacities of expressing it in effects, as well as in the words of

"COVENT GARDEN,

"12th Jan. 1659-60.''

"Honourable Sir, etc.

In a note he adds: "Morley was at this time Lieutenant of the Tower of London, was absolute master of the City, there being very few of the rebel army anywhere near it, save at Somerset-House a trifling garrison which was marching out to reinforce Lambert, who was marching upon the news of Monck's coming out of Scotland. He was Lieutenant of all the confederate counties of Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, etc.; his brother-in-law Governor of Portsmouth and Hampshire; his own brother William Morley, Governor of Arundel Castle; in sum, he had all the advantages he could have desired to have raised the well-affected of the City and Country universally breathing after a deliverer (uncertain as to what Monck intended), and so had absolutely prevented any [other] person or power whatever (in all appearance) from having the honour of bringing in the King, before those who were in motion could have snatched it out of his hand. Of all this I made him so sensible, when I was with him at the Tower, that nothing but his fatal diffidence of Monck's having no design to bring in his Majesty because he had [not] discovered it whilst matters were yet in the dark (but the design certainly resolved on) kept him wavering and so irresolute (though he saw the game sufficiently in his hands) as to sit still and put it off, till Lambert and his forces being scattered and taken, Monck marched into the City triumphant with his wearied army, possessed the gates, and with no great