who had lately given a very good living in' Cornwall to Mr. Nicholas Monk, his brother; and Sir John receiving at this time two letters from king Charles II. then at Bruffels, one directed to himself, and the other to the general, together with a private commiffion to treat with the latter, the fuccefs of that overture ended, as is well known, in the restora tion of the king.

On the eighth of May, the general affifted at the proclamation of king Charles II. and, having received advice by Sir Thomas Clarges, that his majesty intended to land at Dover, on the twenty-eighth, the general fet out for that place, being the fame day the king embarked for Holland; and, lying at Rochester that night, arrived the next day at Dover, where the king landed on the twenty-fifth.

The interview between the king and the general, was conformable to every one's expectation, full of duty on one fide, and favour and efteem on the other; the king permitting the general to ride in his coach two miles out of the town; when his majefty took horse, and, with general Monk on his left hand, and his two brothers on his right, proceeded to Canterbury, where he conferred the order of the garter on general Monk, the dukes of York and Gloucefter invefting him with the honourable badges of that dignity.

From Canterbury the king removed to Rochefter, where he lay on Monday the twentyeighth; and the next morning, being his

birth-day, fet out for Black-Heath to review the army which the general had caused to be drawn up there; and from thence proceeded to his capital, into which he made his public entry with much magnificence.

General Monk was now fworn one of the privy-council, made mafter of the horfe, and one of the gentlemen of the bed-chamber, and had apartments in the Cock-pit, and was in a little time made first lord-commiffioner of the Treafury; and, in about a month afterwards, was created a peer, being made baron Monk of Potheridge, Beauchamp, and Tees, earl of Torrington, and duke of Albermarle, with a grant of feven thousand pounds a year, eftate of inheritance, befides other penfions; and received a very peculiar acknowledgment of regard on being thus called to the peerage, almoft the whole houfe of commons attending him to the very door of the house of lords: and we are told, that Sir Edward Nicholas faid, That the industry and fervice, which the duke of Albermarle had paid to the crown fince the king's reftoration, without reflecting upon his service before, deferved all the favour and bounty which his majesty had been pleased to confer upon him.

In October, the duke was made one of the commiffioners for trying the Regicides, and acted accordingly under it, but obferved great moderation. Soon after, his grace was made lord-lieutenant of the counties of Devonshireand Middlefex, and of the borough of South

wark

wark; and the parliament voting the disbanding of the army, the duke joined very heartily with lord-chancellor Hyde in promoting that ftep; and took great pains, by changing of. officers, to bring it to be fubmitted to quietly; in which he fucceeded, all but his own regiment of foot, and a new raifed regiment of horfe for the king's guard, being paid off and difmiffed; as fome time before had been the commiffioners from Scotland, by a letter from the duke of Albermarle, fignifying to them, that it was the king's pleasure, not to have them intermeddle any more in the government of that kingdom...

In January following, while the king was accompanying his mother and fifter on their return to France, the duke was employed at London in quelling an infurrection made by fome Fifth-monarchy men, under one Venner, a wine-cooper; who were with fome difficulty reduced by the duke of Albermarle's regiment, after repulfing fome detachments of the city militia and the new-raifed horfe. This gave rife to a propofal for keeping up ftanding-forces; but the duke was averse thereto, faying, That his endeavouring to continue any part of the army would be liable to fo much mifinterpretation, that he would by no means appear in it.

On the twenty-fecond of April, 1661, the duke, as master of the horfe, attended the king in his proceffion, leading the horse of fate, from the Tower to White-hall; and

the.

the next day carried the fceptre and dove, and was one of the fupporters of the canopy. during the royal unction at the coronation; after which, he and the duke of Buckingham: did homage for themselves and the rest of their degree.

In the latter part of this year he was attacked with a dangerous illness, from which he was recovered by the king's phyfician, Sir Robert Frafer. After this, every thing being in full. peace, he enjoyed himself for fome time in retirement, till, on the breaking out of the first, Dutch war, under Charles II. in 1664, hé was, by his royal highnefs the duke of York, who commanded the fleet, intrufted with the care of the Admiralty, receiving at the fame time a very obliging letter from his royal high

nefs.

The plague broke out in London the fame year; and the king removing from thence to Oxford, the duke of Albermarle's vigilance and activity made his majefly regard him as the fittest nobleman to entruft with the care of his capital city in that time of imminent danger and diftrefs; which additional burthen he chearfully underwent, and was greatly affifted. therein by the archbishop of Canterbury and the earl of Craven. About Michaeimas, the king fent for him to Oxford, whither he went poft, and, on his arrival, found his majesty had appointed prince Rupert and himself joint. admirals for the enfuing year; which dangerQus poft, though many of his friends diffuaded

him, he readily accepted, and immediately fet himself diligently about his new employ ment; wherein all the care of finishing thofe new fhips which were on the flocks, repairing the old ones, which had been much damaged in an action with the Dutch that fummer, victualling and maning the whole fleet, fell chiefly to his lot; and was fo effectually and expeditiously purfued by him, the feamen offering in crowds to the fervice, because they said they were fure that honeft George, as they commonly called him, would fee them well fed and justly paid, that, on the twenty-third of April, 1666, the prince and he took their leaves of the king, and repaired on board the fleet; where the former hoisted his flag, having Sir George Afcough under him, as admiral of the white, on board the Royal James; and the latter, as admiral of the red, on board the Royal Charles.

The particulars of his bravery against the Dutch in this ftation are properly the fubject of general history, to which therefore we refer. He returned home in the beginning of September, and lay with the fleet at anchor in the bay of St. Helen's, near Spithead.

During that interval, broke out the terrible fire in London; which beginning on the fecond of September, 1666, burned with un parallelled fury for three days, and laid the greatest part of the city in afhes. This unexpected accident immediately occafioned the duke of Albermarle to be recalled from the

fleet,