On This Day 350 Years Ago...Pepys' Diary

 13 February 1660...in the weeks leading up to the restoration...

George Monck, 1st Duke of Albermarle was a very shrewd character who had been a royalist general in the civil war but later manged to be the governor general of Scotland under Oliver Cromwell. By this time he had led an unopposed army down to London in support of the Parliament (which had been in disarray since Oliver Cromwell's death a couple of years before) and like every true political survivor/collaborator, keeping his true political colours very close to his chest. The ensuing parliament was strongly royalist in its nature and led to the restoration of Charles II as King.


This day Monk (sp.) was invited to White Hall to dinner by my Lords; not seeming willing, he would not come. I went to Mr Fage from my father's, who had been this afternoon with Monk, who did promise to live and die with the City, and for the honour of the city; and indeed the City is very open-handed to the soldiers, that they are most of them drunk all day, and had money given them.