n the gauntlet;[b] by one
vote, Lambert, Desborough, six colonels, and one major, were deprived of
their Commissions for having subscribed the copy of the petition sent to
Colonel Okey; and, by a second, Fleetwood was dismissed from his office
of commander-in-chief, and made president of a board of seven members
established for the government of the army. Aware, however, that he might
expect resistance, the republican chieftain called his friends around him
during the night; and, at the dawn of day, it was discovered that he had
taken military possession of King-street and the Palace-yard with two
regiments of foot and four troops of horse, who protested aloud that they
would live and die with the parliament.[1][c]

[Footnote 1: Journals, Sept. 28, Oct. 5, 10, 11, 12. Ludlow, ii. 229, 247.
Carte's Letters, ii, 246. Thurloe, vii. 755. Declaration of General Council
of Officers, 9-16. True Narrative of the Proceedings in Parliament, Council
of State, &c., published by special order, 1659. Printed by John Redmayne.]

[Sidenote a: A.D. 1659. Oct 11.]
[Sidenote b: A.D. 1659. Oct 12.]
[Sidenote c: A.D. 1659. Oct 13.]

Lambert mustered about three thousand men. His first care was to intercept
the access of members to the house, and to prevent the egress of the
militia from the city. He then marched to Westminster. Meeting the speaker,
who was attended by his guard, he ordered the officer on duty to dismount,
gave the command to Major Creed, one of those who had been deprived of
their commissions by the preceding vote, and scornfully directed him to
conduct the "lord-general" to Whitehall, whence he was permitted to return
to his own house. In Westminster, the two parties faced each other; but the
ardour of the privates did not correspond with that of the leaders; and,
having so often fought in the same ranks, they showed no disposition to
imbrue their hands in each other's blood. In the mean time the council
of state assembled: on the one side Lambert and Desborough, on the other
Hazlerig and Morley, appeared to support their pretensions; much time
was spent in complaint and recrimination, much in hopeless attempts to
reconcile the parties; but the cause of the military continued to make
converts; the advocates of the "rump," aware that to resist was fruitless,
consented to yield; and it was stipulated that the house should cease to
sit, that the council of officers should provide for the public peace,
arrange a new form o