as
still to be Fleetwood's for the full term of his original
appointment; but he was to be occupied by the duties of his English
Major-Generalship and his membership of Oliver's Council at home, and
the actual government of Ireland was thenceforth in the hands of
Henry Cromwell. The young Governor, whose wife had accompanied him,
held a kind of Court in Dublin, with Fleetwood's Councillors about
him, or others in their stead, and a number of new Judges. The
diverse tempers of these advisers, among whom were some Anabaptists
or Anti-Oliverians, and his own doubts as to some of the instructions
that reached him from his father, made his position a very difficult
one; but, though very anxious and sensitive, he managed admirably. In
particular, it was observed that, in matters of religion, he had all
his father's liberality. It was "against his conscience," he said,
"to bear hard upon any merely on account of a different judgment." He
conciliated the Presbyterian clergy in a remarkable manner; the
Royalists liked him; he would not quarrel with the Anabaptists; and
he was as moderate as possible towards the Roman Catholics.[1]

[Footnote 1: Godwin, IV. 449-458; _Milton Papers_ by Nickolls,
187-138; Carlyle, III. 108-109, and 133-140 (Letters from Cromwell to
his son Harry).]

One of Henry Cromwell's difficulties would have been Ludlow, had that
uncompromising Republican remained in Ireland. From that he was
relieved. In January 1655 Fleetwood had been ordered by the Protector
to make Ludlow give up his commission; and, as Ludlow questioned the
legality of the demand, he had arranged with Fleetwood to go and
settle the matter with the Protector himself. The Protector seeming
to prefer that Ludlow should stay where he was, and having sent
orders to that effect, Fleetwood was himself In England, and Henry
Cromwell was in his place in Dublin, and still there seemed no chance
of leave for Ludlow to cross the Channel. At length, without distinct
leave, but trusting to a written engagement Fleetwood had given him,
he ventured on the passage; and on Dec. 12, 1655, after the
experience of a most stormy sea, he had that of a more stormy
interview with the Protector and some of his Council at Whitehall.
Cromwell rated him roundly for his past behaviour generally and for
his return without leave, and demanded his _parole_ of
submission to the established Government for the future. Some kind of
_parole_ Ludlow was willing to give, dec