George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle

“ Beginning, therefore, at the top, it must be noted that the first commander-in-chief under the restored Monarchy was a subject, George Monk, Duke of Albemarle. His appointment was inevitable, for he had already held that command as the servant of the Parliament over the undisbanded New Model, and he was the only man who could control that Army. Charles, in fact, lay at his mercy when he landed in 1660, and could not do less than confirm him in his old office. The powers entrusted to Monk by his commission were [309] very great. ”

“ Augustine, who became to him the symbol of "the highest he knew on earth, bowing before a Higher in heaven."
Monism, the name given to the principle of any system of philosophy which resolves the manifold of the universe into the evolution of some unity in opposition to dualism (q. v.) .
Monk, George, Duke of Albemarle, general and admiral, was a Devonshire man, who spent his youth in the Dutch wars, and returned to England just in time to side with Charles I. against the Parliament; after leading a regiment in Ireland, he was captured at Nantwich in 1644, and spent two years in the Tower ”

“ In the hopes of recovering this, according to Mather, he went to England, and in 1683, by favour of Christopher Monck, second duke of Albemarle [q. v.] , a lord of trade and plantations, obtained command of a frigate, the Algier Rose. ”

“ Coventry's) murder (cf. Scott and Saintsbury ad loc.) Coventry escaped with his life; not so an unfortunate beadle whom Monmouth and the young Duke of Albemarle killed as a sequel to beating the watch on 28 Feb. 1670 (see ‘On Three Dukes killing the Beadle,’ ap. Poems on Affairs of State) .
When in January 1670 Monmouth succeeded Albemarle (Monck) as captain-general of all the king's forces, notwithstanding the opposition of the Duke of York, his first serious difference with the latter seems to have taken place (Life of James II, i. 494–5; cf. Dartmouth's note to Burnet, ii. 239) . ”

“ Monk’s hereditary claim to this semi-royal peerage was a very shadowy one, being based—as was also his subordinate style of Baron Beauchamp—on his descent from the youngest of the three co-heiresses of Richard, earl of Warwick, and, with yet more remote applicability, on that from Arthur Plantagenet, a natural son of Edward IV. The title became extinct in 1688, on the death of Christopher, 2nd duke of Albemarle. ”

“ Maurice, Prince, 15. ” ” at Chard, 107. “Mayflower,” Sailing of the, 94. Maynard, John, eminent townsman, 126. ” Sir John, Lord Commissioner, 155. ” Sir John, Recorder of Brixham, 156. ” Sir John represents Plympton, 192. ” of Honiton, Mrs. Lydia, 243. “Mermaid” Inn at Exeter, 69. Monk, George, Duke of Albemarle, in Scotland, 109. Monk, George, Duke of Albemarle, Restoration of Charles II., 112, 133. Monmouth Rebellion, 16. Montgomery, Colonel, 251. ” Lord, 250. Monument to Sir William Strode, 190. ” to Thomas Gray, 222. Moore’s “History of the British Revolution,” 287. ”

“ The titles of Earl of Montague and Viscount Monthermer succeeded to that of a simple baron. A second marriage added to his wealth; for his first wife having died in giving birth to his only surviving son, he resolved to acquire, by an union with the Duchess of Albemarle, a revenue of six thousand pounds additional to his wealth, and, moreover, to unite his family with the house of Newcastle. The Duchess of Albemarle, whom he for these interested motives addressed, was the heiress of Henry Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle, and relict of Christopher March, Duke of Albemarle. ”

“ MONCK or MONK, NICHOLAS (1610–1661) , provost of Eton and bishop of Hereford, was the third son of Sir Thomas Monck, knt., of Potheridge, Devonshire, and younger brother to George [q. v.] , the famous general. He was born at Potheridge in 1610, and in 1629 matriculated at Wadham College, Oxford. ”

“ My uncle could not learn the truth from anybody. The Mayor and magistrates tried hard to persuade the people that the Duke of Albemarle was triumphing, and that he had called upon the militia to finish the good work his soldiers had begun; but the tale told by flying soldiers who made their way into the city from Colonel Lutterell's regiment was very different. They declared that the train-bands under the Duke of Albemarle had given way everywhere before the Duke of Monmouth's troops. ”

“ Among those who made prominent figures in such unholy sports was the king's eldest son, my Lord Duke of Monmouth. He and his young grace of Albemarle—son to that gallant soldier now deceased, who was instrumental in restoring his majesty—together with some seven or eight young gentlemen, whilst on their rounds one Sunday morning encountered a beadle, whose quaint and ponderous figure presented itself to their blithe minds as a fit object for diversion in lieu of better. ”

“ I am tired," he added roughly, "of suspicious looks and covert smiles, an atmosphere of ill-will which greets me at every turn. Politically, many may differ from Me, but I have yet to learn that a Gentleman hath not the right to his own Opinions without being cold-shouldered by his Friends."
The Duke of Albemarle allowed him to talk on for awhile. His Grace obviously was making up his mind to take a decisive step in the matter. ”

“ The number of his followers under arms had now increased to seven thousand men, and at his first council of war it was decided to continue the advance. On 20 June he was proclaimed king of England at Taunton market-cross, after which he assumed the royal style, both in a warrant for the impressing of scythes and in a letter to his ‘cousin’ Albemarle (Ellis, Original Letters, 1st ser. iii. 340; cf. Dalrymple, i. 175) , was prayed for, and touched for the evil. To avoid confusion, his followers called him ‘King Monmouth,’ an odd designation which long survived among the people (Macaulay) . ”

“ But the day was not to be one of entire joy and triumph, for as evening drew on there began to be some fresh commotion in the streets; and running forth to see what it might mean, I found people looking scared and grave, whilst women began to cry out,—
"The Duke of Albemarle is coming! We shall be destroyed! Our town will be demolished! There will be a terrible and bloody battle ere nightfall. God have mercy on us all!" ”

“ The narrative which Monck laid before the House of Commons proved that he did all a commander so badly seconded could do, and the house thanked him for his eminent merit in the late war (Commons' Journals, ix. 6, 11) . 'The blockhead Albemarle,' comments Pepys, 'hath strange luck to be loved, though he be the heaviest man in the world, but stout and honest to his country' (Diary, 23 Oct. 1667) . ”

“ His real quality will appear when he is firm in his lofty seat. He will show a more steadfast countenance when he once gets to London.”
Meantime, the changes were disheartening and vexatious to his adherents. On the road, a messenger announced that preparations were made at the Duke of Beaufort’s, and at the Earl of Pembroke’s, to march a consolidated royal force down upon the insurgents, while Albemarle was already entering Taunton, rendering return impossible. Monmouth observed that nobody wanted to return to Taunton ”

“ His intercourse with the English judges sent by Cromwell, and with Monck, enlarged his knowledge of English law and politics. He advised Monck the day before his departure from Scotland to call a full and free parliament, a counsel which resulted in the Restoration. He had never really favoured the republican form of government, and was at heart a supporter of limited monarchy. ”

“ This was a far more extensive mansion, as will be seen by the imposing embattled gateway and a remaining wing, which rather remind one of a bit of Haddon. Here during the Monmouth Rebellion the Royalist commander Christopher, second Duke of Albemarle, encamped on June 18, 1685, the same day that the other duke, the boon companion of his wilder days, entered Taunton. The house belonged then, as it does still, to the De la Poles.
Most of the old houses hereabouts are associated in some sort of way with the rebellion. ”

“ The streets were all alive with eager, anxious crowds, and many, taking me to be a special messenger bearing news of Monmouth, tried to stop and question me; but, turning a deaf ear to them, I cantered on to Albemarle's head-quarters.
I found him seated at wine in company with divers gay-dressed cavaliers, who, by the look of them, thought more of drinking than of fighting. At first they were inclined to flout me; but, verily, a sturdy, well-armed, six-foot stripling of eighteen, with his wits about him, is something of a match for such as they. ”

“ In 1685 he raised the militia of Devonshire and Cornwall against the Duke of Monmouth, when he landed at Lyme in Dorset, but retired on the approach of Monmouth, who wrote to Monck commanding him to lay down his arms and repair to his camp, where he 'should not fail of receiving a very kind receptionm' on pain of being denounced as a rebel and traitor. ”

“ The Duke of Albemarle driven back, or his force dispersed, there will be a new clearness in the case. Wavering minds will be settled; and if, as may possibly happen, the trainbands should come over to our side, the country will doubtless rise, and cowards will either grow brave again, or may depart whithersoever they will.”
“You are a cheerful counsellor,” observed Monmouth; “more so than your father, whom I saw in Lyme, and whom I greatly respect. I wish I had so brave a man with me here. ”

“ In 1629 he entered an English regiment in Holland, where he studied the art of war with great diligence, 232and was remarkable for his steadiness of conduct, and the discipline he maintained among the soldiers, treating them at the same time with uniform kindness. In 1639 he returned to England; and in Charles I.’s disastrous expedition to Scotland, Monck displayed great skill in command of the artillery, though productive of no good results. He then went to Ireland on promotion, where he did considerable service, and was made Governor of Dublin ”

“ Our prisons are full of country yokels and farmers, caught in the act of going to Lyme to join the forces of the Duke. They tell us here that he will never reach Taunton; that the Duke of Albemarle will meet and rout him ere the day be done. Tell me, boy, what news dost thou bring? for faith I am half afraid to stir hand or foot, lest I find myself in some horrible trouble. ”

“ But the parliamentary leaders were too exalted by his obedience to listen to his remonstrances. 'All is our own,' said Heselrige, 'he will be honest;' or, according to another story, 'Now, George, we have thee, body and soul' (Ludlow, ii. 825) . They commanded him to execute his orders to the letter, and on the following day he completed his task (Old Parliamentary History, xxii. 93) . The result of the two days' work was to change the temper of Monck's soldiers, and rouse their indignation against the parliament. No doubt Monck foresaw this result, and counted on it. ”

“ George Monk was a man distinguished by great personal valour. His zeal in the public service was indefatigable. He was wise in counsel, fearless in battle; as a commander a strict disciplinarian, but also the stern enemy of oppression and tyranny, on the part of naval and military officers. Few men have ever attained to the influence and power he wielded, with less of personal ambition. ”

“ He held high command in the army. On all great occasions he was trusted and consulted. He was far more powerful in Scotland than the Lord High Commissioner, and far deeper in the secret of foreign affairs than the Secretary of State. He wore the Garter, which sovereign princes coveted. Lands and money had been bestowed on him so liberally that he was one of the richest subjects in Europe. Albemarle had as yet not even a regiment; he had not been sworn of the Council; and the wealth which he owed to the royal bounty was a pittance when compared with the domains and the hoards of Portland. ”

“ The thick hedges, which on each side overhung the narrow lanes, were lined with musketeers. Albemarle, however, was less alarmed by the preparations of the enemy than by the spirit which appeared in his own ranks. Such was Monmouth's popularity among the common people of Devonshire that, if once the trainbands had caught sight of his well known face and figure, they would have probably gone over to him in a body. ”

“ Meanwhile there was a man who saw clearly the one way to restore a stable government and to content the nation. George Monk, a calm, self-reliant soldier who commanded the army in Scotland, had resolved to use his regiments, on whose obedience he could implicitly count, to restore legal and constitutional rule. His own private ambition lay in the direction of a quiet and assured competence, not of an unsteady grasp on supreme power. He put himself secretly in communication with the exiled Prince of Wales and the chiefs of the English Royalists. ”

“ He became page to William III., accompanied him to England in 1688, and was made groom of the bedchamber and master of the robes in 1695. On the 10th of February 1696/7 he was created earl of Albemarle, Viscount Bury and Baron Ashford. In 1700 William gave him lands of enormous extent in Ireland, but parliament obliged the king to cancel this grant, and William then bestowed on him £50,000. The same year he was made a knight of the Garter. Meanwhile he had served both with the English and Dutch troops, was major-general in 1697, colonel of several regiments and governor of Bois-le-Duc. ”