The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1913-01-15
George Monk, the Man Who
Sold a Throne

Benedict Arnold GENERAL MONK
tried to sell his country to its old-time
masters. He failed. History has for
ever cursed him with the brand of
Traitor" George Monk tried to do
practically the same thing. He sue
ceeded. He was loaded down with
wealth and honors and hailed as a
Liberator.
When Monk was a lad of seventeen
in 1625-he broke the laws of Eng
land and had to fee for refuge to the
continent. He had not much money,
but he had boundless ambition, not
enough conscience to trouble him, and
veritable genius for military affairs.
All this was a splendid equipment for
soldier OF fortune. And a soldier Of
fortune he became. He went to the
wars in Spain, and later in the Neither
lands, where he quickly won high rep
utation as a crafty and fearless war
rior
Monk fell foul Of the Dutch author
tiles in 1888 and went back to Eng
land BY this time his early lawlessness
was forgotten and he was made a
colonel in the armies of King Charles
/. A short time afterward he helped
to crush an uprising first in Scotland,
then in Ireland, and by his stern con-
duct there won still further the APP
prevail of Charles.
Parliament rose against the king
and civil war began. Monk was sus-
/ pected-rightly or otherwise-of be-
ing a secret friend of the rebels and
was arrested. But he so loudly pro-
j tested his love for the king and his
/ adherence for the Parliamentary
I party that Charles freed him and rein
stalled him in the army. Monk fought
/ CALAMITY for the king, but in 1914 was
captured by the parliament troops and
I cast into prison. There he remained
I for three years.
/ In the meantime Parliament won the
war. The Royalist forces were routed.
i King Charles was a captive and was
soon to lose his head. The Parlia-
ment army needed good officers.
Monk was offered freedom, fat brides
and a generalship if he would re-
nounce King Charles and swear loyal
/ ty to Parliament. He consented. One
side was as good as another to him
so long as it promised him advance
ment. He was bound by no scruples.
Says one historian:
He had but one interest, that of
{ George Monk! And to secure that in
terest he labored."
Monk rose high in the Parliamentary
service and at last was second in
command to Oliver Cromwell himself.
This did not satisfy him. No cum
ming or skill of his could prevail over
| Cromwell's iron nature But Crom-
well-who never wholly trusted him
was not immortal And Monk could
afford to wait. He quietly strength
ened his influence over the army, laid
his plans and bided his time.
Cromwell was ruler of the com
monweaIth of England" using the
title Lord Protector" instead of
King" because the people were sick
Of royalty. He died and his son Rich
ard-a weak, stupid fellow-succeed-
ed him. In less than a year Richard
l. was deposed. And England was prac-
tically without a fuller. The Crom-
well party wanted one thing, other fac
tons wanted another. It was the time
Of uncertainty for which Monk had
waited
The eldest son of King Charles /
was living on the continent. For
years he had vainly sought to regain
his fathers throne But the people
at large were afraid to trust him.
Agents Of his had approached Monk,
and now came again to him. The bal
ance of power lay in Monks hands.
And he played his cards well He
held out, it is said, for an enormous
price, The terms being agreed upon,
he quietly got about his task of earn
ing the money.
First he weeded out Of the army all
who we're likely to object actively to
the restoration Of the old monarchy.
He filed the highest military offices
with Royalists and forced parliament
to receive numbers of the dead kings
old adherents. All this time he was
, loudly pToclaiming his loyalty to the
Commonwealth" and his hatred Of
kings.
W -EA tAC uDuA Was IIJe ne deserted
to the Royahst standard and took his
whole army with him. With the
army and Monk on the side of Charles
, Is son, and parliament packed" with
J.. Royalists, the commonwealth could do
? nothing but feebly lament the treach-
cry that had caused its fall.
. The young king (now known as
4 Charles IL came to London unop-
s posed and began reign Of prohigacy.
: Monk was hailed as a hero and q
= deliVerer. Charles II made him duke
OF Albemarle. gave him a pension OF
$4,000 a year and appointed him
commander-in-chief Of the English
, army.