Evelyn was not slack in doing what in him lay towards this much-desired settlement:—
‘November 7. Was published my bold “Apologie” for the King in this time of danger when it was capital to speake or write in favour of him. It was printed twice, so universally it took.’
A fast was kept in secret, apparently about once a fortnight, by the Churchmen in London to pray ‘for God’s mercy to our calamitous Church.’
On February 3, 1660, Evelyn writes:—
‘General Monk came to London from Scotland, but no man knew what he would do or declare. Yet he was met on all his way by the gentlemen of all the counties which he passed, with petitions that he would recall the old, long-interrupted Parliament, and settle the nation in some order, being at this time in most prodigious confusion and under no government, everybody expecting what would be next and what he would do.’
Later in the same month Mr. Hyde wrote almost in despair to Dr. Barwick:[75]
‘It would be very good news if I could hear of my Lord of Ely being in full liberty, to whom I pray present my humble service. The truth is I have but little hope of the business of the Church but by his being at liberty, and therefore I hope he will make no scruple of accepting it if it be offered, or if it can be reasonably obtained.’
The suspense which Evelyn describes had not long to be endured. On February 11, the very day after Monk had dismayed the city by breaking down its gates and allowing the soldiers to march about it in triumph, he turned out the Parliament then sitting at Westminster, and called together the former one, to the great joy of the people. From this moment all hearts and wishes turned to the exiled royal family as the one hope left of tranquillity and order; thus suddenly, when the royalist hopes were lowest, their hearts’ desire was given to them.
BISHOP WREN’S RELEASE.
Monk, now in supreme power, did not forget the Bishop of Ely, whose fellow-captive he had been and who must have rejoiced to see Monk at last justify his confidence. On March 15 the lieutenant of the Tower received the order ‘That Dr. Wren, Bishop of Ely, be discharged from his imprisonment.’ Thus the eighteen years of captivity came to an end, and the Bishop came forth from the Tower, an old man of seventy-five, broken by many sorrows.