At Monk's back, moreover, there was no effective support in case of failure, unless by that arming of the Scots which he was unwilling to risk, while to back Lambert there were about 20,000 more regulars in England, besides a militia of 30,000, not to speak of the forces in Ireland, and the regiments in Flanders.

Between the two Armies all that intervened to prevent conflict was the Treaty to be resumed at Newcastle.

Monk magnified the importance of that, but took great care to postpone it.

Wilkes, Clobery, and Knight, had not returned from London, and were rather slow to do so and face Monk after their blunder; and the two new Commissioners had not yet been appointed.
Meanwhile letters and messages passed between the two Armies, and there were desertions from the one to the other.[1] [Footnote 1: Skinner, 146-158; Phillips, 670-672; Whitlocke, IV.
373-377.] All this while the London Government of the Committee of Safety had been attending as well as they could to such general business as belonged to them in their double capacity of supreme executive and temporary deliberative.

For, at the constitution of the body on the 26th of October, it had been agreed that they should not only exercise the usual powers of a Council of State, but should also prosecute that great question of the future form of the Government of the Commonwealth which had occupied the late Rump.