It had not decided against a continuance of the Commonwealth, should that seem best.

It had only assumed that possibly that might not seem the best, and had therefore removed obstacles to the free deliberation of either of the other schemes.
The revival of the Solemn League and Covenant might seem to imply more; but the phraseology of a document of 1643 might admit of re-interpretation in 1660 .-- A special perplexity of the present House was in the matter of the Other House or House of Lords.

They were now sitting themselves as a Single House, notwithstanding that the Long Parliament, of which they professed themselves to be a continuation, consisted of two Houses.

This was an anomaly in itself, nay an illegality; and there had been a hot-headed attempt of some of the younger Peers to remove it by bursting into the House of Lords at the same time that the secluded members took their seats in the Commons.

Monk's soldiers had, by instructions, prevented that; and, with the full consent of all the older and wiser peers at hand, the management of the crisis had been left to the one reconstituted House.