The _Court party_ of the Cromwellians, still led by Thurloe in the Commons, desired to preserve the Protectorate unbroken and with full powers, reducing the Army, as in an orderly and well-constituted State, to its proper place and dimensions as the instrument of the civil authority; the _Army Party_, or _Wallingford-House Party_, represented by Fleetwood and Desborough in chief, wanted to leave Richard only the civil Protectorship, and to set up a co-ordinate military power.

The differences between the two parties had been smouldering since Richard's accession, and had been too visible since the first meeting of the Parliament; but it was in April 1659, after their joint victory over the Republicans, that they turned against each other in deadly strife, the Republicans looking on.

Through that month the ominous spectacle was that of two rival Parliaments in Westminster--Richard's regular Parliament, and the irregular Wallingford-House Parliament of Army officers--watching each other and interchanging threats and denunciations.

It was on the 18th of the month that the regular Parliament passed their two courageous resolutions asserting their supreme authority.

They were that the Wallingford Council of officers should be immediately dissolved and no more such meetings of officers permitted, and that all officers of the Army and Navy should take an engagement not to interrupt the established power (ante pp.