landed, and the
gallant General Monk, who had been mainly instrumental in
bringing his royal master to the throne without loss of blood,
now fell upon his knees to greet his majesty. The king raised
the general from the ground, embraced and kissed him. Then the
nobility hastened to pay their duty likewise, and the Mayor and
Aldermen of Dover presented him with a most loyal address. And
presently, with the roar of cannon, the clangour of bells, the
sound of music, and the shouts of a great multitude ringing in
his ears, the king advanced on his way towards Canterbury. At
the gates of this ancient city he was met by the mayor and
aldermen, and was presented by them with a golden tankard, Here
he spent the following day, which being Sunday, he went with a
great train to the cathedral, where service according to the
Church of England, long disused by the Puritans, was restored, to
the satisfaction of many.
Setting out from Canterbury on Monday, the 29th of May--which
was, moreover, the anniversary of his birth--he journeyed to
Blackheath, where he reviewed the forces drawn up with great pomp
and military splendour to greet him, and bestowed many gracious
expressions on them. Then, having received assurances of their
loyal homage through their commander, Colonel Knight, he turned
towards London town. And the nearer he approached, the more
dense became crowds thronging to meet him; the fields on either
side the long white road being filled with persons of all
conditions, who cheered him lustily.
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