Monk, George

George (1608-1670), an English soldier. He is noted in English history as a brilliant commander and an unprincipled politician. He entered the British service at the age of seventeen and served under Sir Richard Grenville. At the opening of the Civil War in 1640 he fought for the king and was taken prisoner. He was released soon and took the field for Parliament. He was sent to Ireland, then recalled and reprimanded at the bar of the House for what seemed a betrayal of the cause; yet later he rose to command of the ordnance under Cromwell and was charged with the pacification of Scotland. In 1652 Cromwell made him commander of the fleet. He gained two signal victories, one over Van Tromp, the Dutch admiral. At the death of Cromwell and the virtual collapse of the Commonwealth, Monk scattered the English army with skill so that concerted opposition to the Stuarts was out of the question. He manipulated Parliament so that it could not oppose their return. Charles II, who was thus enabled to resume the throne of his fathers without the shedding of blood, rewarded Monk with the title of Duke of Albemarle and gave him a pension of $35,000 a year. For the humorous side of Monk's life, the reader may consult Pepys's Diary. See Marlborough