So the people only shouted more loudly and the bells rang more merrily as the triumph went on through Harborough, Northampton, Dunstable, till on the 28th St. Albans was reached. Here a halt was made to allow the columns to close up and for the crucial request to be made. For Monk determined from here to despatch the letter which had been prepared at Nottingham. Clarges was sent on before to pave the way for its reception. It was a critical moment. The House had just confirmed Monk's commission of general. It was a rank then considered so dangerously exalted as to be hardly ever conferred. Indeed before the Revolution it had seldom been borne except by the sovereign, and already the _quidnuncs_ began to talk of his alliance with the Plantagenets. It was the very point upon which the leaders of the army had finally broken with Parliament, and the first act of Monk in his new capacity was to request that the whole of Fleetwood's troops might be removed from the capital to make way for his own. A violent debate ensued. Haslerig opposed it with all his weight, but so well organised were the non-abjurers and so favourable had been Scot's reports that the request was granted. The great difficulty was overcome, and on February 2nd Monk moved to Barnet. That night for the first time the commissioners slept in another house. Apparently they intended to make one despairing effort on the part of the abjurers to keep Monk from peacefully occupying the capital. At all events about midnight the Secretary of State rushed into Monk's quarters in his night-shirt and slippers crying that the apprentices were out and the garrison in mutiny. He implored, he commanded Monk to march on the spot and restore order, but the old general was perfectly unmoved. He grimly told him he would undertake to be in London early enough in the morning to prevent mischief, and Scot had to go back to bed. Some considerable disturbance there had been, but before Monk marched next day it had been easily suppressed by a few troops of horse and something on account of arrears.