Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 39.djvu/86

Morley country for ten days, and remained there until the dissolution of parliament on 22 April.

Morley was again elected one of the council of state on 14 May 1659 (Commons' Journals, vii. 654), and on 9 July, being then an admiralty commissioner, was added to the committee for officers (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1659-60, p. 15). On 25 July he was made colonel of a regiment of foot (Commons' Journals, vii. 707, 708, 731). In conjunction with Hesilrige and five others he was appointed a commissioner for the government of the army on 12 Oct., in order to guard against the danger of military violence from Lambert (ib. vii. 796). On the very next day Lambert marched at the head of his troops through London, and came to the Palace Yard. There Morley met him pistol in hand, and swore if he stirred a foot further he would shoot him. To this Lambert answered, 'Colonel Morley, I will go another way; though, if I please, I could pass this.' He then marched into the Old Palace Yard, and ultimately succeeded in driving away all but his own friends from the House of Commons, his force being superior to Morley's owing to the city's inactivity (, Original Letters, 1739, ii. 246). With Walton, Hesilrige, and others of the old council of state, Morley wrote a joint letter to Monck, promising to stand by him in the attempt to restore the parliament (, Chronicle, ed. 1670, p. 695). Morley also promoted what he called the 'Humble Representation of Colonel Morley and some other late Officers of the Army to General Fleetwood,' dated 1 Nov. 1659 (, vii. 771-4). In company with Hesilrige and Walton, Morley then repaired to Portsmouth, gained over the governor (3 Dec. 1659), and proceeded to collect troops against Lambert. Their power so quickly increased that they soon marched into London at the head of a body of cavalry, and there, on 26 Dec., restored the parliament. Morley received the thanks of the house on 29 Dec. (Commons' Journals, vii. 799), became a member of the new council of state two days later (ib. vii. 800), and was appointed lieutenant of the Tower on 7 Jan. 1659-60 (ib. vii. 805). On 11 Feb. he was named one of the five commissioners for the government of the army, and on 23 Feb. one of the council of state (ib. vii. 841, 849). Evelyn, knowing that Morley had influence enough in Sussex to secure a good reception for the king in case he might land there, urged him to declare for the restoration of the monarchy, and thereby gain the honours which would otherwise fall to Monck. He refused, however, to believe that Monck intended to do the king any service. Even on Monck's arrival in London (3 Feb. 1659-60) Morley failed to penetrate his intentions, and broke off correspondence with Evelyn, though he had been bargaining for the king's pardon of himself and his relations (, Diary, ed. 1850-2, i. 334-6, 422-5). The republicans were alarmed, and Ludlow, apparently assured of Morley's support in maintaining the Commonweath, proposed that two thousand soldiers should be marched to the Tower to join with Morley's regiment there; 'he having sent to me,' says Ludlow, 'to let me know that the Tower should be at my command whensoever I pleased to desire it' (Memoirs, ed. 1751, ii. 360). Halting thus between two opinions, Morley missed playing the triumphant part, which Monck undertook.

After the Restoration Morley purchased his pardon by payment of 1,000l. (, i. 336). He appears to have been elected M.P. for Rye, but probably never took his seat (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1667, p. 543). He died at Glynde on 29 Sept. 1667. By license dated 26 Oct. 1648 he married Mary (1626-1656), daughter of Sir John Trevor, kt. (, London Marriage Licenses, ed. Foster, col. 942), by whom he had three sons, Robert (b. 1650), Herbert (b. 1652; died before his father), and William (b. 1653), and a daughter Anne (will registered in P. C. C. 141, Carr).

In Flatman's 'Don Juan Lamberto' (pt. i. ch. ix.) Morley is described under the sobriquet of the 'Baron of Sussex,' in allusion to the story of his scene with Lambert. Whatever opinions Morley adopted in church and state he maintained conscientiously, without the suspicion of a meanness or self-interest. His reports and orders as admiralty commissioner, 1659-60, are in the British Museum (Addit. MS. 22546, ff. 225, 229), and the corporation of Rye possesses many of his letters (Hist. MSS. Comm. 13th Rep. App. p. iv).  MORLEY, JOHN (1656–1732), known as 'Merchant Morley,' agent and land jobber, born at Halstead in Essex on 8 Feb. 1655-6, was originally a butcher, but rose by sheer business capacity to be one of the largest land jobbers, or agents for the disposing of land, in the kingdom. It is commonly stated that in honour of his first trade he annually killed a pig in Halstead market, and received a groat for the job. When he applied for