Chapter summaries Between Two Kings Alexandre Dumas

Chapter XXIII: In Which the Author Is Forced, Despite Himself, to Recount a Little History

Spoiler Notice: This page reveals details from Chapter 23 of Between Two Kings. If you haven’t read this chapter, proceed with caution.

Summary

The narrator steps back from the novel’s main characters to provide essential historical context. While England drifts in political chaos, General George Monck has declared his support for reinstating the Rump Parliament—the remnant of the Long Parliament that had been locked up by General John Lambert. Lambert, imitating Oliver Cromwell’s earlier treatment of the body, had sealed the Parliament so tightly that no member could escape and only one, Peter Wentworth, managed to enter.

The chapter frames the conflict as a binary: Lambert represents military despotism, openly aiming to establish a military government with himself at its head. Monck, a known republican, is more ambiguous. Some believe he sincerely supports the Rump Parliament as the legitimate (though degenerate) representation of the republic; others suspect he merely uses the Parliament as a stepping‑stone toward the vacant throne. With their intents now irreconcilable, the two generals raise armies. Monck gathers forces in Scotland, attracting Presbyterians and royalists—the malcontents—while Lambert consolidates power in London, a city that invariably opposes whichever authority is most visible, in this case the Parliament.

The chapter, titled as an authorial grumble, thus lays out the powder‑keg rivalry that will soon decide England’s fate.

Key Events

  • Monck’s declaration: Monck announces his allegiance to the liberation of the Rump Parliament.
  • Lambert’s lock‑down: Lambert had previously imprisoned the Parliament, mimicking Cromwell’s oppression, preventing members from leaving.
  • Peter Wentworth’s entry: Only Wentworth succeeded in entering the sealed Parliament.
  • Classification of adversaries: Lambert embodies military despotism; Monck is positioned as a staunch republican, though his true motives are questioned.
  • Mutual hostility: Monck and Lambert become declared enemies by picking opposite sides of the Parliamentary question.
  • Mobilisation: Monck raises an army in Scotland, combining Presbyterians and royalist malcontents; Lambert mobilises in London, where anti‑Parliament sentiment fuels his forces.

Character Development

  • General George Monck: Presented as adroit and ambitious, Monck is a republican whose public face is both bold and mysterious. The chapter hints at a duality: he may be a sincere champion of parliamentary republicanism or a cunning player using the Rump Parliament as a ladder to power. The narrator notes that “some said” he merely wanted the Parliament “as a stepping‑stone to the throne,” painting him as a figure whose endgame remains opaque.
  • General John Lambert: Lambert is portrayed more directly—he makes “no secret of his intentions” and seeks to establish a military government under his own command. His actions (locking up Parliament) are framed as direct imitation of Cromwell’s despotic methods, marking him as the clear representative of military tyranny.
  • Peter Wentworth: A minor but notable figure, Wentworth is the lone individual who managed to enter the besieged Parliament, symbolising defiance against Lambert’s blockade.
  • Oliver Cromwell and Charles I: Though absent, their shadows loom—Cromwell as the model for Lambert’s despotism, and Charles I as the lost king whose execution opened the revolutionary vacuum.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Republicanism versus military despotism: The chapter explicitly reduces England’s crisis to a clash between these two political poles, personified by Monck and Lambert. This dichotomy drives the historical exposition.
  • Political ambition and hidden motives: Monck’s ambiguous stance—are his actions principled or self‑serving?—introduces the motif of dissembling ambition. The stepping‑stone metaphor underscores how power vacuums breed calculated duplicity.
  • The forced historical narrative: The chapter’s self‑deprecating title (“the Author Is Forced… to Recount a Little History”) is itself a motif. It acknowledges the tension between storytelling and necessary context, while also signalling that these events are not mere background but the engine of the coming plot.
  • The Rump Parliament as a symbol: The besieged Parliament represents the battered yet persistent ideal of republican governance. Its physical lockdown and the single successful entry by Wentworth symbolise both the fragility of representative institutions and the stubborn resistance against tyranny.

Why This Chapter Matters

Though the chapter eschews the novel’s central adventures, it is indispensable for understanding the political tectonics that will propel the rest of the story. By delineating the Monck–Lambert rivalry, the author places the reader directly inside the power struggle that made the Restoration possible. Monck’s eventual decision to pivot toward Charles II—only hinted at here through the suggestion of throne‑stepping—becomes historically credible once we grasp his ambiguous republicanism and his armed Scottish base. The chapter transforms a confusing historical sequence into a clear, human opposition, preparing the ground for the royalist intrigue to come. It also humanises the author’s role, reminding us that even Dumas must occasionally pause for a history lesson.

Study Questions & Answers

1. How does the text characterise the political positions of Monck and Lambert?
Lambert is the straightforward military despot, openly intent on personal rule. Monck is a republican, but the chapter stresses his ambiguity: he may be a genuine parliamentarian or an ambitious figure using the Rump Parliament as a path to greater power. This contrast sets up a rivalry not just of armies but of political philosophies and personal agendas.

2. Why does the Rump Parliament serve as the focal point of conflict in this chapter?
The Rump Parliament is the last visible remnant of the English Republic after Cromwell’s rule. By locking it up, Lambert attacks the symbol of republican legitimacy; by declaring for its liberation, Monck positions himself as the defender of that legitimacy. The Parliament’s fate becomes the litmus test for whether England will slide into military dictatorship or retain some form of representative government.

3. What does the chapter title reveal about the author’s attitude toward including this historical exposition?
The title’s playful lament—“the Author Is Forced, Despite Himself, to Recount a Little History”—suggests that the narrator would rather continue the main story but recognises that readers need this context. It also winks at the reader, acknowledging that a history lesson might be less exciting than swashbuckling adventure, yet affirming that it is necessary to make sense of the tale’s larger stakes.

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