George Monk, duke of Albemarle, an English general, born at Potheridge, Devonshire, Dec. 6, 1608, died in London, Jan. 3, 1670. At the age of 17 he was a volunteer in an unsuccessful expedition against Cadiz under his relative, Sir Richard Greenville. About a year later he enlisted in the force sent to the isle of Re, and remained in the service till 1628. Soon after the peace of that year he entered the service of the United Provinces, and returned to England about 1638 with the rank of captain. He soon received an appointment in the army of Charles I., under whom he served with the rank of lieutenant colonel in the two expeditions undertaken just before the conference of Ripon (1640). In 1642 he was appointed colonel of the forces sent to suppress the Irish rebellion, and remained in this service till the breaking out of the civil war. In 1643 he was recalled, but was arrested immediately on his landing in England, and deprived of his office, on suspicion of his favoring the parliament (September). This was so satisfactorily disproved that he was speedily restored to command and promoted to be major general of the Irish brigade, then (January, 1644) engaged in the attack on Nantwich. He had scarcely arrived at that place when he was surprised, defeated, and captured by Sir Thomas Fairfax; and he was imprisoned in the tower for about two years.

On his release both parties eagerly endeavored to secure his services; and in November, 1646, he was finally induced by arguments and bribes to take the " solemn league and covenant" and espouse the parliamentary side. He was at once sent to Ireland, and commanded there against O'Neill from 1647 to 1649, exhibiting such military talent as to gain the high opinion of Cromwell, who in 1650 made him lieutenant general of ordnance in the expedition against the Scotch. Here he greatly distinguished himself, especially at the battle of Dunbar. He was now appointed commander-in-chief in Scotland, completed the conquest of the country, and having fully subjugated it, and compelled the formal union of Scotland with the commonwealth, he returned to England in 1652, leaving a reputation for great power and energy, but also for occasional cruelty; the most noteworthy example of the latter quality being his butchery in cold blood of the governor and 800 of the garrison of Dundee (1651). In the war against the Dutch, Monk was sent into the channel with a fleet which he commanded jointly with Gen. Dean till the death of the latter on June 2, 1652, in an action in which the final success of the English was due to Monk's persistency in maintaining the fight till the arrival of reinforcements under Blake. lie was commander of the fleet in the action on July 31 (new style, Aug. 10), 1653, in which Van Tromp was killed and the Dutch defeated.

In 1654 he suppressed the royalist insurrection in Scotland, and afterward kept that kingdom under the full control of the commonwealth until the death of Cromwell. From that time he devoted himself to the acquisition of personal power, striving to conciliate both the royalists and their opponents. When Richard Cromwell resigned the protectorate, in 1659, Monk declared for the parliament, and marched to London with 7,000 men; yet he acted with such skilful duplicity that while he now had the whole country practically under the control of himself and his troops, it was impossible to foresee in what way he would use the power he had acquired.

This course he continued after his arrival in London, and his first decisive act, compelling the parliament to readmit the expelled members, was only performed after a long study of the tendencv of public opinion. From this time, however, his actions were rapid and decisive. He brought the army, with which he was always exceedingly popular, into a very perfect state of organization; and the restored members of parliament having brought about his appointment as commander-in-chief, he be-gan to till the principal offices in the army with rovalists. This accomplished, he dissolved the old parliament and assembled a new one, to which, on May 1, 1660, he introduced Sir John Greenville, ambassador from the banished Charles II., with proposals for a restoration of the king. Everything having been prepared for this step by Monk, the proposals were at once accepted, and Charles landed at Dover. Every favor was now conferred upon Monk, and besides the titles of duke of Albemarle and earl of Torrington, with several minor dignities, he received large grants of money and lucrative offices. He resided in London, and continued active in public affairs. In 1664 he presided at the admiralty. In 1GG5 he displayed great bravery and ability as governor of London during the plague.

In 1G66 he again commanded (with Prince Rupert) a naval force against the Dutch, and served with much distinction; but he returned from the expedition ill of dropsy, of which he died. He was buried in "Westminster abbey. - See "Life of Monk,'" by Skinner (London, 1751), and by Guizot (Paris, 1851; English translation by Wharncliffe).