Charles II of England

"...But we had not gone two hours on our way but the mare .1 rode on cast a shoe; so we were forced to ride to get another shoe at a scattering village, whose name begins with something like Long . And as I was holding my horse's foot, I asked the smith what news ? He told me that there was no news that he knew of, since the good news of the beating of the rogues the Scots. I asked him whether there was none of the English taken that joined with the Scots ? He answered, that he did not hear that that rogue Charles Stewart was taken; but some of the others, ho said, were taken, but not Charles Stewart. I told him, that if that rogue were taken he deserved to be hanged, more than all the rest, for bringing in the Scots. Upon which he said, that I spoke like an honest man, and so we parted..."

From "Memoirs of the court of Charles the Second"  by Anthony Hamilton (Count), Charles II (King of England), Thomas Blount - Edited by Sir Walter Scott.

The Merrie Monarch, Charles II of England, was born on May 29, 1630.  The section of text above, in his own words, refers back to Charles' escape from England in 1651, when he evaded capture by hiding in the Royal Oak at Boscobel House.  Charles did not stand much of a chance of returning to England, so long as Oliver Cromwell was in power.  But Oliver's son and successor as Lord Protector, Richard, held a less firm grip on the country.  Charles was restored to the throne subsequent to Richard's resignation as Lord Protector.  Image is from fromoldbooks.org

Richard Cromwell Resigns as Lord Protector

On May 25, 1659, a beleaguered Richard Cromwell resigned as Lord Protector of England.  He left when the Rump Parliament agreed to fund his personal debt and provide him with a pension.  Walter Scott covers this period of history in his "Tales of a Grandfather, history of Scotland":

"...To return to public affairs in London, where, after the abdication of Richard, changes succeeded with as little permanence as the reflection of faces presented to a mirror, the attempt of the officers of the army to establish a purely military government was combated by the return to Parliament of those republican members whom Oliver Cromwell had expelled, and whom the common people, by a vulgar but expressive nickname, now called the Rump Parliament. This assembly, so called because it was the sitting part of that which commenced the civil war, was again subjected to military violence, and dissolved by General Lambert, who unquestionably designed in his own person to act the part of Oliver Cromwell, though without either the talents or high reputation of the original performer. But a general change had taken place in the sentiments of the nation..."