Among the many years of deprivation, solitude, and general hopelessness which comprised the exile of Charles II and those loyal to his cause, 1658 holds a unique place for its unfulfilled promises and unrealised potential. The inability of either the Royalists or their European allies to seize the opportunity created by the death of Oliver Cromwell, and the peaceful succession of Richard Cromwell to the Protectorate, left the Royalist cause in a state of disarray. For the Marquis of Ormond, the sense of disappointment which the events of that year had engendered was also a personal one. Having left for England in late January and witnessed the impact of Parliament's dissolution, Ormond's defeated report to Hyde upon his return was undoubtedly difficult for a proud man-of-action. Yet for Ormond this trip had been revelatory well before his departure for England. The cost of his journey, the enfeebled state of Royalist activity, and the impoverished condition in which he found his contacts left a clear impression which he made sure to relate to Hyde.