II. 1647. BOOK presented to the common council, one of divers citizens, and another of divers young men and apprentices, grievously complaining of the injustice of these proceedings: and, on Monday morning, July the twenty-sixth, a petition was forwarded from the common council to the two houses of parliament to the same purpose. The house of commons immediately voted that it should be taken into speedy and serious consideration; and, another petition presently succeeding from the citizens, commanders, officers and soldiers of the trained bands, with the young men and apprentices of London and Westminster, seamen, watermen, and others, it was voted that the petition of the common council should be taken into consideration the first thing on the following morning". Tumultu ous scene which fol lowed: Force put on the two houses. But this did not satisfy the impatience of the present applicants. One account says, "The apprentices, and many other rude boys and mean fellows among them, came into the house of commons, and kept the door open, and their hats on, and called out as they stood, 'Vote, Vote,' and in this arrogant manner and posture remained, till the votes passed to repeal the ordinance for the change of the militia, and the declaration. In the evening about seven o'clock some of the common council came down to the house, and, under " Journals. standing that in their presence they had forced the speaker and the members to put the question, and pass the votes they required, now, so much of the work being done, they that put their apprentices upon it, ordered them to disperse themselves again; and they presently obeyed the orders of their masters"." Another contemporary writer of no mean authority relates, that, "after the sheriffs and common council had, in a respectful way, presented their desires, seconded by the like application from the apprentices, though with some unfitting importunities, and the houses had revoked the new ordinance of the militia, and annulled their declaration against the engagement, and all or most of the apprentices were gone away, some disorderly persons that remained brake into the house, forced the speaker to resume the chair after he had adjourned, and would not suffer any to depart till they had voted that the king should come to London P." All that we find in the journals is, that the house of lords first voted the restoration of the militia and the revoking of the declaration, and, the question being to be put upon these votes in the commons, and the house to be divided, this could not be done in the ordinary way, by reason • Whitlocke, ad diem. Waller, p. 183. See also Rushworth, Vol. VI, , p. 644. CHAP. X. 1647. BOOK II. 1647. of the multitude and tumult at the door, that would by no persuasion withdraw that the outer room might be cleared, and that in this state the question was put, and it was carried to agree with the lords in both particulars. 371 CHAPTER XI. PROPOSALS OF THE ARMY.-PRESENTED TO, AND XI. 1647. the two MATTERS having been thus decided, the two CHAP. houses adjourned to Friday, the thirtieth, when it was found that the speakers of both houses were absent, having gone out of town the preceding Speakers of day; and the house of lords, consisting of only houses eight members, ordered summonses to be issued to twenty that were absent, among whom were the earls of Northumberland and Warwicka. withdraw: with many lords and other of the These four days had been busily employed by several of the most eminent men in both houses in consultation what was to be done in so extra- commons. ordinary a crisis; and many of the most moderate and reflecting came to a resolution, that it would a Journals. II. 1647. BOOK be disgraceful to them to sit in a parliament, which had been so grossly dictated to by a tumultuous assemblage. There was no chance that a revocation could be effected of the votes of the twenty-sixth the most moderate and reflecting were in the hands of the intemperate and the furious; and the only mode they could adopt, to escape the being helplessly carried along with the torrent, was to withdraw. Views by were in fluenced. There was another motive which influenced which they those who had not surrendered themselves to all the excesses of party. Neither Lenthal nor Manchester were independents; the earl of Warwick was among the main supporters of the presbyterian party; but they judged that, by the folly and thoughtlessness of the proceedings of the twenty-sixth, the game was thrown into the hands of the military leaders; they would march up the army to London, to deliver the parliament from the control of the multitude; and the moderate men would shew themselves both more respectable and useful, by joining in this appeal to the army, and undertaking to give solidity and temperance to their proceedings. Conduct of the king on the occasion. This was a moment in which intrigue and cabal were most active. Both parties felt that it was of the utmost importance to them to gain the countenance of the king, or at least to prevent b Clarendon, Vol. III, p. 63. |