day." Trumpets, bands of music, and the acclamations of the people, according to the chroniclers-made the streets ring again.1

This exhibition so artistically contrived, which had been a subject of much correspondence with the King, as well as of deliberation on the part of the citizens, had a no less religious than political significancy. A year before, Presbyterians and Sectaries had made themselves conspicuous by "Root and Branch petitions," and since then, their activity had not declined, or their numbers diminished. On the contrary, the sectaries had increased, and had given alarming signs of zeal, in purifying certain Churches from the abominations of idolatry, and in organizing ecclesiastical societies of their own quite apart from the establishment.

In this state of things, the conservative portion of the corporation, and the citizens who sympathized with them, had, for the purpose of a party demonstration, elected a Lord Mayor who was a decided Royalist and a High Churchman. "The factious persons," remarks Sir Edward Nicholas, writing on this subject to the King, "were making a noise, and would not proceed to the election, when the sheriff proposed Alderman Gourney (who I hear is very well affected and stout) and carried it ; and the schismatics who cried no election,' were silenced with hisses, and thereupon the Sheriff dismissed the Court."2 This victory equally gratified Sir Edward and his master, and placed at the head of the costly civic reception, a gentleman in whom the King had the fullest confidence. More indeed was intended, both of loyal and religious demonstration, by the party who now took

1 Nalson, ii. 679-681.

6

2 Nicholas' Correspondence. Evelyn's Diary, iv. 82.

1

the lead in the City, than they were able to accomplish. A present of money and an address in favour of Episcopacy had been proposed, but without success. Notwithstanding, the King took care, in answer to the address of the recorder and corporation-as they stood by Moorgate, bareheaded,—to assure them of his determination, at the hazard of his life and of all that was dear to him, to maintain and protect the Protestant religion, as it had been established by his two famous predecessors, Queen Elizabeth and his father King James.

Some significancy is to be attached to a little display at the south door of St. Paul's Cathedral, where "the quire in their surplices, with sackbuts, and cornets, sung an anthem of praise to God, with prayers for their Majesties' long lives, that his Majesty was extremely pleased with it, and gave them very particular thanks."2 For unobjectionable as this kind of music might now-a-days appear even to a staunch nonconformist, it had a look, at that period, of stern, jealous, and watchful controversy, very obvious and very annoying to presbyterians and "sectaries;" so that, altogether, this City affair became a decided success for

1"I observe since my coming to town, a very great alteration of the affections of the City, to what they were when I went away. They say a great present is to be presented to the King after dinner, and a petition such as he will be glad to receive, the contents I hear not yet, only one clause for the maintenance of Episcopacy and the suppression of schism."-Robert Slingsby, State Papers Dom., Nov. 25. Respecting the King's reception, Wiseman says, "I confess it was a great one every way, and so acknowledged beyond the precedent of any

made to former Kings, that history makes mention of, which well suits with the goodness, sweetness, and meritorious virtues of so gracious a King as ours is. The present meau estate of the Chamber denied the form of a gift, but this of the hearts of the citizens and those of the better sort, and at this time so seasonably expressed, was of greater import to His Majesty than, for my part, I dare take upon me to value."—2nd Dec., 1641. State Papers, Dom. Nalson, ii. 681. Rushworth, iv.

2

432.

the King and the Church party, and as such, Royalists and Anglicans greatly rejoiced in it.

"Londoners are a set of disaffected schismatics, bent upon upsetting the godly order of things which they received from their fathers," was the opinion of many a country knight and yeoman, as he turned his attention to the metropolis, and thought of the current stories of the day. "No," said one, who sympathized with the Court, in a letter he wrote to a friend just at that time, "you much mistake, if you think that those insolent and seditious meetings of sectaries, and others ill affected, who have lately been at the Parliament House, to cry for justice against the delinquent bishops, are the representative body of the city. They are not. The representative body of the city is the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council, who gave the entertainment to the King, and will stick to him to live and die in his service. As for the rest, when the House of Commons please to give laws to suppress them, we shall quickly see an end of these distractions both in Church and Commonwealth, and, therefore, I pray give no ill interpretation to our actions." These words show what capital the clique, to which the writer belonged, was determined to make out of the grand pageant which had just come off with so much éclat.

The King himself, who was disposed to construe the conduct of the citizens as having a political and ecclesiastical signification, had on the occasion of his entry, knighted the Lord Mayor and Recorder, doubtless with a feeling which made it more than a formal ceremony. He had also conferred a like honour, a few days after

'Letter of Thomas Wiseman, addressed to "Sir John Pennington, Admiral of his Majesty's fleet for

the guard of the Narrow Seas."State Papers Dom., 9th Dec., 1641.

wards, at Hampton Court, upon certain Aldermen, who had come to thank him for accepting their entertainment.

The reception of these civic dignitaries in the old palace of Cardinal Wolsey occurred on the 3rd of December.1 A very different kind of audience had been held within the same walls two days before.

A committee for presenting the Remonstrance had been appointed by the Commons, composed of persons not likely to be offensive to the King, including Sir Edward Dering, who, in spite of his opposition to the measure, was requested to read and present the document; but, when the time came, he "being out of the way," Sir Ralph Hopton took his place. The deputation started in the afternoon, and their object being well understood by the populace, they would attract much attention, as they travelled along under leafless trees, and a wintry sky, and drew up at last before the old gates at Hampton Court. After they had waited a quarter of an hour in the anteroom, the King sent a gentleman to call them to his presence, with an order that no one besides the deputation should be admitted. He received his "faithful Commons" with some anxiety, but in addition to his other encouragements, at that moment there remained the halo thrown round him by the late entry; and it would not be forgotten by the monarch as the members knelt before him, that the Remonstrance which they brought—(as obnoxious to royalty as it was dear to the patriots)-had been

1 In the same letter to Sir John Pennington, Wiseman says, "His Majesty was pleased, with a return of many thanks for his entertainment, to set a mark of his favour by knighting the seven aldermen, whereof your cousin the alderman

was none, whose ways, as you partly know, are rather to please himself than to strive to do any acceptable service for the king, if it stand not with the sense of the preciser sort of the House of Commons."

after all carried only by a scant majority. Sir Ralph Hopton, who headed the deputation, commenced reading the document on his bended knees, when his Majesty commanded all the members to rise and as soon as that passage was reached, which alluded to the desire of the malignants to change the religion of the country, the King exclaimed, "The devil take him, whomsoever he be, that had a design to change religion." Upon reference to the disposal of the estates of the Irish rebels, he added, "We must not dispose of the bear's skin till he be dead." His Majesty proceeding to put some questions, the wary members replied, "We had no commission to speak any thing concerning this business." "Doth the House intend to publish this declaration?" Charles afterwards asked-thus touching the core of the matter. give no answer, persisted the reticent diplomatists. "Well then," he rejoined, "I suppose you do not now expect an answer to so long a petition." A very reasonable remark, looking at the two hundred and more clauses which the petition contained.1 When the answer did come, it included this carefully-worded paragraph :

"We can

"Unto that clause which concerneth corruptions (as you style them) in religion, in Church government, and in discipline, and the removing of such unnecessary ceremonies as weak consciences might check, that for any illegal innovations, which may have crept in, we shall willingly concur in the removal of them. That if our Parliament shall advise us to call a national synod, which may duly examine such ceremonies as give just cause of offence to any, we shall take it into consideration, and apply ourself to give due satisfaction therein, but we are very sorry to hear in such general terms, corruption in

Sir Ralph Horton gave a report to the House of the interview.-Parl.

Hist., ii. 942.