ity to subscribe on the ground that the Londonderry plantation had
"consumed their stocks." It was believed at the time that not a tenth part
of the money would be raised.(413)

(M166)

Six weeks or more elapsed. The king and nobles were at York holding a
council. The City had been brought into a better humour by a confirmation
of its rights (5 Sept.) to tolls known as "package" and "scavage," and a
pardon for all past offences in daring to exact such tolls.(414) The
citizens were still better pleased with a promise of another parliament
which Charles made in answer to a petition (24 Sept.),(415) and with the
prospect of a speedy conclusion of peace with Scotland. Under these
circumstances one last effort was made to get them to advance the
long-wished-for loan of L200,000. Not only did the king and the lords ride
to the city, but the Earl of Manchester, the Lord Chamberlain, Viscount
Campden, and other lords paid a personal visit to the Guildhall and used
their utmost powers to persuade the citizens to advance the money. The
money might be paid by two instalments of L50,000 and one instalment of
L100,000 between October and December, and the Peers themselves would give
security for repayment.(416) This time the application was more
successful, thanks to a little high-handedness practised by the lords on
the Common Council. "With all diligence becoming us we have gone upon the
business wherewith your majesty and the Peers entrusted us," they wrote to
the king (3 Oct.), giving him a long account of their visit to the
city.(417) "On Friday morning (2 Oct.) we desired the lord mayor to call a
Court of Aldermen at Guildhall, whither we all went, sat with them in
council, and opened to them all our business, and read our letters, which
satisfied them very much, yet they reserved themselves till they saw how
it would take with the Commons. Then we all went to dinner with the lord
mayor and there appointed to have a Common Council that afternoon, amongst
which we mingled divers commoners that were not of the Common Council,
such as we knew well affected and powerful in the city." We are not
surprised to learn that this action on the part of the lords was strongly
objected to as not being altogether regular. The lords insisted, however,
and they were allowed to have their own way. "At three o'clock that
afternoon," the letter goes on to say, "we met at Guildhall, sat with them
in the Court of Common Council, and according to ou