y) had
been dissolved, and it behoved them to consider in whose names the Irish
estate should be vested, whether in the name of the mayor and commonalty
of London or a "select company."

(M200)

The disaffected element in the city, which had voluntarily kept itself in
the background, or had been suppressed by force on the day of the king's
visit, again came to the surface as soon as the duties of hospitality had
been executed. Once more a crowd gathered (29 Nov.) at Westminster,
shouting "No bishops!" encouraged (it was said) by John Venn, a merchant
taylor, who had succeeded Cradock, on the latter's decease, as one of the
city's representatives in parliament. On the 10th December the mayor,
acting under orders from the king, issued his precept to the aldermen to
see that apprentices and servants were kept within doors and not allowed
to go abroad to make tumult and hold unlawful meetings.(479)

(M201)

A difference of opinion existed as to the representative character of
those who had thus threatened parliament. "You much mistake," wrote Thomas
Wiseman to Sir John Pennington ten days after the riot had taken place,
"if you think those 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, but the representative body is the lord mayor, aldermen
and Common Council, who gave the entertainment to the king and will stick
to him and live and die in his service."(480)

(M202)

In order to dispel all doubts as to the respectability of the agitators
they determined to present a formal petition to parliament for the removal
of the bishops, and to do the thing in style. "Accoutred in the best
manner they could," they rode to Westminster in coaches, "to prevent the
aspersion that they were of the basest sort of people only which were that
way affected."(481) They declared that the petition was signed by over
20,000 well-to-do citizens, including aldermen and members of the Common
Council, and that many more signatures might have been obtained but for
the obstruction of divers "ill-affected persons."(482) When the Commons
came to inquire (20 Dec.) who these ill-affected persons were, it was
found that the Mayor and the Recorder were the chief. The former was
declared to have said that the petition had found favour only with
ignorant or idle people, who did not realise the da