f these were to be continually insisting upon
returning home, as those under Waller had recently done for the second
time.

(M292)

Great delay took place in getting the parliamentary forces into the field.
The 19th April, the day appointed for the rendezvous at Aylesbury, arrived
and found Essex still unprepared. It was not until the 2nd May that the
Committee of the Militia of the city informed the Common Council that
three regiments out of the six to be called out were then in readiness to
march. The committee asked the sanction of the council before giving
orders for the regiments to start because, they said, their powers had
been much limited by their last commission (8 April). The council was in
favour of the regiments setting out at once towards Uxbridge, according to
instructions left behind by Essex, and the committee was directed to draft
an ordinance for parliament to the effect that none of the forces might be
kept longer abroad or sent further from London than the committee should
from time to time think fit, and that the forces should be conducted and
commanded by such major-general and other officers of the brigade as the
committee should appoint.(637) It was a repetition of the old story. The
City always insisted on appointing its own officers over its own men.

(M293) (M294)

In the meantime the Committee of Both Kingdoms had been busy drawing up
proposals for peace such as would at once satisfy both Houses as well as
be acceptable to Charles. At length the proposals were laid before the
Commons and read the first time (29 April). The second reading was
appointed for the 1st May. Before any further steps were taken in the
matter it was but right that the citizens of London, without whose aid the
issue of the struggle between king and parliament might have been very
different to what it was, should be consulted. A deputation was therefore
appointed (3 May) by the House to wait on the mayor, aldermen and common
council of the city and to express to them the willingness of parliament
to consider any proposals that they might think fit to make on behalf of
the city, and to lay them before the king.(638) The City thanked
parliament and referred the matter to a committee.(639)

(M295)

For some time past there had been a flow of dissatisfied royalists from
Oxford to London, induced to embrace the parliamentary cause by an offer
of pardon made by Essex (30 Jan.) to all who would return to their duty
and