the City's engagement to protect the king against violence
pending negotiations, and its intentions as to the king's person in the
event of such negotiations falling through. To these the city committee
had made replies (now submitted to the council for approval), and had
added certain propositions to the parliamentary committee to enable the
City the better to carry out its engagement. The first two of these
related to the amalgamation and increase of the militia; the third asked
that, pending negotiations, no force should be allowed to come within
thirty miles of London, and that riot and tumult raised in the city during
that period after proclamation made should be met with a death penalty;
and the last that if parliament so willed no one who had ever taken up
arms against it should be allowed within thirty miles of London without
leave. Both the answers and proposals of the city committee were alike
approved by the council, and a house-to-house visitation was organised for
the purpose of getting names subscribed to the city's engagement.

(M445)

The demand for a death penalty on rioters in the city was not unwarranted.
There were not wanting signs of disaffection even in the ranks of the
city's militia. So recently as Saturday, the 8th July, the Speaker
himself, whilst being escorted to his coach by a company of soldiers, had
been insulted by one in the ranks, who cried out to the surrounding mob
"that now he was out of their charge they [the mob] should tear him in
pieces."(881) A few days later (12 July) some prisoners of war were
rescued in the streets of London by the mob, and the lord mayor received a
sharp reprimand for not keeping better order in the city.(882) The
Commons, in consequence, resolved that no more prisoners should be brought
to London.(883)

(M446) (M447)

It was known that about this time secret enlistments were being carried on
in the city, and that horses were being despatched out of the city by twos
and threes to assist the royalists. It was also reported that an attempt
was about to be made to seize the Tower.(884) The majority of the
inhabitants, nevertheless, remained faithful to parliament, and the
Speaker took the opportunity of a petition addressed to both Houses (12
July) from "divers well-affected magistrates, citizens, ministers and
other inhabitants" of the city and parts adjacent, praying them to enter
into no treaty without proper assurances for the maintenance of the
coven