the same royalist proclivities would show themselves in the
elections to the Common Council which were to take place on St. Thomas's
day (21 Dec.). An ordinance was accordingly passed on the 18th against the
election of "malignants" to the city council. This ordinance was amended
two days later (20 Dec.) in such a way as to exclude every citizen who had
subscribed to an engagement for a personal treaty with the king.(916) It
was in vain that representation was made to parliament of the difficulty
of getting a council together under such a restriction. The House was
inflexible and ordered the election to be at once proceeded with. The
election accordingly took place, but when the members came to take their
seats the mayor forbade them unless they were prepared to take the oath of
allegiance, which had not yet been abolished. This action on the part of
Reynardson being reported to the House, it directed him (5 Jan., 1649) to
forthwith summon the Common Council together, but to suspend the taking of
oaths until further order.(917) It at the same time gave orders for the
city chains to be removed and stored in the Leadenhall, the easier to put
down any disturbance that might arise in consequence of the recent
elections.(918) The effect of the "purge" thus administered to the city's
parliament was soon to be seen.

(M470)

On the 13th January, by which day a High Court of Justice had been
especially established for the king's trial and all royalists had been
banished the city by order of Fairfax,(919) the new Common Council began
to assert itself. The court had been summoned to meet at eight o'clock in
the morning (not an unusually early hour in those days), but the mayor did
not put in an appearance until eleven, and then was only accompanied by
two aldermen, the number necessary to form a court. It was soon seen that
there was something wrong. The mayor refused to acknowledge the authority
of the council or to allow the minutes of the last court to be read in
accordance with custom. The council took but little notice of this and
passed on to the next business. This was a petition to the House of
Commons, drawn up and approved by a committee,(920) asking the House to
execute justice impartially and vigorously "upon all the grand and capital
authors, contrivers of and actors in the late wars against parliament and
kingdom, from the highest to the lowest," and to take steps, as the
supreme power of the nation, for the preserv