raise the money by subscription, and they were further
instructed to take the best course they could for raising a sum of
L100,000 upon the same account.(1157) It was subsequently (1 March)
arranged that the sum of L27,000 should be advanced upon security of the
six months' assessment, and in case the same should not be fully collected
out of the assessment, the deficit, as well as the cost of repairing and
setting up the gates, portcullises, etc., should be secured by Act of
Parliament.(1158)

(M596)

The House acceded to the City's request that its militia might be placed
in the hands of commissioners of its own choice. Monk himself was
nominated by the Common Council (3 March) Sergeant-Major-General of the
city's forces, a post which he signified his willingness to accept.(1159)
The sooner the militia was settled the sooner would the city be rid of
Monk's soldiers, of whose excesses the Common Council had had recent cause
to complain.(1160) Armed once more with parliamentary powers, the
commissioners for the militia of the city prepared to raise six regiments
of auxiliaries and some cavalry, as well as a month's tax at the rate of
L35,000 a month over England for their maintenance or "trophies."(1161)

(M597)

Having settled the militia of the kingdom as well as that of London,
parliament--the Long Parliament, which during its actual or nominal
existence for nearly twenty years had experienced every vicissitude of
fortune--was at length dissolved (16 March) by its own act, and writs were
issued for a fresh parliament to meet on the 25th April.(1162) The new
parliament was known as the Convention Parliament on account of its
members having been elected without the king's writs.

(M598)

Ten days after the dissolution of the Long Parliament there came to the
Common Council of the city a deputation from the Council of State, in
whose hands the sole government of the kingdom then lay, with a proposal
to borrow the sum of half a million of money (L500,000) upon the security
of a moiety of the excise. The court, after deliberation, agreed (2 April)
to lend a sum of money (amount not specified) to the Council of State upon
security of the moiety of the excise "and the honour of the said Council
of State," and ordered that subscriptions should at once be set on foot in
the several wards.(1163)

(M599)

Scarcely had the House broken up before people began to talk freely of the
king and his probable restoration, a su