were a fair representation of the city. It set forth various proceedings
of the Common Council in connection with parliament and the city's
Engagement to guarantee the personal safety of the late king from the 22nd
June, 1648, down to the 13th January, 1649, when the lord mayor Reynardson
was constrained to leave the council. The terms of this Engagement the
City was prepared to carry out, "but it pleased Almighty God to permit
their good intentions and endeavours to be frustrated by the destructive
counsels and actings of those who had designed to build upp their dominion
and fortunes on the ruin of the king and kingdom." The House of Lords was
dissolved, and all the best members excluded from the House of Commons. By
"pretended ordinances" of parliament, all those worthy citizens who,
according to their allegiance and covenant, had engaged to procure and
secure a personal treaty with the king, were rendered incapable to be
elected into the Common Council or any other office of trust in the city.
What could be expected of a body thus emasculated? They declare themselves
unable to find words to express their abhorrence of the proceedings that
had taken place in the Common Council of the 13th January, 1649, and
"profess their thankful memory of the noble gallant resolutions of the
then lord mayor, Alderman Reynardson, and his brethren the aldermen, who
so valiantly resisted the turbulent disorders of that _mechanicke juncto_
during many hours' assault and at last prudently retreated and washed
their hands from the guilt of those bloody resolves." In conclusion they
express a hope and trust that since the recovery of the right of free
election the Common Council had manifested an eagerness to act cordially
and strenuously with parliament in everything tending towards good
government, and that soon, by the aid of the parliament recently convened,
they would be put under the protection of the first and fundamental
government of hereditary monarchy according to the ancient laws of the
nation.
(M601)
The City's declaration and vindication was scarcely printed and published
before a letter from Charles himself(1167) was brought to the Common
Council by Lord Mordaunt and Sir John Grenville (1 May), in which the
prince expressed a wish that the City should know how little he desired
revenge and how convinced he was that the peace, happiness and security of
the kingdom were only to be secured by gaining the hearts and affec
|