ortunate, that
orders were given for dispersing them; and some of the females were
killed in the fray.[***] Bedford, Holland, and Conway had deserted the
parliament, and had gone to Oxford; Clare and Lovelace had followed
them.[****] Northumberland had retired to his country seat: Essex
himself showed extreme dissatisfaction, and exhorted the parliament to
make peace.[v]

* Rush. vol. vi. p. 325. Clarendon, vol. ii. p. 255.

** Whitlocke, p. 66. Rush. vol. vi. p. 330. Clarendon, vol.
iii p. 253, 254, etc.

*** Rush. vol. vi. p. 357.

**** Whitlocke, p. 67.

v Rush. vol. vi. p. 290.

The upper house sent down terms of accommodation, more moderate than
had hitherto been insisted on. It even passed by a majority among the
commons, that these proposals should be transmitted to the King. The
zealots took the alarm. A petition against peace was framed in the city,
and presented by Pennington, the factious mayor. Multitudes attended
him, and renewed all the former menaces against the moderate party.[*]
The pulpits thundered; and rumors were spread of twenty thousand Irish
who had landed, and were to cut the throat of every Protestant.[**]
The majority was again turned to the other side, and all thoughts of
pacification being dropped, every preparation was made for resistance,
and for the immediate relief of Gloucester, on which the parliament was
sensible all their hopes of success in the war did so much depend.

* Rush. vol. vi. p. 356.

** Clarendon, vol. iii. p. 320. Rush, vol. vi. p. 588.

Massey, resolute to make a vigorous defence, and having under his
command a city and garrison ambitious of the crown of martyrdom, had
hitherto maintained the siege with courage and abilities, and had
much retarded the advances of the king's army. By continual sallies he
infested them in their trenches, and gained sudden advantages over them:
by disputing every inch of ground, he repressed the vigor and alacrity
of their courage, elated by former successes. His garrison, however, was
reduced to the last extremity; and he failed not from time to time
to inform the parliament that, unless speedily relieved, he should be
necessitated, from the extreme want of provisions and ammunition, to
open his gates to the enemy.

The parliament, in order to repair their broken condition, and put
themselves in a posture of defence, now exerted to the utmost their
power and authority. They voted that a