but neither Lenthal, the speaker of the commons, nor the earl of Manchester, the speaker of the lords, were suspected of any great leaning to the army, whilst Warwick was a stanch presbyterian, and Northumberland so much in the raven at that party as to have the care of his royal children. This circumstance showed the violence of the mob which had forced parliament, and rendered moderate men resolved to escape rather than submit to be its puppets There were no less than fifteen lords and a hundred commoners who had thus resented mob intimidation.
On making this lamentable discovery, the two houses elected temporary speakers, and issued orders forbidding the army to advance, recalling the eleven fugitive members, and ordered Massey, Waller, and Toyntz, to call out the city militia, and defend the city.
No sooner had Fairfax heard the news of these proceedings, than he instantly sent the king to Hampton Court, and marched from Bedford to Hounslow Heath, where he ordered a general rendezvous of the whole army. On Hounslow Heath, at the appointed rendezvous, the speakers of the two houses, with their maces, and attended by the fugitive lords and commons, stated to the general that they had not freedom in Westminster, but were in danger of their lives from tumult, and claimed the protection of the army. The general and the officers received the speakers and members with profound respect, and assured them they would reinstate therein in their proper places, or perish in the attempt. Nothing, in fact, could have been such a God-send to the army, for besides their own grievances, they had the grievances of the coerced members to redress, and the sanctity of parliament to defend. They ordered the most careful accommodations for the comfort of the members, and a guard to attend them, consulting them on all their measures. Fairfax quartered his army about Hounslow, Brentford, Twickenham, and the adjacent villages, at the same time grieving colonel Rainsborough to cross the Thames at Hampton Court with a brigade of horse and foot, and cannon, and to secure Southwark and the works which covered the end of London Bridge.
Meantime, never was London in a more terrible confusion. The commons having no mace of their own, sent for the city mace. The colonels were in all haste calling out the militia. On Saturday and Monday the shops were all shut, nothing going on but enlisting and mustering. St. James's fields were all in a stir with driving and manœuvring; news constantly coming of the approach of the army. "Massey," says Whitelock, "sent out scouts to Brentford; but ten men of the army beat thirty of his, and took a flag from them. The city militia and common council sate late, and a great number of people attended at Guildhall. When a scout came in and brought news that the army made a halt, or other good intelligence, they cried, 'One and all!' But if the scouts brought word that the army was advancing, then they would cry as loud, 'Treat! treat! treat!' and thus they spent the night."
Tuesday, August the 3rd, was a fearful day. The people of Southwark declared that they would not fight against the army, and went in crowds to Guildhall, demanding peace, at which Poyntz lost all patience, drew his sword, and slashed many of them, some mortally.
The Southwarkers kept their word, for they received Rainsborough and his troops; the militia openly fraternised with the soldiers, shaking hand,s with them through the gates, and abandoned the works which protected the city to them. Rainsborough took possession, without opposition, of all the forts and works on that side of the river from Southwark to Gravesend. In the morning the authorities of the city, finding that Southwark was in possession of the army, and the city gate on that side in their hands, they were completely prostrated, and hastened to make their submission. Poyntz, accustomed to conquest in the field, and the hardihood of the presbyterian soldiers, was filled with contempt for these cringing, cowering citizens. What! had they not ten thousand men in arms, a loan of ten thousand pound on foot, and orders to raise auxiliary troops to the amount of eighteen regiments! Had they not plenty of ammunition and arms in the Tower, whence they had drawn four hundred barrels of gunpowder, and other material for present defence? But all availed not; the citizens hastened to lay themselves and the city at the feet of Fairfax. He had fixed his headquarters at Hammersmith, but he met the civic authorities at Holland House, Kensington, where he dictated the following conditions:—That they should abandon the parliament now sitting and the eleven impeached members; should restore the militia to the independents; surrender all their forts, including the Tower; recall their declarations, and conduct themselves peaceably.
On Friday, the 6th of August, Fairfax entered the city, preceded by a regiment of infantry and another of cavalry. He was on horseback, attended by his body-guards and a crowd of gentlemen. A long train of carriages, containing the fugitive speakers and members, lords and commons, followed, and then another regiment of cavalry. The soldiers marched three abreast, with boughs of laurel in their hats. The late turbulent multitudes completed their shame by raising forced acclamations as they passed. Fairfax thus proceeded through Hyde Park, where the corporation met him, and offered him a great gold cup, which he curtly declined, and so rode on to the houses of parliament, where he replaced the speakers in their respective chairs, and the members in their old places. Not one of the lords, who had remained, except the earl of Pembroke, ventured to appear, and he declared that he considered all the proceedings since the departure of the speakers as null. No sooner were the speakers in their places, than they voted thanks to the general and the army; made Fairfax commander of all the forces in England and Wales, and constable of the Tower. It ordered a gratuity of a months' pay for the army, and that the city militia should be divided, and Southwark, Westminster, and the Tower Hamlets should command their own. The lords voted all acts of parliament from the departure of the speakers on the 26th of June, to their return on the 6th of August, void; but the resolution did not pass the commons, where there was a large body of presbyterians, without much opposition.
The eleven impeached members fled, and were allowed to escape into France, whereupon they were voted guilty of high treason, as well as the lord mayor and four aldermen of London, two officers of the trained-band, and the earls of
