to march away in peace, and leave the King to our disposal, is the great affair that has occupied Parliament ever since his Majesty refused the Propositions. Not till Monday the 21st December could it be got ‘perfected,’ or ‘almost perfected.’ After a busy day spent in the Commons House on that affair,[1] Oliver writes the following Letter to Fairfax. The ‘Major-General’ is Skippon. Fairfax, ‘since he left Town, is most likely about Nottingham, the head-quarters of his Army, which had been drawing rather Northward, ever since the King appeared among the Scots. Fairfax came to Town 12th November, with great splendour of reception; left it again ‘18th December.’
On the morrow after that, 19th December 1646, the Londoners presented their Petition, not without tumult; complaining of heavy expenses and other great grievances from the Army; and craving that the same might be, so soon as possible, disbanded, and a good peace with his Majesty made.[2] The first note of a very loud controversy which arose between the City and the Army, between the Presbyterians and the Independents, on that matter. Indeed, the humour of the City seems to be getting high; impatient for ‘a just peace,’ now that the King is reduced. On Saturday 5th December, it was ordered that the Lord Mayor be apprised of tumultuous assemblages which there are, ‘to the disturbance of the peace’; and be desired to quench them,—if he can.
FOR HIS EXCELLENCY SIR THOMAS FAIRFAX, GENERAL OF THE PARLIAMENT’S ARMIES: THESE
Sir,—Having this opportunity by the Major General to present a few lines unto you, I take the boldness to let you know how our affairs go on since you left Town.
We have had a very long Petition from the City: how it
