1640 Strafford's intentions. THE LONDON PETITION. 205 What were Strafford's hopes and fears at this conjuncture we shall never know. Probably he hoped to deal with the peers and even with the Parliament which he must have foreseen to be inevitable, as he had dealt with the gentlemen of York. The Scottish invasion would drive them to rally round the throne, Charles would come forward with graceful concessions, and the old harmony of the Elizabethan government would be restored.1 But for the strength of Puritanism it is possible that Strafford would not have calculated amiss. Of the living force of religious zeal he had no understanding. It had little place amongst his neighbours in the North. In the South, where the danger was less pressing, there was none of that revival of loyalty which had so unexpectedly arisen in the North. In London especially, the progress of Feeling in London. the Scots was regarded as a national triumph. When the news of Conway's rout arrived it was received with every demonstration of joy. Placards were set up calling on the apprentices to rise for the reformation of religion, which, in plain English,' as Windebank explained, 'is the defacing of churches.' The Lord Mayor and aldermen, however, had no intention of allowing a repetition of the riots of the preceding spring, and the attempt was promptly suppressed.3 The Scots hastened to relieve the citizens from any fear that their material interests would be affected, by assuring them that the all-important coal trade should remain open as before. The Council soon heard with alarm that a petition, not very dissimilar from petition. that of the twelve peers, was circulating in the City, and had already received numerous signatures. They at once ordered the Lord Mayor and aldermen to put a stop to the scandal ; taining their demands for the summoning of Parliament is refuted by this evidence. The London There is a noteworthy echo of the hopefulness which at this time prevailed at York in a letter from Pocklington to Lambe, Sept. 14, S. 1'. Dom. - Giustinian to the Doge, Sept., Ven. Transcripts, R. O. 14' > Windebank to the King, Sept. 7, Clar. S. P. ii. 113. The Scots to the Lord Mayor, Sept. 8, Rushworth, iii. 1259. Petition of the clergy. but their efforts were entirely fruitless, and they found that the clergy also had a petition in preparation. They could think of nothing better than to recommend the King to imprison the bearers of both petitions as soon as they arrived at York. Charles was already growing impatient of the weakness of his ministers. "I could wish," he wrote on the margin of Windebank's deThe King's spatch, "ye would show as much stoutness there as ye counsel me to here."1 Sept. 18. Sept. 20. reproof to his ministers. These tidings from the South were overwhelmingly convincing of the necessity of summoning Parliament. Sept. 18. Hesitates to Yet Charles hesitated long. "Notwithstanding the Lords of the Council's advice for a parliament," wrote Vane on the 18th, "I do not find in his Majesty yet any certain resolution for the same."2 call Parliament. There was one man, however, by Charles's side who was now ready to persuade him that resistance was hopeless. Hamilton had no wish to be given up to his countrymen to be prosecuted as an incendiary. He begged the King to allow him to leave the country. He had urged Strafford and Laud, he said, to do the same thing, but the earl was too great-hearted to fear, and he doubted the other was too bold to fly.' One way, indeed, remained more dishonourable than flight; the one to which he had lowered himself in the preceding year. He might betake himself to Charles's opponents, might speak their words and accept their principles, in order that he might betray their counsels to the King. This was the service which Hamilton proffered, and which Charles accepted with gladness.3 September. Hamilton's proposed intrigue. Whatever might be the result of Hamilton's intrigue, his despondency could not fail to make an impression on Charles. It could make no real difference in the position that a party of Scotch horse which had come plundering into Yorkshire was The King's Notes, Sept. 20, Clar. S. P. ii. 117. ? Vane to Windebank, Sept. 18, Hardwicke S. P. ii. 181. Clarendon, i. 218. Mr. Disraeli's suggestion that this story is but a repetition of an earlier one seems to me unsatisfactory. Edinburgh 207 1640 AN APPROACHING PARLIAMENT. Castle, and Caerlaverock. The news of the loss of Edinburgh Castle was known to the King on the 22nd. On that day the London petition was Sept. 22. presented to him. It bore the signatures of four The London aldermen and of ten thousand citizens. The Counpetition presented. cillors in London were bidden to abandon the thought of imprisoning either the organisers of this petition, or Burgess, by whom the petition of the clergy had been conveyed to York.1 It was impossible longer to resist the universal cry for a parliament. Even if Charles had remained deaf to the wishes of his subjects, his financial distress would have been decisive. The pepper-money would support A parlia ment to meet. his army for a few weeks longer, and then the catastrophe would surely come. He would be as powerless to hold his forces together in Yorkshire as he had been powerless to hold them together in Northumberland the year before. On the 24th the Great Council met in the hall of the Deanery at York. The King's speech gave clear evidence of the distraction of his mind. He had called the peers to Vane to Windebank, Sept. 20, Hardwicke S. P. ii. 183. 2 Balfour, ii. 403. Drummond to Sir John Hay, Oct. 3, S. P. Dom. cccclxix. 25. A story of the massacre of the garrison of Edinburgh was circulated in England, but was soon contradicted. Baillie, i. 258. • Vane to Windebank, Sept. 22, Hardwicke S. P. ii, 184. PARI speech to the Great Council. gether, he said, that by their advice he might proceed to the chastisement of the rebels. Then lowering his tone, Sept. 24. The King's he announced the issue of writs for a parliament to meet on November 3, and asked for counsel, not on the best mode of chastising the rebels, but on the answer to be given to their petition, and on the means of keeping the army together till the meeting of Parliament "For so long as the Scotch army remains in England," he said, in conclusion, "I think no man will counsel me to disband mine, for that would be an unspeakable loss to all this part of the kingdom by subjecting them to the greedy appetite of the rebels, besides the unspeakable dishonour that would thereby fall upon this nation." In the afternoon the peers met again. Traquair, by the King's command, repeated the narrative which had moved the Council in the preceding winter to declare the Scot Traquair's narrative. tish demands to be inadmissible. Evidently Charles had not yet abandoned the hope that the peers would support him in the position which he had taken up. Such was not the view of the situation which they took. At Bristol's motion Commis treat. they resolved to name sixteen of their own number sioners to as Commissioners to negotiate with the invaders. Every one of the seven who had signed the letter forwarded by Savile, reappeared amongst the number, and the remainder were favourable to a good understanding with the Scots. Whatever their private opinions might be, the Lords had clearly accepted the leadership of Bristol. His old loyalty was Bristol's a sufficient guarantee that he would be no favourer leadership. of revolution, whilst he was known to be entirely hostile to the new system of government. No other peer could compete with him in capacity for the conduct of the negotiation.1 The next day the peers took the King's financial difficulties into consideration. It was acknowledged that at least 200,000/ were needed. Strafford urged the necessity of supplying the Vane to Windebank, Sept. 24, Hardwicke S. P. ii. 186. Rushworth, iii. 1275. 1640 money at once. Sept. 25. The peers engage their security to the City for a loan. A NEGOTIATION OPENED. 209 If that army were to be dissolved the country would be lost in two days. He was not for fighting now. If they remained on the defensive they would wear out the Scots. The question of overpowering the Scots was not the foremost one with the other peers. Now that a Parliament was to meet, said Bristol, the City would be ready to lend. It was ultimately resolved to send a deputation to London to collect a loan of 200,000%. on the security of the Peers.1 It remained to be considered on what terms the negotiation should be opened. The King proposed that the Pacification of Berwick, that vague and inconclusive arrangement which had been subjected to so many interpretations, Sept. 26. Terms of negotiation. should be taken as the basis of the understanding. Was it not, asked the King, dishonourable to go further than the Pacification? If he had had his way he would have secured the support of the Lords in refusing the Acts of the late Parliament. He would not acknowledge that he must look upon the Scots as capable of dictating terms. Bristol took the more sensible view. "If his Majesty were in case,” he said, "it were best to bring them on their knees; but now, considering their strength, Newcastle and the two provinces taken, we must now speak of the business as to men that have gotten these advantages." 2 "12 Charles was not to be moved. Instructions In the instructions finally given, he declared his missioners. intention of keeping the Scottish castles in his own hands. As to such acts as were derogatory to his crown and dignity, he had instructed Traquair, Morton, and Lanark to inform the Scots of his pleasure.3 Sept. 29. to the Com Oct. 2. Meeting at Ripon. There could be little doubt what that information would be. The point, however, would not be raised for some little time. The Commissioners of the two nations met at Ripon on October 2. It was evident, from 'Sir J. Borough's notes of these and the subsequent meetings of the Great Council are printed in Hardwicke S. P. ii. 208, from Harl. MSS. 456. The printed copy cannot always be relied on; Mandeville's speech, for instance, is attributed to Savile at p. 209. 2 Hardwicke S. P. ii. 225. Rushworth, iii. 1283. VOL. IX. P |