A HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX 



it was said so frightened the Commons that they decided to hold their 

 Committee meetings at the Guildhall. On the occasion of the attempted 

 arrest of the five members, the Commons ' who had been very high before 

 the King came,' sent for troops to the City. But failing to obtain them, 

 they sent to the trained bands in the corps-de-garde at Whitehall, ' but 

 they (the trained bands), stayed still.' 8 " Two days later, the Committee 

 of the Commons, sitting at the Guildhall, stated that it was necessary for 

 the safety of both Houses of Parliament that the sheriffs of Middlesex 

 and London should attend with the ' posse comitatus.' 2W 



As far as Middlesex was concerned, the crisis of the Civil War 

 came very early in the struggle. In September, 1642, Essex passed through 

 on his way to face the king, taking with him his coffin, scutcheon and 

 winding-sheet as a sign that he would be faithful to the death."' 

 Then came Edgehill, and then the king's march southward. London 

 was in a panic, and when the king reached Reading on 2 November, 

 the news was received ' with the greatest horror.' The peace-party, led 

 by the earl of Northumberland, hourly increased in power. Negotiations 

 were opened with Charles, but he received them coldly. He had 

 information each night of what passed in Parliament during the day, and 

 to quicken the desire for peace, he advanced to Colnbrook,* 60 ' this 

 indeed exalted their appetite to peace.' 2<n On 1 1 November, an 

 embassy was sent to Colnbrook, consisting of the earls of Northum- 

 berland and Pembroke, Lord Wenman, William Pierpoint, and Sir John 

 Hippesley, carrying a petition from Parliament ' for the removal of 

 these bloody distempers.' 262 On receiving the petition, Charles tried to 

 gain some immediate advantage by proposing that Windsor should be 

 yielded to him as a convenient place from which negotiations might be 

 held. To the surprise of Parliament, Charles said nothing about a 

 cessation of arms pending the negotiations. Therefore the Houses 

 thought it prudent to order Essex (who had just brought back the 

 remnant of his army from Edgehill), to take the field ; but they ordered 

 that he should abstain from any open act of hostility while they sent 

 again to the king to point out these omissions. 263 Clarendon admits 

 that Charles had returned such an answer to Parliament as would lead 

 them to suppose that he would approach no nearer to London while 

 negotiations were pending. But he says that Prince Rupert had already 

 advanced towards Brentford, that the king was bound to follow him in 

 order to support the cavalry. 264 Charles himself wrote on the following 

 day that on the night of 1 1 November, ' after the departure of the 

 Committee of both Houses with our gracious answer to their petition, we 

 received certain information that the earl of Essex had drawn his forces 

 out of London towards us, which has necessitated our sudden resolution 

 to march with our forces to Brainceford.' S66 He still protested his 



" Cal. S.P. Dom. 1641-3, pp. 241-2. ' Ibid. 247. 



Gardiner, Hut. o/Gt. Civil War, i, 21. * Clarendon, Hist, of the RebelRon, ii, 392. 



*' Cal. S.P. Dom. 1641-3, p. 405. Petition that extreme measures might be taken to secure the 

 safety of the City. Lords' Journ. v, 442. '"Ibid. 



164 Clarendon, op. cit. ii, 389-90. * Cal. S.P. Dom. 1641-3, p. 406. 



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