L O N 
in this year, on the river Thames, oppofite to Durham- 
yard ; but fo little was the advantage of a faving of labour 
then underftood, that it was fhortly after lupprefled, “ left 
our labouring people fhould want employment.” 
The clouds, which were hovering over the atmofphere 
of London, began to thicken ; and the city felt ftrongly 
the commotions which agitated the whole kingdom. In 
1640 it was called upon by the privy council to raife 
twelve hundred men, to be fent again ft the Scots. This was 
performed, and the men (hipped at Blackwall, though not 
without great difcontent on the part of the populace, who 
could fcarcely be kept within bounds; and, on the nth 
of May, the apprentices and others, invited by a paper 
ftuck up in the Royal Exchange, afl'embled at night, to 
the number of five hundred, and marched to Lambeth, 
with an intent to plunder the palace, and murder the 
archbifliop, whom they accufed of being a principal in- 
ftigatcr of all the minifterial oppreffions. But the prelate, 
being apprifed of their coming, had provided fuel) a de¬ 
fence, that their intentions were fruftrated, and they were 
obliged to retire. The following day, upwards of two 
thouland of the populace ruftied into St. Paul’s, at the 
time the high-commiffion court was fitting, where they 
tore down all the benches, crying out, “No bilhop! No 
high commiflion !” Thefe outrages greatly alarming the 
court, the privy-council fent an order to the lard-mayor, 
to provide a double watch, and to oblige every lioufe- 
keeper to keep his apprentices and fervants at home, and 
not fuft'er them to go out of their houfes at any hour, till 
further orders. The lord-mayor ftriftly obeyed thefe or¬ 
ders ; notvvithftanding which, fo turbulent and enraged 
were the citizens in general againft the court and minif- 
try, tor their defpotic government, that they ftuck up pa¬ 
pers in various parts of the city, exciting the people to a 
general infurreftion. This occafioned another order from 
the privy-council, commanding the lord-mayor to draw 
forth the city trained bands, the more effectually to fup- 
prefs all diforderly and riotous meetings. 
In confequence of a petition which the citizens of Lon¬ 
don prefented to the king, and in which they detailed their 
grievances, his majelty, in a letter dated the zzd Septem¬ 
ber, promifed them that a new’ parliament fhould be im¬ 
mediately called to take their complaints into confider- 
ation. But this cup of favour was not without dregs of 
bitternefs; for it was accompanied with a gentle requeft 
for a loan of two hundred thoufand pounds, which was 
accordingly negotiated. The king, however, faithful to 
bis word, fummoned a parliament, which met on the 3d 
of November ; but, after petitions upon petitions, the bu- 
finefs ended in infults offered to the Spanifh ambafiador, 
the burning of his private chapel in Bilhopfgate-flreet, and 
the tumultuous proceedings againft the earl of Strafford ; 
during which the mayor and citizens evinced great firm- 
nefs and loyalty united with prudence. 
About this time, a difpute arofe between the lord-mayor 
and commonalty of the city, about the right of chooling 
one of the fheriffs, which the former claimed by a pre- 
fcription of three hundred years, without the approbation 
and confirmation of the latter; the commonalty admitted 
of the mayor’s nominating a perfon proper for that office, 
but infilled he fhould not ferve unlefs by their affent. 
The lord-mayor and aldermen applied to the king to de¬ 
termine the controverfy ; but, as lie did not choofe to in¬ 
terfere perfonally, in fo critical a time, when his own 
power w’as publicly difputed, he referred them to the 
houfe of lords. The peers, at firff, recommended an ac¬ 
commodation among themfelves ; bur, this not proving 
fufficiently effectual, their lordfliips thought proper (with 
a lalvo on each fide) to iffue the following order : “That, 
for this time, the commonalty (hall forthwith proceed to 
the nomination and election of both their fhenft's for the 
year following; hoping that, for the firff of the two fhe¬ 
riffs, they will make choice of that party that was nomi¬ 
nated by the lord-mayor; and their lordfhips do further 
declare, that this order fhall be no way prejudicial to any 
DON. 87 
♦ 
right or prerogative claimed by the lords, the mayors of 
the city of London, for the time being ; nor yet to any 
right or claim made by the commons or citizens in this 
matter, now in quedion amongft them.” 
After thefe internal broils, a fort of cordiality appears 
to have reigned between the king and the citizens, who 
treated him molt fumptuoufly at Guildhall, where he dined 
with the queen, the duke of York, and the princef’s Mary. 
So pleafed was the monarch at this treatment, and at the 
acclamations of the people, that the next day, an add refs 
being prefented from the city, he made the lord-mayor a 
baronet, and knighted all the aldermen who attended. 
But the feeds of difcontent lurked beneath thefe flatter¬ 
ing’appearances, and in a few days began to be percep¬ 
tible. The king, having difeharged fir William Belfour 
from the lieutenancy of the Tower of London, appointed 
colonel Lunsford, a perfon very obnoxious to the houfe 
of commons, to fucceed him. This removal fo highly 
difplcafed the citizens, whofe intereft was infeparable f rom 
that of the commons, that they drew up and prefented a 
petition to the houfe, the fubftance of which was, “ That 
the Tower of London was more efpecially intended for 
the defence of the city of London, which had lately been 
put into fears of fome dangerous defign from that citadel. 
That fir William Belfour, a perfon of honour and truft, is 
difplaced from the office of lieutenant; and the fame is 
bellowed upon colonel Lunsford, a man outlawed, and 
mofl notorious for outrages, See. May it therefore pleafe 
this honourable afl'embly to take the premifes into fuch 
confideration as may fee lire both the city and the king¬ 
dom againft the mifehiefs which may happen, See." . This 
petition occafioned the commons to requeft a conference 
with the lords ; but the latter refufed joining with them 
to addrefs his majelty for the removal of Lunsford ; al¬ 
ledging, that they conceived it would be an infringement 
on his majefty’s prerogative. The lord-mayor, however, 
on the Sunday following, waited on the king at White¬ 
hall, where he reprefented the diffatisfaftion of the peo¬ 
ple, at the promotion of the faid Lunsford, and informed 
him of a general infurreftion being intended by the citi¬ 
zens, fhould Lunsford be continued in the lieutenancy of 
the Tower. On which his majefty was gracioufly pleafed 
to remove him from the faid office. Before this was pub¬ 
licly known, the citizens and apprentices, who had-peti¬ 
tioned againft Lunsford and the bifhops, afl'embled in a 
large body, and proceeded to Weftminfter, crying out* 
“ No bifhops ! No bifhops! No popifh lords!” This fo 
irritated the bifhop of Lincoln, who was then palling to 
Weftminfter, that he imprudently feized one of the molt 
aftive in the mob ; but the populace immediately re- 
feued their comrade, and, after dinning his ears with 
“ No bifhop ! No bifhop !” permitted the terrified prelate 
to depart. One captain Hyde, with fome of his friends, 
being fired with indignation at fuch treatment of a bifhop, 
was (till more imprudent; for he drew his fword, and 
threatened to cut the throats of thofe round-headed dogs 
who bawled againft the bifhops ; for which he was feized 
by the apprentices, and carried before the houfe of com¬ 
mons, who not only immediately committed him to pri- 
fon, but declared him incapable of ever ferving his ma¬ 
jefty after. Colonel Lunsford, going to Weftminfter the 
fame day, was fo irritated at the inf'olenceof the mob, that 
lie alfo drew his fword; on which a feuffie enfued, and 
feveral perfons were wounded. This commotion foon. 
reaching the city, the lord-mayor and fheriffs took fuch 
precautions as prevented any confiderable number from 
getting out of the gates of the city. After which, his 
lordfhip patroied the llreets all night, and, in the morning, 
railed the trained bands to preferve the peace. 
Five members "of parliament, againft whom a profecu- 
tion had been commenced by the attorney-general, hav¬ 
ing retired for fecurity into the city of London, the king 
came in perfon on the 5th of January, 1643, to demand 
the alfiftance of the Londoners to find them out. On 
his way thither, the people cried'out, in a tumultuous 
manner,, 
