17th Century England

Lesson 6: 1641 - The Second Half

Unease and Moderates

Charles halted his troops in the Parliamentary lobby and entered with only a few retainers. He nodded to all the members as he removed his hat in courtesy.

The house sat in silence as the King approached his representative in the Commons, the Speaker and told him, "Mr Speaker, I must for a time make bold with your chair."

As Speaker Lenthall rose, Charles asked, "Is Mr Pym here?" The speaker did not reply and Charles asked him again, only to see the man fall to his knees and tell his King, "I have neither eyes to see, nor tongue to speak, but as this house gives me leave." An astonishing submission to the authority of the House of Commons from the King's representative.

"Tis no matter, I think my eyes are as good as another's," and Charles glanced at the benches, noting the empty seats of his six men.

"I see all my birds have flown," Charles announced as he walked away, still bareheaded in respect.

The city went into hyperactivity, barricading streets, stretching chains across roads and closing all shops, while Parliament summoned out the Trained Bands, effectively imposing martial law.

The fact that the sole right to call the Trained Bands lay with the Lord Mayor (A Royalist) did not matter, for they still mustered.

On the evening of January 10th, the King seeing the anger and increasing alarm in the city, left it and travelled to Hampton Court with his wife and children, anxious to get them to safety.

The next day, the whole city abounded with joy when the 6 members of Parliament Charles had tried to arrest, emerged free. The King had made martyrs of them and now he could not return to the Capital. This was the crux of the whole dispute and there was no going back now.

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