[243] There were other disturbances in London.
"For the proceedings of the Parliament, you have them here enclosed until Monday, which day there happened some disorder concerning the prisoners in Newgate, who being to suffer, and understanding the priests condemned with them were not, but in hope of reprieve, they found means to seize the jailor's keys, and so made themselves master of the prison, but the train bands coming up that same day forced them to surrender, and the next they were hanged, not without great murmuring of the common people. The saving of the priests is yet a point debated in Parliament, and, as I am told, will hardly be obtained. In the meantime, these intervenient things add much to the distractions and distempers of the time, which I pray God to give a better end unto than at present there is any great appearance for to hope it." * * *
"I am told the House did yesternight vote the printing of the Remonstrance."—State Papers. Letter of Sidney Bere, 16th Dec., 1641.
[244] Bramston's Autobiography, published by the Camden Society, 82.
[245] Rushworth, iv. 463.
Cutting the hair short was a Puritan reaction, occasioned by the opposite Cavalier fashion of wearing locks profusely long. It is worth notice, that the nickname given to Elisha by the boys at the town gate, as they watched the prophet passing by, was just the same as that given to the Parliamentarians. "Baldhead," is really "roundhead," in allusion to shortness of hair at the back of the head.—Ewald, iii. 512.—Smith's Dict. of the Bible, i. 537.
[246] The following letter by Captain Slingsby relates to this disturbance. It will be noticed that the writer says, "none were killed;" but Fuller states one man died of the injuries he received.
"I cannot say we have had a merry Christmas, but the maddest one that I ever saw. The prentices and baser sort of citizens, sailors, and watermen, in great numbers every day at Westminster, armed with swords, halberds, clubs, which hath made the King keep a strong guard about Whitehall of the trained-bands without, and of gentlemen and officers of the army within. The King had upon Christmas-eve put Colonel Lunsford in to be Lieutenant of the Tower, which was so much resented by the Commons and by the City, that the Sunday after he displaced him again and put in Sir John Biron, who is little better accepted than the other. Lunsford being on Monday last in the Hall with about a dozen other gentlemen, he was affronted by some of the citizens, whereof the Hall was full, and so they drew their swords, chasing the citizens about the Hall, and so made their way through them which were in the Palace Yard and in King's Street, till they came to Whitehall. The Archbishop of York was beaten by the prentices the same day, as he was going into the Parliament. The next day they assaulted the Abbey, to pull down the organs and altar; but it was defended by the Archbishop of York and his servants, with some other gentlemen that came to them; divers of the citizens hurt, but none killed. Amongst them that were hurt one knight, Sir Richard Wiseman, who is their chief leader. Yesterday, about fifteen or sixteen officers of the army, standing at the Court gate, took a slight occasion to fall upon them and hurt about forty or so of them. They, in all their skirmishes have avoided thrusting, because they would not kill them. I never saw the Court so full of gentlemen. Every one comes thither with their swords. This day 500 gentlemen of the Inns of Court came to offer their services to the King. The officers of the army, since these tumults, have watcht and kept a Court of guard in the presence chamber, and are entertained upon the King's charge. A company of soldiers put into the Abbey for defence of it."—State Papers, December 30th, 1641.
[247] "There has been great store of the scum of the people who have gone this holidays to Westminster, to have down Bishops, and against Lunsford, who is now dismissed from being Lieutenant of the Tower, the King having given him £500 pension per annum, and hath invested one Sir John Biron in that place. All things are in much distemper, and I fear that they yet will grow worse."—State Papers. Letter of Capt. Carterett to Sir J. Pennington, dated London, 29th Dec.
[248] I drew up this account from documents in the Record Office, dated the last few days of December, 1641, when I had no opportunity of consulting what Mr. Forster says of the disturbances, in his careful history of the Arrest of the Five Members.