Charles sets up his standard at Nottingham, 22 Aug., 1642.
Gurney's position as mayor had become more and more an anomalous one every day. In July he was impeached by the Commons for having published the king's commission of array in the city. On the 12th August the Lords sentenced him to be imprisoned during the pleasure of the House, and to be deprived of his mayoralty,[534] and at the same time ordered Sir Nicholas Raynton to summon a Common Hall for the election of a new mayor. A Common Hall was accordingly summoned for the 16th, when Isaac[pg 169] Pennington and John Wollaston being nominated by the livery, the former was selected by the Court of Aldermen as Gurney's successor.[535] Upon application being made to Gurney for the insignia—the sword, cap, mace and collar of esses—"he pretended they were at his house in London, locked up, and he could not come at them"; and he stoutly refused to deliver up the city's sword to any one but the king.[536] With a rigid Puritan like Pennington in the mayoralty chair, and Gurney and Sir Thomas Gardiner already impeached, the city was made secure for parliament before Charles set up his standard at Nottingham (22 Aug.) in token that the Civil War had commenced.
CHAPTER XXIII.
The City requisitioned for arms, 25 Aug., 1642.
It was the general opinion of both parties that the war would be a short one. A deputation from both Houses attended a court of Common Council held on the 25th August. It had been decided that an army should at once set out so as not to "prolong or draw out a war," and in order to keep the field of action at a distance from London. But arms were wanted. The City was therefore asked to supply the parliamentary forces with 6,000 muskets and 4,000 pikes.[537] It was difficult to raise this quantity of arms in the city without depriving the trained bands of their weapons, a course which was entirely out of the question. At first the halls of the various companies were ransacked for arms; this having been done and a deficiency still remaining, a house-to-house visitation was resolved on.[538]
Additional forces for the City, Sept., 1642.
It behoved the citizens to look to themselves at this crisis; and accordingly the Common Council resolved early in September to raise two additional regiments of foot, each 1,200 strong, and four troops of sixty horse for the defence of the city. In order to defray the necessary charge parliament was asked to sanction the setting apart of £25,000 out of the money and plate subscribed by the inhabitants for the general defence of the kingdom; and the House, not[pg 171] wishing to run the risk of losing the goose that laid the golden egg, readily gave its assent.[539]
The Committee of Militia of the city.