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 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.

(M231)

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)

(M232)

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 L25,000 out of the
money and plate subscribed by the inhabitants for the general defence of
the kingdom; and the House, not wishing to run the risk of losing the
goose that laid the golden egg, readily gave its assent.(539)

(M233)

The Committee of Militia, to whom the defence of the city was ent