loan of
L60,000. These and other proposals were laid before the House as being
"encouragements" for the City to make the loan; and the House, in
returning thanks to the City for its readiness in the matter of the loan,
promised that the "encouragements" should receive favourable
consideration.(578)

(M254)

In the midst of their financial difficulties the Commons had been busy
elaborating the propositions for peace sent down to them from the Lords.
At length these were complete, and on the 1st February were presented to
the king. They were, however, received by Charles with little favour, and
the rest of the month was consumed by both Houses in an endeavour to
arrive at a compromise at once satisfactory to themselves and likely to be
acceptable to the king.

(M255)

Before fresh terms of compromise were formulated the House was asked (23
Feb.) to consider certain other propositions drawn up by the Common
Council of the city. These were three in number. The first desired the
reformation of the army. The second demanded an indemnity to the citizens
for their adhesion to parliament. The third was a proposal for a religious
covenant and association for the defence of religion and liberty in case
the negotiations with the king should fall through. To only one of these
propositions did the House give an immediate reply, and that was the
second. To this the Commons returned answer that in the intended treaty
with the king such care would be taken for the indemnity of the City and
citizens of London and of the privileges thereof as should secure them and
"be a witness to the present and future generations of their fidelity to
the king and parliament."(579)

(M256)

That the citizens entertained but little hopes of a peaceful issue to the
negotiations with Charles is evinced by their resolving (23 Feb.) to carry
out a comprehensive scheme of defence of the city and suburbs.(580) The
scheme received the sanction of parliament, which further allowed the
civic authorities to call upon the inhabitants of the suburbs as well as
of the city proper to contribute to the undertaking.(581) The City had a
hard task to get subscriptions in from the outlying districts, and was
consequently obliged to advance out of its own Chamber no less than six
sums of L2,000 each between the months of March and July lest the work of
erecting the necessary fortifications should be brought to a
standstill.(582)

(M257)

In the face of this extr