ommon Council for presentation to
parliament. It was not customary, however, for the Common Council to
present petitions to parliament unless drawn up by themselves, but as the
feelings of the court were in sympathy with the petitioners it ordered two
petitions to be drawn up embracing the substance of the original petition,
and these were presented, one to each of the Houses. After setting forth
what they esteemed to be the reasons for the ill success of the
parliamentary cause, the petitioners made known their own wishes. In the
first place, they desired that the army of Fairfax should be recruited,
and that the general might be allowed greater freedom of action. Secondly,
that steps should be taken, before it was too late, to recover Leicester,
which had recently (31 May) fallen into the king's hands. Thirdly, that
the Scots should be urged to march southward. Fourthly, that Cromwell
should be placed in command of the Eastern Association. Fifthly, that
adequate convoys should be provided for merchants; and lastly, that
parliament should publish its own account of the recent negotiations, as
well as its resolutions against free trade by sea to such ports as were in
the king's hands.(678) The petition, which was presented by Alderman Fowke
to the Commons (4 June),(679) was favourably received by both Houses, and
the City thanked for its care.

(M322)

One of the wishes expressed in the City's petition was soon realised, for
within a week Cromwell was appointed, not to the command of the Eastern
Association as suggested, but to a still greater command, viz., the
lieutenant-generalship of the army, an office which, by long prescription,
carried also the command of the cavalry, an arm of the service in which
Cromwell had especially shown himself a master.(680)

(M323)

Fairfax, being now allowed a free hand, abandoned the siege of Oxford and
set off in pursuit of the royal army. He came up with them at Naseby,
where on the 14th June he succeeded, with the help of Cromwell and his
cavalry, in obtaining a signal victory and utterly crushing the power of
Charles in the field. Among the wounded on the parliamentary side was the
City's old friend Skippon, "shot under the arme six inches into his
flesh." The pain of having his wound dressed caused him to groan. "Though
I groane, I grumble not," said he to the by-standers, and asked for a
chaplain to come and pray for him.(681)

(M324)

The victory at Naseby was celebrate