MY LORD

Yesterday’s fray in London will most likely make a great noise in the Country, and deservedly, as being the soonest began the hottest in the pursuit and the quietest in the close of any we have hitherto known. In the morning a Common council being met, some young men in the name of the City apprentices presented their petition (much talked of, of late, and which the Committee of Safety set out a proclamation against) to the Lord Mayor and Common Council. This meeting of the youth was interpreted as a forerunner of an insurrection, and to prevent that, the soldiers were all (horse and foot) drawn into the City, which the apprentices by another mistake thought to be done on purpose to prevent the delivery of their petition. Hence arose jealousies on both sides so far, that the shops throughout London were shut up, the soldiers as they marched were hooted at all along the streets, and where any straggled from the whole body, the boys flung stones, tiles, turnips &c at [them] with all the affronts they could give them, some they disarmed and kicked, others abused the horses with stones and rubbish they flung at them; and when Colonel Hewson came in the head of his Regiment they shouted all along ‘a Cobbler a Cobbler’; in some places the apprentices would get a football (it being a hard frost) and drive it among the soldiers on purpose, and they either darst not (or prudently would not) interrupt them; in fine, many soldiers were hurt with stones, and one I see was very near having his brains knocked out with a brickbat flung from the top of an house at him. On the other side, the soldiers proclaimed the proclamation against any subscriptions, which the boys shouted at in contempt, which some could not bear but let fly their muskets and killed in several places (whereof I see one in Cornhill shot through the head) six or seven and several wounded.

About four of the city trained bands were up, but nothing passed between the soldiers and them but sour looks. Towards evening the Mayor sent six aldermen and six common council to desire the remanding of the soldiers out and they would undertake the quieting of the City, which was not then granted, so the soldiers took possession of the gates all night, but by morning they were withdrawn out of the City (having only pulled down the gates at Temple Bar) and all now quiet as ever. Portsmouth stands out for certain, Morley is there, and Haselrig and Walton are believed to be gone that way.

I left Mrs Jem well just now.