The inhabitants of Surrey and Essex felt dissatisfied with the answers given to their petitions; those of Kent repeatedly assembled to consider their grievances, and to consult on the means of redress.  These meetings, which originated with a private gentleman of the name of Hales, soon assumed the character of

[Footnote 1:  Journals, 243, 260, 267, 272.  Commons’, April 13, 27, May 16.  Whitelock, 299, 302, 303, 305, 306.]

[Sidenote a:  A.D. 1648.  April 28.] [Sidenote b:  A.D. 1648.  May 2.]

loyalty and defiance.  Associations were formed, arms were collected, and on an appointed day[a] a general rising took place.  The inhabitants of Deal distinguished themselves on this occasion; and Rainsborowe, the parliamentarian admiral, prepared to chastise their presumption.  Leaving orders for the fleet to follow, he proceeded[b] in his barge to reconnoitre the town; but the men, several of whom had families and relatives in it, began to murmur, and Lindale, a boatswain in the admiral’s ship, proposed to declare for the king.  He was answered with acclamations; the officers were instantly arrested; the crews of the other ships followed the example; the arguments and entreaties of Rainsborowe himself, and of the earl of Warwick, who addressed them in the character of lord high admiral, were disregarded, and the whole fleet, consisting of six men-of-war fully equipped for the summer service, sailed under the royal colours to Helvoetsluys, in search of the young duke of York, whom they chose for their commander-in-chief.[1] But the alarm excited by this revolt at sea was quieted by the success of Fairfax against the insurgents on land.  The Cavaliers had ventured to oppose him[c] in the town of Maidstone, and for six hours, aided by the advantage of their position, they resisted the efforts of the enemy; but their loss was proportionate to their valour, and two hundred fell in the streets, four hundred were made prisoners.  Many of the countrymen, discouraged by this defeat, hastened to their homes.  Goring, earl of Newport, putting himself at the head of a different body, advanced[d] to Blackheath, and solicited admission into the city.  It was a moment big with the most important consequences.  The king’s friends formed a

[Footnote 1:  Life of James II. i. 41.]

[Sidenote a:  A.D. 1648.  May 23.] [Sidenote b:  A.D. 1648.  May 27.] [Sidenote c:  A.D. 1648.  June 1.] [Sidenote d:  A.D. 1648.  June 2.]

numerous party; the common council wavered; and the parliament possessed no armed force to support its authority.  The leaders saw that they had but one resource, to win by conciliation.  The aldermen imprisoned at the request of the army were set[a] at liberty; the impeachment against the six lords was discharged; and the excluded members were permitted to resume their seats.  These concessions, aided by the terror which the victory at Maidstone inspired, and by the vigilance of Skippon, who intercepted all