and form a House, “he replied that he could by no means do as we desired, having appointed a business of far greater importance to himself, which he would not omit on any account, because it concerned the salvation of his own soul.  We then pressed him to inform us what it might be:  to which he answered that he was preparing himself to participate of the Lord’s supper, which he was resolved to take on the next Lord’s day.  Upon this it was replied that mercy is more acceptable to God than sacrifice, and that he could not better prepare himself for the aforesaid duty than by contributing to the public good.”  As he was still obdurate, the deputations told him they would do without him.  The list of members was divided among such clerks as were at hand, and the circulars were duly sent out.[1]

[Footnote 1:  Ludlow, 649-650.]

Next morning, Saturday May 7, 1659, about thirty of the members of the old Rump were shaking hands with each other in the House of Lords, waiting anxiously till as many more should drop in as would make the necessary quorum of forty, before marching into the Commons.  Army officers and other spectators were in the lobbies, equally anxious.  Time passed, and a few more did drop in, including Henry Marten, luckily remembered as in jail for debt near at hand, and fetched thence in triumph.  At length, about thirty-seven having mustered, old Lenthall, who had spies on the spot, thought it best to come in; and, about twelve o’clock, he led a procession of exactly forty-two persons into the Commons House, the officers and other spectators attending them to the doors with congratulations.  The House, having been constituted, entered at once on business, framing a Declaration for the public suitable for the occasion, and appointing several committees.  They set apart next day, Sunday the 8th, for special religious services, with a re-inauguration sermon by Dr. Owen.[1]

[Footnote 1:  Ludlow, 651-652; Commons Journals, May 7, 1659; Parl Hist.  III. 1547-1550.]

On Monday, May 9, the small new House had to re-encounter a difficulty which had troubled them somewhat at their first meeting on Saturday.  On that day, besides the forty-two members of the Rump who had answered the summons, there had come to the lobbies fourteen persons who had been members of the Long Parliament before it became the Rump, i.e. before that famous Pride’s Purge of Dec. 6-7, 1648, which excluded 143 of the Presbyterians and other Royalists from their seats, and so converted the Long Parliament into the more compact body wanted for the King’s Trial and the formation of the Republic (Vol.  III. pp. 696-698).  The fourteen, among whom were the Presbyterians Sir George Booth and William Prynne, had insisted on being admitted, but had been kept out by the officers after some altercation.  But now, on Monday, several of them were back, to see the issue of a protest that had been meanwhile sent to the Speaker on behalf of 213 members of the Long