“Between Private Walls” 1645–1649limitations on his powers, and would establish Presbyterianism with some guaran-
tees for liberty of conscience. In January, 1647 the Scots had surrendered the king
to the English parliament, who settled him at Holmby House in Northamptonshire
and continued to treat with him. The victorious army, largely composed of Inde-
pendents and sectaries, could be expected to keep up the pressure for toleration.
Milton evidently felt that he could do little in these matters, a conclusion likely
reinforced by the continuing attacks on his divorce tracts.^76 But hope for a satisfac-
tory settlement could not long be sustained as negotiations continued in stalemate
and parliament moved to disband the New Model Army, which for their part
refused to disband until they received their arrears of pay, full amnesty for their
wartime actions, and some guarantee of religious toleration. The rank and file in-
creasingly took part with the Levellers’ faction, who were calling for legal reforms,
extension of suffrage, abolition of tithes and monopolies, and sometimes for a re-
publican government vested in a single representative house.^77
Summer saw the rift between the army and parliament growing wider and an-
other developing between the senior officers and the rank and file, who came to
consider themselves and were considered by some Levellers to be the legitimate
voice of the common people, given the Commons’ egregious failure to enact their
desired reforms.^78 Several regiments appointed agitators to represent them, both
offficers and agitators flooded parliament with their several petitions,^79 and at a great
rendezvous at Newmarket the regiments joined together in a Solemn Engagement
(June 5) not to disband until their concerns were addressed. On July 4 Colonel
Joyce abducted the king from Holmby and placed him under the control of the
army, after which the officers began treating with him on the basis of their own
platform, calling for biennial parliaments, increased power to the Commons, re-
form of electorates, parliamentary control of the army for ten years, and freedom of
Protestant religious practice. From its new position of strength, the army forced the
removal of some parliament members it regarded as enemies and the restoration of
some ousted Independents to the city militia, actions soon reversed when Presbyte-
rian London unleashed a flood of inflammatory petitions and rioted in the streets.
After the speakers of both houses, together with many moderates in parliament,
fled to the army to escape the London mobs, the army marched into the City of
London on August 4–6, quelled the riots, restored the moderate MPs, and again
expelled the previously expelled “enemies.” The king, then settled at Hampton
Court, continued to play for time, entertaining emissaries from the parliament, the
Scots, and the army, then headquartered six miles away at Putney.
According to Edward Phillips it was “not long after the March of Fairfax and
Cromwel through the City of London with the whole Army, to quell the Insurrec-
tions” that Milton moved from the Barbican into a smaller house in High Holborn,
opening at the back into Lincolns-Inn Fields. Here, Phillips reports, “he liv’d a
private and quiet Life, still prosecuting his Studies and curious Search into Knowl-
edge, the grand Affair perpetually of his Life” (EL 68). He may have continued to