“But the Birdcatchers were overthrown and the Bad Time did pass. Afterward, the monarchists and the Parliamentarians resumed their struggle for power. Each group of Royalists gathered an army and prepared to snatch the throne for their monarch of choice. Parliament was frightened and prepared their own armies for war.

“And then one day, to their surprise, the leaders of the Parliament found themselves drinking tea with a group of quietly insistent men in very clean but well-used overalls who explained to them that they were not going to do anything of the sort. The Parliament were surprised, for these men were the heads of the guilds, the leaders of the watchmakers and locksmiths and stationers, and other skilled working men.” Mentioning the Stationers, Mye felt a tiny sting of bitterness, but he continued, “‘If you go to war,’ said the guild heads, ‘you will suddenly find that there are no boots or coats for your troops. You will find that there are no flints for your pistols and no shot for your muskets.’

“‘No matter,’ said the leaders of the Parliament. ‘Our troops will be so inspired by their cause that they will fight in their shirts and their socks, and will use swords and stones if they cannot have guns.’ ‘Perhaps,’ said the guild heads. ‘But in the meantime even you will have no tea or marmalade for your breakfast tables, and no tailors to darn your robes of office when they tear.’ And so the leaders of the Parliament went pale and asked for time to think about it.

“Meanwhile, on their own lands, the Royalist supporters prepared to march on the Capital. But each and every one found themselves, one day, talking to a group of quietly insistent men in very clean but well-used overalls who explained to them that they would do nothing of the sort. ‘You will promise loyalty to the Parliament,’ said the guild heads, ‘or your cityfolk will have no flour for their bread or slate for their roofs.’

“‘Our cause is so just,’ said the Royalist leaders, ‘that our people will hold out against a siege even if they are hungry and the snow piles up in their beds.’ ‘Perhaps,’ said the guild heads. ‘But in the meantime no one will set your wives’ hair into ringlets, and your horses will be ungroomed.’ And so the Royalist leaders trembled, and said they would give an answer the next day.

“The next day, the Parliament said that a monarch would be no bad thing, and set up a Committee in the Capital to look into it. One by one, the Royalist leaders came to join the Parliament, and waited to find out who was destined to take up the crown and return the nation to its remembered glory.