Alexander Norman and Frances, visiting the Ark in November, found Johnnie sitting at the fireside wrapped in a fine warm gown with his father and mother beside him, discussing the fate of the king.

‘Any news?’ John asked his son-in-law.

‘The Levellers are rising in strength in the army,’ Alexander replied. ‘And they demand that there be no king ever again and that Parliament be elected every three years by every man with a stake in the country.’

‘What does that mean for the king?’ John asked.

Alexander shook his head. ‘If they gain control of Parliament then it must mean that he is sent abroad. There can be no place for him.’

‘Perhaps he will agree,’ Hester suggested, one eye on her son. ‘Perhaps the king and Parliament can agree at Newport.’

‘He must agree,’ Alexander replied. ‘He must see that he has to agree. He has fought two wars against his own people, and lost them both. He tried the greatest gamble he could play – he brought the Scots in against his own countrymen. And he has lost. He must now agree.’

Johnnie flushed and moved uneasily in his chair. ‘How can he? How can he agree to become nothing? He’s the king in the sight of God. Does he call God a liar?’

Frances crossed to him and took his hand. ‘Now you stop,’ she said with the firmness of an older sister. ‘You’ve done your fighting for him. You’ve done quite enough, and it did no good for anybody. The king must take his own decision, it’s nothing to do with you now, or any of us.’

‘She’s right,’ Hester said. ‘And none of us can do anything for or against the king. He has travelled his own road. He will have to decide what he should do now.’

The king decided to take the high road of principle – or perhaps he decided he would gamble once again – or perhaps he decided he would make a gesture, a proud theatrical gesture, and see what came of it. He rejected Parliament’s proposals boldly, recklessly, outright. And then he waited to see what would happen next.

What happened next rather surprised him. The men of Cromwell’s army, Lambert’s men, Fairfax’s men, furious at the delays and missed opportunities, clear in their own minds that what should happen next was an unbreakable peace and a reform of the laws of the land in favour of hard-working common people, invaded the House of Commons, excluded those Members of Parliament known to be sympathetic to the king, and insisted that the king should be brought to trial for treason against his subjects.