Page images
PDF
EPUB

66

[ocr errors]

punity against the fenfe and proceedings of "the house."

Waller, as he continued to fit, was one of the commiffioners nominated by the parliament to treat with the king at Oxford; and when they were prefented, the King faid to him, "Though you are the laft, you are not "the lowest nor the least in my favour." Whitlock, who, being another of the commiffioners, was witnefs of this kindness, imputes it to the king's knowledge of the plot, in which Waller appeared afterwards to have been engaged against the parliament. Fenton, with equal probability, believes that this attempt to promote the royal caufe arofe from his fenfibility of the king's tenderness. Whitlock fays nothing of his behaviour at Oxford: he was fent with feveral others to add pomp to the commiffion, but was not one of those to whom the truft of treating was imparted.

The engagement, known by the name of Waller's plot, was foon afterwards difcovered. Waller had a brother-in-law, Tomkyns, who was clerk of the Queen's council, and at the fame time had a very numerous acquaintance, and great influence, in the city. Waller and

he,

he, converfing with great confidence, told both their own fecrets and those of their friends ; and, furveying the wide extent of their converfation, imagined that they found in the majority of all ranks great disapprobation of the violence of the Commons, and unwillingness to continue the war. They knew that many favoured the king, whofe fear concealed their loyalty; and many defired peace, though they durft not oppose the clamour for war; and they imagined that if those who had these good intentions could be informed of their own ftrength, and enabled by intelligence to act together, they might overpower the fury of fedition, by refufing to comply with the ordinance for the twentieth part, and the other taxes levied for the fupport of the rebel army, and by uniting great numbers in a petition for peace. They proceeded with great caution. Three only met in one place, and no man was allowed to impart the plot to more than two others; fo that, if any fhould be fufpected or feized, more than three could not be endangered.

Lord Conway joined in the defign, and, Clarendon imagines, incidentally mingled, as

he was a foldier, fome martial hopes or projects, which however were only mentioned, the main defign being to bring the loyal inhabitants to the knowledge of each other; for which purpose there was to be appointed one in every diftrict, to diftinguish the friends of the king, the adherents to the parliament, and the neutrals. How far they proceeded does not appear; the refult of their enquiry, as Pym declared *, was, that within the walls, for one that was for the Royalifts, there were three against them; but that without the walls, for one that was against them, there were five for them. Whether this was faid from knowledge or guess, was perhaps never enquired.

It is the opinion of Clarendon, that in Waller's plan no violence or fanguinary refiftance was comprised; that he intended only to abate the confidence of the rebels by publick declarations, and to weaken their powers by an oppofition to new fupplies. This, in calmer times, and more than this, is done without fear; but fuch was the acrimony of the commons, that no method of obftructing them was fafe.

* Parliamentary History, Vol. II. Dr. J.

About

About this time another defign was formed by Sir Nicholas Crifpe, a man of loyalty that deferves perpetual remembrance: when he was a merchant in the city, he gave and procured the king, in his exigences, an hundred thoufand pounds; and, when he was driven from the Exchange, raised a regiment, and commanded it.

Sir Nicholas flattered himself with an opinion, that fome provocation would so much exafperate, or fome opportunity fo much encourage, the King's friends in the city, that they would break out in open refiftance, and then would want only a lawful standard, and an authorised commander; and extorted from. the King, whofe judgement too frequently yielded to importunity, a commiffion of array, directed to fuch as he thought proper to nominate, which was fent to London by the Lady Aubigney. She knew not what the carried, but was to deliver it on the communication of a certain token which Sir Nicholas imparted.

This commiffion could be only intended to lie ready till the time fhould require it. To have attempted to raise any forces, would have been certain deftruction; it could be of use

[blocks in formation]

only when the forces fhould appear. This was, however, an act preparatory to martial hoftility. Crifpe would undoubtedly have put an end to the feffion of parliament, had his ftrength been equal to his zeal; and out of the defign of Crifpe, which involved very little danger, and that of Waller, which was an act purely civil, they compounded a horrid and dreadful plot.

The difcovery of Waller's defign is varioufly related. In "Clarendon's History” it is told, that a fervant of Tomkyns, lurking behind the hangings when his master was in conference with Waller, heard enough to qualify him for an informer, and carried his intelligence to Pym. A manufcript, quoted in the "Life of Waller," relates, that "he was "betrayed by his fifter Price, and her Presby“terian chaplain Mr. Goode, who ftole fome "of his papers; and if he had not strangely "dreamed the night before, that his fifter had

[ocr errors]

betrayed him, and thereupon burnt the reft "of his papers by the fire that was in his chimney, he had certainly loft his life by it." The queftion cannot be decided. It is not unreasonable to believe that the men in power, receiving

« PreviousContinue »