Years had made ill Blood, and the House met in no good Humour to give Money. It must be confefs'd, fome late Proceedings had rais'd fuch Jea→ loufies as wou'd be fure to discover themselves whenever the King came to ask for a Supply; and Mr. WALLER was one of the firft to condemn those Measures. A Speech he made in the House on this Occafion, which is printed at the End of these Poems, gives us fome Notions of his Principles as to Government. Indeed we can't but confess, he was a little too Inconftant in them, and was not naturally as Steady, as he was Judicious; which variable Temper was the Cause of his lofing his Reputation, in a great meafure, with both Parties. when the Nation became unhappily divided. His Love of Poetry and Indolence laid him open to the Infinuations of others, and it may be prevented his fixing fo refolutely to any One Party, as to make him a Favourite of either.

As Mr. WALLER did not come up to the heights of those who were for an Unlimited Monarchy, so he did not go to the Lengths of fuch as wou'd have funk the Kingdom into a Commonwealth'; but had fo much Credit at Court, that in this Parliament the King particularly fent to him to fecond his Demand of fome Subfidies to pay off the Army: And Sir HENRY VANE objecting against first Voting a Supply, because the King would not accept it, unless it came up to his Proportion; Mr. WALLER fpoke earnestly to Sir THOMAS JERMYN, Comptroller of the Houfhold, to fave his Mafter from the Effects of fo bold a Falfity: For fays he, "I am a Coun

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try Gentleman, and cannot pretend to know the King's Mind." But Sir THOMAS durft not contradict the Secretary; and his Son, the Earl of St. ALBANS, afterwards told Mr. WALLER, "That "his Father's Cowardice ruin'd the King."

That Parliament being diffolv'd in about five Weeks time, it gave him a new Recefs till NovEMBER following, when he was chofen again a Reprefentative for AGMONDESHAM. He was in this Seffion zealous against Ship-money; and no doubt his Uncle HAMPDEN's Sufferings animated his Zeal on that score. He was chofen to impeach Judge CRAWLEY, who had been a busy Man in that Affair: He did it in that Warm and Eloquent Speech, printed also at the End of the Poems: The Speech was highly applauded, and Twenty Thousand of them fold in one Day. He a long while voted in this Seffion with those who were moft difaffected to the Adminiftration. And when on the great Breach between the King and Parliament, a War enfued, he did not leave the Houfe; but, as Dr. BIRCH phrafes it, from his own Mouth, "follow'd the "Opinion of the then Lord DORSET, and the "Neuters." It is likely that Mr. WALLER might here put a Glofs on his Actions, and that he stay'd out of Complacency to his Uncle Colonel HAMPDEN, or follow'd his then Opinion, which might waver afterwards. Whether it was his Precaution, or Fear, or Generofity, or a nobler Principle, Loyalty, that put him upon it, we are credibly inform'd he fent a Thousand Broad Pieces to the King at NOTTINGHAM, when his Majefty fet up

his Standard there; yet he stay'd with the Parliament, and continued fo to do, 'till that Plot was difcovered, which coft him and his Family fo dear, that they cou'd never recover it. This Event being the moft Remarkable and Important of any in Mr. WALLER'S Life, we shall take care to render it clearly and faithfully, as we find it related by the Lord CLARENDON, and in fome Manufcripts that have fallen into our Hands: And it will, by this Account, be seen, that Mr. WALLER always kept his Measures with the Court, and fo manag'd himfelf, that the Royalists inclin'd to believe he was in their Interefts; which he might be so far, as to difapprove of the hot Councils of those, who for private Ends, oppos'd the Publick Peace; and there were but too many in the Parliament, whom we may reasonably fufpect to be acted by such base Views, fo contrary to the true Welfare of their Country.

The Confpiracy we are about to treat of, is best known by the Name of Mr. WALLER'S Plot, and moft Hiftories give but a dark Account of it. The Lord CLARENDON has endeavour'd to clear it, and was the better able to do it, for that he must have been very intimate with Mr. WALLER afterwards; and befides his Lordfhip fays, "It was

thought by many, and averr'd by others, who I "believe did not think fo, that I knew as much of "it as any Man." He continues: "Mr. WAL"LER was look'd upon by all Men as a Perfon of "very entire Affections to the King's Service, and "the Eftablish'd Government of Church and State,

and,

"and, by having no manner of Relation to the "Court, had the more Credit and Intereft to pro

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mote the Rights of it." My Lord, in what follows, differs from the Manufcript, which, being written by one of his nearest Relations, and who dwelt in his Family, carries fuch credit with it, as no other Account can prejudice; and that says, as is before mention'd, "When the War came on, "he did not leave the Houfe, but followed the Opinion of the Lord DORSET, and the Neuters; and yet he forgot not to fend the King a Thou"fand Broad Pieces to NOTTINGHAM." Whereas his Lordship writes, "When the Ruptures grew fo hot between the King and the Two "Houses, that very many of the Members with"drew from thofe Councils: He among the reft, "with equal dislike, absented himself. But at the "time the Standard was fet up, having Intimacy "and Friendship with fome Perfons, now of Near"nefs about the King, with the King's Approba"tion he return'd to LONDON." By which 'tis plain, he did leave the House. Whether he did, or did not, he spoke on all Occasions, when he was there, with great Sharpnefs and Freedom; infomuch that when the abfent Members pretended, they did not come to the Houfe, because they were not suffer'd to declare their Opinion freely;" 'twas objected, that was a groundless Pretence, "when all Men knew what Liberty Mr. WALLER "took, and spoke every Day with Impunity a"gainft the Senfe and Proceedings of the Houfe." This won him a great Reputation with all who

willed

wish'd the King well, and fuch Lords and Commons as really defired to prevent the Ruin of the Kingdom, entered into a great Familiarity with him, as a Man refolute in their Ends, and beft able to promote them. All Men fpoke their Minds freely to him, and thought themselves fecure in his Fortune and Natural Warinefs,

Mr. WALLER had a Sifter marry'd to one Mr. TOMKINS, Clerk of the Queen's Council, a Gentleman of a very good Character, and great Interest and Reputation in the City, among thofe who were for the old Conftitution, and difaffected to the Par liament; from whom he learnt the Disposition of the Citizens upon all Accidents, which he freely communicated to his Brother WALLER, as the latter imparted to him what Obfervations he made from thofe he convers'd with. Mr. WALLER told him how many Lords and Commons were for a Peace; Mr. ToмKINS made the fame Relation with refpect to the most substantial Men of LoONDON: Which Mr. WALLER reported to the wellaffected Members of both Haufes, and Mr. ToмKINS to the well-affected Citizens; from whence they came to a Conclufion, that if they heartily united in the mutual Affiftance of one another, they fhould be able to prevent thofe Tumults which feem'd to countenance the Distractions, and the Houfes wou'd be induc'd to Terms of Moderation.

My Lord CONWAY at that Time coming from IRELAND, incens'd against the Scoтs, and difcontented with the Parliament here, finding Mr. WALLER in good Efteem with the Earl of NORTHUM

BERLAND,