knowledge of the plot, in which Waller appeared afterwards to have been engaged against the parliament. Fenton, with equal probability, believes that his attempt to promote the royal cause arose 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, converfing with great confidence, told both their own fecrets and thofe of their friends; and, furveying the wide extent of their converfation, imagined that they found in the majority of all ranks great difapprobation 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 oppofe 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 fuf

pected

pected 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 district, to distinguish 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 guefs, 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 obstructing them was fafe.

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 thousand pounds; and, when he

* Parliamentary History, Vol. XII. Orig. Edit.

was

was driven from the Exchange, raised a regiment, and commanded it.

Sir Nicholas flattered himfelf with an opinion, that fome provocation would fo much exafperate, or fome opportunity fo much encourage, the King's friends in the city, that they would break out in open resistance, 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 fhe 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 should require it. To have attempted to raise any forces, would have been certain deftruction; it could be of ufe 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 variously related. In "Clarendon's History" it is told, that a fervant of Tonkyns, lurking behind the hangings when his mafter was in conference with Waller, heard enough to qualify him for an informer, and carried his intelHigence to Pym. A manufcript, quoted in the "Life of "Waller," relates, that " he was betrayed by his fifter Price, and her Prefbyterian chaplain Mr. Goode,

"who ftole fome of his papers; and if he had not strangely "dreamed the night before, that his fifter had betrayed him, and thereupon burnt the rest of his

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papers by the fire that was in his chimney, he had "certainly loft his life by it." The question cannot be decided. It is not unreasonable to believe that the men in power, receiving intelligence from the fifter, would employ the fervant of Tomkyns to liften at the conference, that they might avoid an act fo offenfive as that of destroying the brother by the fifter's tef timony.

The plot was published in the most terrifick manner. On the 31st of May (1643), at a folemn faft, when they were listening to the fermon, a meffenger entered the church, and communicated his errand to Pym, who whispered it to others that were placed near him, and then went with them out of the church, leaving the reft in folicitude and amazement. They immediately fent guards to proper places, and that night apprehended Tomkyns and Waller; having yet traced nothing but that letters had been intercepted, from which it appeared that the parliament and the city were foon to be delivered into the hands of the cavaliers.

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They perhaps yet knew little themfelves, beyond fome general and indiftinct notices. "But Waller," fays Clarendon, was fo confounded with fear, that "he confeffed whatever he had heard, faid, thought, or feen; all that he knew of himself, and all that "he fufpected of others, without concealing any per"fon, of what degree or quality foever, or any dif "courfe which he had ever upon any occafion enter"tained with them; what fuch and fuch ladies of great

2

66 great honour, to whom, upon the credit of his wit "and great reputation, he had been admitted, had spoke to him in their chambers upon the proceed

ings in the Houses, and how they had encouraged "him to oppose them; what correfpondence and in"tercourse they had with fome Minifters of State at "Oxford, and how they had conveyed all intelligence "thither." He accufed the Earl of Portland and Lord Conway as co-operating in the tranfaction; and teftified that the Earl of Northumberland had declared himself difpofed in favour of any attempt that might check the violence of the Parliament, and reconcile them to the King.

He undoubtedly confeffed much, which they could never have discovered, and perhaps fomewhat which they would wish to have been fuppreffed; for it is inconvenient, in the conflict of factions, to have that difaffection known which cannot fafely be punished.

Tomkyns was feized on the fame night with Waller, and appears likewife to have partaken of his cowardice; for he gave notice of Crifpe's commiffion of array, of which Clarendon never knew how it was difcovered. Tomkyns had been fent with the token appointed, to demand it from Lady Aubigney, and had buried it in his garden, where, by his direction, it was dug up; and thus the rebels obtained, what Clarendon confeffes them to have had, the original copy.

It can raife no wonder that they formed one plot out of thefe two defigns, however remote from each other, when they faw the fame agent employed in both, and found the commiffion of array in the hands of him who was employed in collecting the opinions and affections of the people.

Of