"had 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 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 deftroying the brother by the fister's teftimony:

The plot was published in the most terri-
On the 31st of May (1643);

fick manner.
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 no-
thing 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.

They

They perhaps yet knew little themselves, beyond fome general and indistinct notices, "But Waller," fays Clarendon, " 66 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 con

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cealing any perfon, of what degree or quality foever, or any difcourfe which he had "ever upon any occafion entertained with "them; what fuch and fuch ladies of great "honour, to whom, upon the credit of his "wit and great reputation, he had been ad"mitted, had spoke to him in their chambers

upon the proceedings in the Houses, and how they had encouraged him to oppofe "them; what correfpondence and intercourse they had with fome Ministers of State at Oxford, and how they had conveyed all intelli

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gence 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.

VOL. I.

A a

He

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

Tomkyns was feized on the fame night with Waller, and appears likewise 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 these 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

was employed in collecting the opinions and affections of the people.

Of the plot, thus combined, they took care to make the moft. They fent Pym among the citizens, to tell them of their imminent danger, and happy escape; and inform them, that the defign was to feize the "Lord Mayor and all the Committee of Mi"litia, and would not fpare one of them." They drew up a vow and covenant, to be taken by every member of either houfe, by which he declared his deteftation of all con'fpiracies against the parliament, and his refolution to detect and oppofe them. They then appointed a day of thanksgiving for this wonderful delivery; which shut out, says Clarendon, all doubts whether there had been fuch a deliverance, and whether the plot was real or fictitious.

On June 11, the Earl of Portland and Lord Conway were committed, one to the cuftody of the mayor, and the other of the fheriff; but their lands and goods were not feized.

Waller was still to immerse himself deeper in ignominy. The Earl of Portland and Lord Conway denied the charge, and there was no evidence against them but the confeffion of Waller, of which undoubtedly many would be inclined to question the veracity. With thefe doubts he was fo much terrified, that he endeavoured to perfuade Portland to a declaration like his own, by a letter extant in Fenton's edition. "But for me," fays he,

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you had never known any thing of this "bufinefs, which was prepared for another; "and therefore I cannot imagine why you "fhould hide it fo far as to contract your "own ruin by concealing it, and perfifting unreafonably to hide that truth, which, "without you, already is, and will every day “be made more, manifeft. Can you imagine yourself bound in honour to keep that fe41 cret, which is already revealed by another; or poffible it should still be a fecret, which is known to one of the other fex?—If you perfift to be cruel to yourself for their fakes "who deferve it not, it will nevertheless be "made appear, ere long, I fear, to your ruin. Surely, if I had the happiness to wait on

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' you,