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"you,

I could move you to compaffionate "both yourfelf and me, who, defperate as

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my cafe is, am defirous to die with the "honour of being known to have declared "the truth. You have no reason to contend "to hide what is already revealed—inconfiderately to throw away yourfelf, for the "intereft of others, to whom you are lefs obliged than you are aware of."

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This perfuafion feems to have had little effect. Portland fent (June 29) a letter to the Lords, to tell them, that he " is in cuf"tody, as he conceives, without any charge; "and that, by what Mr. Waller hath threat“ened him with fince he was imprisoned, hẹ "doth apprehend a very cruel, long, and "ruinous restraint:- He therefore prays, that "he may not find the effects of Mr. Waller's "threats, by a long and close imprisonment ; "but may be speedily brought to a legal trial, "and then he is confident the vanity and "falfehood of those informations which have "been given against him will appear."

In confequence of this letter, the Lords ordered Portland and Waller to be confronted;

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when the one repeated his charge, and the other his denial. The examination of the plot being continued (July 1), Thinn, usher of the house of Lords, depofed, that Mr. Waller having had a conference with the Lord Portland in an upper room, Lord Portland faid, when he came down, "Do me the "favour to tell my Lord Northumberland, "that Mr. Waller has extremely preffed me "to fave my own life and his, by throwing "the blame upon the Lord Conway and the "Earl of Northumberland.”

Waller, in his letter to Portland, tells him o the reasons which he could urge with refistless efficacy in a perfonal conference; but he over-rated his own oratory; his vehemence, whether of perfuafion or intreaty, was returned with contempt.

One of his arguments with Portland is, that the plot is already known to a woman. This woman was doubtlefs Lady Aubigney, who, upon this occafion, was committed to cuftody; but who, in reality, when the delivered the commiffion, knew not what it

was.

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council of war.

The parliament then proceeded against the confpirators, and committed their trial to a Tomkyns and Chaloner were hanged near their own doors. Tom. kyns, when he came to die, faid it was a foolish business; and indeed there seems to have been no hope that it should efcape difcovery; for though never more than three met at a time, yet a design so extensive must, by neceffity, be communicated to many, who could not be expected to be all faithful, and all prudent. Chaloner was attended at his execution by Hugh Peters. His crime was that he had commiffion to raise money for the King; but, it appears not that the money was to be expended upon the advancement of either Crifpe or Waller's plot.

The Earl of Northumberland, being too great for profecution, was only once examined before the Lords. The Earl of Portland and lord Conway perfifting to deny the charge, and no teftimony but Waller's yet appearing against them, were, after a long imprisonment, admitted to bail. Haffel, the King's meffenger, who carried the letters to Oxford, died the night before his trial. Hampden

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Hampden efcaped death, perhaps by the intereft of his family; but was kept in prifon to the end of his life. They whofe names were inferted in the commiffion of array were not capitally punished, as it could not be proved that they had confented to their own nomination; but they were confidered as malignants, and their eftates were feized.

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Waller, though confeffedly," fays Clarendon," the moft guilty, with incredible diffimulation affected fuch a remorfe of conscience, that his trial was put off, out of Chriftian compaffion, till he might recover his understanding." What ufe he made of this interval, with what liberality and fuccefs he diftributed flattery and money, and how, when he was brought (July 4) before the Houfe, he confeffed and lamented, and fubmitted and implored, may be read in the Hiftory of the Rebellion, (B. vii.). The fpeech, to which Clarendon afcribes the prefervation of his dear-bought life, is inferted in his works. The great hiftorian, however, seems to have been mistaken in relating that be prevailed in the principal part of his fupplication, not to be tried by a Council of War

for,

for, according to Whitlock, he was by expulfion from the House abandoned to the tribunal which he fo much dreaded, and, being tried and condemned, was reprieved by Effex; but after a year's imprisonment, in which time refentment grew lefs acrimonious, paying a fine of ten thousand pounds, he was per mitted to recollect himself in another country.

nion.

Of his behaviour in this part of his life, it is not neceffary to direct the reader's opi"Let us not," fays his laft ingenious biographer, "condemn him with untem"pered feverity, because he was not a pro

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digy which the world hath feldom feen, "because his character included not the poet, "the orator, and the hero."

For the place of his exile he chofe France, and staid some time at Roan, where his daughter Margaret was born, who was afterwards his favourite, and his amanuenfis. He then removed to Paris, where he lived with great fplendor and hospitality; and from time to time amused himfelf with poetry, in which he sometimes speaks of the rebels, and their ufurpation, in the natural language of an honeft man.

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