It fell out unfortunately, that two of these principal Perfons fell out, and had a fatal Quarrel, upon a Particular lefs juftifiable than any Thing that could refult from or relate to the great Truft They Both had from the King, which ought to have been of Influence enough to have fuppreffed or diverted all Paffions of that Kind: But the Animofities grew fuddenly irreconcilable, and if not divided the Affections of the whole Knot, at least interrupted or fufpended their conftant Intercourse and Confidence in each other, and fo the diligent Accounts which the King used to receive from them. And the Caufe growing more publick and notorious, though not known in a long Time after to the King, exceedingly leffened Both their Reputations with the most fober Men; infomnch as They withdrew all Confidence in their Conduct, and all Inclination to embark in the Bufinefs which was intrufted in fuch Hands. And which was worse than all this, one Perfon amongst them of as unblemished a Reputation as either of them, and of much better Abilities and Faculties of Mind, either affected with this untoward Accident, or broken with frequent Imprifonments and Despair of any Refurrection of the King's Intereft, about this Time yielded to a foul Temptation; and for large Supplies of Money, which his Fortune stood in Need of, engaged to be a Spy to Cromwell, with a Latitude which He did not allow to others of that ingominious Tribe, undertaking only to impart enough of any Defign to prevent the Mifchief thereof, without expofing any Man to the Lofs of his Life, or ever appearing himself to make good and juftify any of his Difcoveries. The reft of his Affociates neither fufpected their Companion, nor leffened their Affection or utmost Zeal for the King; though They remitted fome of their Diligence in his Service, by the other unhappy Interruption.

THIS falling out during his Majesty's Abode in Cologne, He was very long without Notice of the Grounds of that Jealoufy, which had obftructed his

ufual

ded the Enterprise, and who were always imprisoned upon Sufpicion, how innocent foever, the more valued and esteemed: On the contrary it increased the Reproaches against the Knot, as if their Lacheté and Want of Appearance and engaging had been the fole Cause of the Misfortune. And after fome short Fits of Dejection and Acquiefcence, upon the fhedding of much Blood of their Friends and Confederates, and the notorious Discovery of being betrayed by thofe, who had been trufted by them, of the Army; They began again to refume Courage, to meet and enter upon new Counfels and Defigns, imputing the former Want of Succefs to the Want of Skill and Conduct in the Undertakers, not to the all-feeing Vigilance of Cromwell and his Inftruments, or to the formed Strength of his Government not to be fhaken by weak or ill feconded Confpiracies. Young Men were grown up, who inherited their Fathers Malignity, and were too impatient to revenge their Death, or to be even with their Oppreffors, and fo entered into new Combina-(16) tions as unskilful and therefore as unfortunate as the former; and being discovered even before they were formed, Cromwell had Occafion given him to make himself more terrible in new Executions, and to exercise greater Tyranny upon the whole Party in Imprifonments, Penalties and Sequeftrations; making those, who heartily defired to be quiet, and who abhorred any rash and desperate Infurrection, to pay their full Shares for the Folly of the other, as if all were animated by the fame Spirit. And this unjust and unreasonable Rigour increased the Reproaches and Animofities in the King's Friends against each other: The wifer and more fober Part, who had moft Experience, and knew how impoffible it was to fucceed in fuch Enterprises, and had yet preserved or redeemed enough of their Fortunes to fit ftill and expect fome hopeful Revolution, were unexpreffibly offended, and bitterly inveighed against thofe, who without Reason disturbed their Peace and Quiet, by provoking the

State

State to fresh Perfecutions of them who had given them no Offence: And the other stirring and enraged Party, with more Fierceness and publick Difdain protested against and reviled those, who refused to join with them, as Men who had spent all their Stock of Allegiance, and meant to acquiefce with what They had left under the Tyranny and in the Subjection of Cromwell. And thus, They who did really wish the fame Things, and equally the Overthrow of that Government, which hindered the Restoration of the King, grew into more implacable Jealoufies and Virulencies against each other, than against that Power that oppreffed them Both, and poured out their Blood like Water. And either Party conveyed their Apologies and Accufations to the King: One infifting upon the Impertinency of all fuch Attempts; and the other infifting that They were ready for a very folid and well grounded Enterprise, were fure to be poffeffed of good Towns, if, by his Majefty's positive Command, the reft, who profeffed fuch Obedience to him, would join with them.

It was at this Time, and upon these Reasons, that the King fent the Marquis of Ormond into England, to find out and discover whether in Truth there were any fober Preparations and Readiness for Action, and then to head and conduct it; or if it was not ripe, to compose the several Diftempers, and unite, as far as was poffible, all who wished well, to concur in the fame Patience for the present, and in the fame Activity when it fhould be feasonable. And He, upon full Conference with the principal Perfons of the most contradictory Judgments, quickly found that They who were accused to be lazy and unactive, were in Truth difcreet Men, and as ready vigorously to appear as the other, when the Seafon fhould be advifable, which He clearly difcerned it was not then; and that the Prefumption of the other, upon Perfons as well as Places, was in no Degree to be depended upon. And fo, after He had done what was poffible towards ma

king a good Intelligence between Tempers and Understandings fo different, the Marquis had the fame good Fortune to retire from thence and bring himself fafe to the King; which was the more wonderful Prefervation, in that, during the whole Time of his Abode in London, He had trufted no Man more, nor conferred with any Man so much, as with that Perfon of the felett Knot, who had been corrupted to give all Intelligence to Cromwell: And as He had now blasted and diverted fome ill laid Designs, fo He had discovered the Marquis his Arrival to him, but could not be prevailed with to inform him of his Lodging, which was particularly known to him upon every Change, or to contrive any Way for his Apprehenfion; on the contrary, as in all his Conferences with him He appeared a Man of great Judgment and Per-(17) fpicacity, and the most ready to engage his Perfon in any Action that might be for his Majefty's Advantage, fo He seemed beft to understand the Temper of the Time, and the Parts, Faculties and Interest of all the King's Party; and left the Marquis abundantly fatisfied with him, and of the general good Reputation He had with all Men: Which had afterwards an ill Effect, for it kept the King and those who were trusted by him from giving Credit to the first Information He received, from a Person who could not be deceived, of his Tergiverfation; his late Fidelity to the Marquis of Ormond weighing down with them all the Intimations, until the Evidence was fo pregnant, that there was no Room for any Doubt.

AFTER all these Endeavours by the King to difcountenance and fupprefs all unfeasonable Action amongst his Party, and to infuse into them a Spirit of Peace and Quiet till He himfelf could appear in the Head of fome foreign Forces, which He looked upon as the only reasonable Encouragement that could animate his Friends to declare for him; the generous Diftemper and Impatience of their Nature was incorrigible. They thought the Expectation of Miracles

from

I

from God Almighty was too lazy and ftupid a Confidence, and that God no lefs required their Endeavours and Activity, than They hoped for his Benediction in their Succefs. New Hopes were entertained, and Counfels fuitable entered upon. Mr. Mordaunt the younger Son and Brother to the Earls of Peterborough, who was too young in the Time of the late War to act any Part in it, had lately undergone, after Cromwell himfelf had taken great Pains in the Examination of him, a fevere Trial before the High Court of Juftice; where by his own fingular Address and Behaviour, and his Friends having wrought by Money upon fome of the Witnesses to abfent themfelves, He was by one fingle Voice acquitted; and after a longer Detention in Prifon by the Indignation of Cromwell, who well knew his Guilt, and against the Rules and Forms of their own Juftice, He was difcharged, after most of his Affociates were publickly and barbarously put to feveral Kinds of Death. And He no fooner found himfelf at Liberty, than he engaged in new Intrigues, how He might deftroy that Government that was fo near destroying him. The State of the Kingdom was indeed altered, and He had Encouragement to hope well, which former Undertakers, and himself in his, had been without. Cromwell had entered into a War with Spain; and the King was received and permitted to live in Flanders, with fome Exhibition from that King for his Support, and Affurance of an Army to embark for England, (which made a great Noife, and raised the broken Hearts of his Friends after fo many Diftreffes) which his Majefty was contented fhould be generally reputed to be greater and in more Forwardnefs, than there was Cause for. He had likewise another Advantage much fuperiour and of more Importance than the other, by the Death of Cromwell, which fell out without or beyond Expectation, which seemed to put an End to all his Stratagems, and to diffolve the whole Frame of Government in the three Kingdoms, and to open many Doors to the King to enter

upon