Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

"Hambden but what Mr. Waller himself gave, they "gave no judgment against him, but kept him long "after in prifon till he died. Neither proceeded they

66

capitally against those citizens whose names were "in the commiffion, it not appearing that their names << were ufed with their confent and privity, though "the brand of being Malignants ferved the turn for "their undoing; for all their eftates were feized, as "theirs were who had been executed.

"There is nothing clearer than that the commif"fion fent from Oxford by the Lady Aubigney had not any relation to the difcourfes paffed between "Mr. Waller, Tomkins, and those citizens, or that ". they who knew of one had not any privity with the "other, which if they had had, and intended fuch " an infurrection as was alleged, Mr. Waller, or "Mr. Tomkins, or fome one of those lords who were

fuppofed to combine with them, would have been "in the commiffion: or if the King's ministers had "been engaged in the confultation, and hoped to " 'have raised a party which should suddenly seize ་་ upon the City and the parliament, they would ne

ver have thought a commiffion granted to fome "gentlemen at Oxford, (for the major part of the "Commiffioners were there) and a few private citi

zens, would have served for that work. I am very "confident, and I have very much reafon for that con

fidence, that there was no more known or thought

[ocr errors]

*of at Oxford, concerning the matter of the com"miffion, than I have before set forth; nor of the "other, than that Mr. Tomkins fometimes writ to "the Lord Falkland, (for Mr. Waller, out of the "cautioufnefs of his own nature never writ word) "and by meffengers fignified to him, "that the "number of those who defired peace, and abhorred "the proceedings of the Houses, was very confider“able; and that they resolved, by refufing to contri "bute to the war, and to submit to their ordinances, "to declare and manifeft themselves in that manner, "that the violent party in the City should not have "credit enough to hinder any accommodation." "And the Lord Falkland always returned answer, ""That they should expedite thofe expedients as "foon as might be, for that delays made the war

more difficult to be reftrained." And if I could "find evidence or reafon to induce me to believe that "there was any further defign in the thing itself, or "that the King gave further countenance to it, I "fhould not at all conceal it. No man can imagine, "that if the King could have entertained any pro"bable hope of reducing London, which was the fo

menter, fupporter, and indeed the life of the war,

or could have found any expedient from whence he "could reasonably propose to diffolve, scatter, and "disperse those who, under the name of a Parliament, “ had kindled a war against him, but he would have

"given his utmost affistance and countenance there "unto, either by publick force or private contrivance.

"There were very great endeavours used to have "proceeded with equal feverity against the Earl of "Portland and the Lord Conway, (for the accufa"tion of the Earl of Northumberland it was pro❝ceeded tenderly in; for though the violent party "was heartily incensed against him, as a man weary "of them, yet reputation was ftill very great) "who were both close prifoners; and, to that purpose, "their Lordships and Mr. Waller were confronted "before the committee, where they as peremptorily.

[ocr errors]

denying as he charging them, and there being no "other witness but he against them, the prosecution "was rather let alone than declined, till, after a long

[ocr errors]

refraint, they procured enlargement upon bail. "Mr Waller himself, (though confeffedly the most "guilty, and by his unhappy demeanour in this time "of his affliction, he had raised as many enemies as

he had formerly friends, and almost the fame) af"ter he had, with incredible diffimulation, acted fuch "a remorfe of conscience, that his trial was put off, "out of Christian compaffion, till he might recover "his understanding, (and that was not till the heat

and fury of the prosecutors was reasonably abated "with the facrifices they had made) and by drawing "vifitants to himself of the most powerful ministers

of all factions, had, by his liberality and penitence,

"his receiving vulgar and vile fayings from them with "humility and reverence, as clearer convictions and "informations than in his life he had ever had, and "diftributing great fums to them for their prayers "and ghoftly counfel, so satisfied them that they fa“tisfied others, was brought, at his fuit, to the House "of Commons' bar, where, (being a man in truth

[ocr errors]

'very powerful in language, and who, by what he "spoke, and in the manner of speaking it, exceed"ingly captivated the good-will and benevolence of "his hearers, which is the highest part of an orator) "with fuch flattery as was most exactly calculated to “that meridian, with such a submission as their pride "took delight in, and fuch dejection of mind and 'fpirit as was like to cozen the major part, and be "thought serious; he laid before them "their own danger and concernment, if they fhould fuffer one of "their own body, how unworthy and monstrous fo66 ever, to be tried by the foldiers, who might thereby grow to that power hereafter, that they would both

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

try thofe they would not be willing should be tried, "and for things which they would account no crimes, "the inconvenienceandinfupportable mifchiefwhere"of all wife commonwealths had forefeen and pre"vented, by exempting their own members from all "judgments but their own." He prevailed not to be "tried by a council of war, and thereby preferved "his dear-bought life; fo that, in truth, he does as

"much owe the keeping his head to that oration, "as Catiline did the lofs of his to thofe of Tully* : "and by having done ill very well, he, by degrees,

drew that refpect to his parts which always carries "fome compaffion to the perfon, that he got leave to compound for his tranfgreffion, and them to ac

cept of ten thousand pounds (which their affairs "wanted) for his liberty; whereupon he had leave "to recollect himself in another country, (for his li

berty was to be in banishment) how miferable he had made himself in obtaining that leave to live out of his own: and there cannot be a greater evi"dence of the ineftimable value of his parts, than that he lived after this in the good affection and eheem of many, the pity of moft, and the re"proach and fcorn of few or none."

[ocr errors]

After he had faved himself from the confequences of this plot he travelled into France, where he continued feveral years. He went first to Rouen in Normandy, where he refided the greater part of the time of his banishment. The latter years of his exile he passed at Paris, where he lived in gayety, in elegance, and in the fociety of people of rank, and of those who were diftinguished for their learning and wit..

In a short time after he was banished, an English

* One would think the noble historian should have said, As Tully did the lofs of his to those against Anthony:" for Catiline was fain in battle, whereas Tully's Philippicks really toft him his head.

« AnteriorContinuar »