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, " you had never known any thing of "this bufinefs, which was prepared for ano"ther; and therefore I cannot imagine why 66 you should hide it fo far as to contract

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your own ruin by concealing it, and perfifting unreasonably to hide that truth, "which, without you, already is, and will

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"every day be made more manifeft. Can you imagine yourself bound in honour to keep that fecret, which is already revealed

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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 you, I could move you to compaffionate both yourself and me, "who, defperate as my cafe is, am defirous

to die with the honour of being known to "have declared the truth. You have no "reafon to contend to hide what is already "revealed-inconfiderately to throw away yourself, for the intereft of others, to whom

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you are less obliged than you are awate of.”

This perfuafion feems to have had little effect. Portland fent (June 29) a letter to, the Lords, to tell them, that he is in cuftody, as he conceives, without any charge; and that, by what Mr. Waller "hath threatened him with fince he was imprifoned, he doth apprehend a very cruel, long, and ruinous reftraint:-He therefore

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46 prays,

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prays, that he may not find the effects of "Mr. Waller's threats, by a long and clofe imprisonment; but may be speedily brought "to a legal trial, and then he is confident "the vanity and falfehood of thofe informa❝tions which have been given against him "will appear."

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In confequence of this letter, the Lords ordered Portland and Waller to be confronted; 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 Northumber"land, 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 of the reasons which he could urge with refiftlefs efficacy in a perfonal conference; but he over-rated his own oratory; his vehemence,

mence, whether of perfuafion or intreaty, was returned with contempt.

One of his arguments with Fortland 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 deelivered the commiffion, knew not what it

was..

L

The parliament then proceeded against the confpirators, and committed their trial to a council of war. Tomkyns and Chaloner were hanged near their own doors. Tomkýns, when he came to die, faid it was a foolish bufinefs; and indeed there feems to have been no hope that it should escape difcovery; for though never more than three met at a time, yet a defign fo extensive muft, 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 VOL. I. Bb

was

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 imprifonment, admitted to bail. Haffel, the King's meffenger, who carried the letters to Oxford, died the night before his trial. Hampden escaped death, perhaps by the intereft of his family; but was kept in prison 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 seized.

"Waller, though confeffedly," fays Clarendon," the moft guilty, with incredible. "diffimulation affected fuch a remorfe of "confcience, that his trial was put off, out of Chriftian compaffion, till he might recover his understanding." What use he

made