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that were placed near him, and then went with them out of the church, leaving the reft in folicitude and amaze-. ment. They immediately fent guards to proper places, and that night apprehended Tomkyns and Waller; having yet traced nothing but that letters had. been intercepted, from which it ap-. peared that the parliament and the city were foon to be delivered into the hands of the cavaliers.

They perhaps yet knew little themfelves, beyond fome general and indiftinct notices. "But Waller," fays Clarendon,, "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

that he fufpected of others, without 66 concealing any perfon of what degree. "or quality foever, or any discourse "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

66

reputation, he had been admitted, had fpoke to him in their chambers upon "the proceedings in the houses, and "how they had encouraged him to op"pose them; what correfpondence and "intercourfe they had with fome mi"nifters of ftate at Oxford, and how "they conveyed all intelligence thi"ther." He accufed the earl of Portland and lord Conway as co-operating in the tranfaction; and teftified that the

d 4

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.

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

Tomkyns was feized on the fame night with Waller, and appears likewife 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. Tom

kyns

kyns 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 raise 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 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

I

their

their imminent danger, and happy efcape; and inform them, that the defign was to feize the "lord mayor and "all the committee of militia, and "would not fpare one of them." They drew up a vow and covenant, to be taken by every member of either house, by which he declared his deteftation of all confpiracies against the parliament, and his refolution to detect and oppofe them. They then appointed a day of thanksgiving for this wonderful delivery; which fhut out, fays 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

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