reality, when she delivered the commiffion, knew not what it was.

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. Tomkyns, when he came to die, faid it was a foolish businefs; and indeed there feems to have been no hope that it fhould escape discovery; for though never more than three met at a time, yet a defign fo extenfive muft, by neceffity, be communicated to many, who could not be expected to be all faithful, and all prudent. Chaloner was attended at this

execution by Hugh Peters.

The

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 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 seized.

« Waller,

"Waller, though confeffedly," fays Clarendon, "the moft guilty, with in"credible diffimulation affected fuch a "remorfe of conscience, that his trial "was put off, out of Chriftian compaffion, till he might recover his under

66

ftanding." What ufe he made of this interval, with what liberality and fuccefs he diftributed flattery and meney, and how, when he was brought (July 4) before the house, he confeffed and lamented, and fubmitted and im.plored, may be read in the History 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, feems to have been mistaken in

A

2

re

relating that he prevailed in the principal part of his fupplication, not to be tried by a Council of War; 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 permitted to recollect himself in another country.

Of his behaviour in this part of his life, it is not neceffary to direct the "Let us not," fays

reader's opinion.

his laft ingenious biographer, "con"demn him with untempered feverity, "because he was not a prodigy 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 chose France, and ftaid fome 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 fplendour and hospitality; and from time to time amused himself with poetry, in which he fometimes fpeaks of the rebels, and their ufurpation, in the natural language of an honeft man.

At laft it became neceffary, for his fupport, to fell his wife's jewels; and being reduced, as he faid, at laft to the rump-jewel, he folicited from Cromwell

per