APPENDIX. 119 



reacht mee. Or I might have accepted at my return of a much 

 greater sum to have timely discovered the whole design of Crom- 

 well's expedition into the Indies for the Spanish gold ; all those 

 commissions and instruments being either in my view or in my cus- 

 tody. 



Whoever shall seriously consider the foregoing observations will 

 hardly believe that any self ends, (though possibly they might, by 

 the pravity of man's nature, and the subtilty of the Divel, bee in- 

 jected into the fancy) could possibly outwey the considerations of 

 duty and conscience in such an undertaking as this of mine was, in 

 the blackest and worst of times. 



Having now resolved upon the end, the next thing was to con- 

 trive the means of effecting it. And having made choice of one Ma- 

 jor Henshaw, (whose life I had some time before saved, he being 

 one of the forty men who had sworn neither to eat or drink till they 

 had killed Cromwell) I gott him to send a letter to Charles 2nd. 

 by one of his confidents, to acquaint him that there was death in 

 the pott, if ever hee entered within the doors of Weston Hanger. 

 This letter happened to bee put into his hands, as hee had one of 

 his boots already on, and was drawing on the other, to ride post 

 towards the water side, in order to his coming over, as Sir Richard 

 Willis had advised him, for the encouragement of his party. This 

 letter putt a stop to his journey, but with much difficulty, the king 

 being made almost believe, by the lord of Ormond and others, that 

 this was onely a stratagem of the protector, to throw dirt upon his 

 beloved favourite, and so to spoyl his best design. 



However, the king sent mee an answer marked (B) , whereupon I 

 dispatch't Major Henshaw himself, with a second letter, and ac- 

 companied it with several long letters, all written with Sir Richard 

 Willis his own hand, discovering from time to time all the king's 

 secrets, and whatever His Majesty had entrusted him with. 



To this the king sent mee a second letter marked (C). 



With one of these letters came a privat paper, as from the king 

 (but in truth from the chancellor himself), ordering mee to send him 

 in another privat paper an account of his chancellor Hyde, and 

 what I knew of him, for hee was then accused of corresponding 

 with Thurlo, and receiving moneys from Cromwell. I believing it 

 came really from the king, sent such an account as it seems did not 

 very well please his lordship. And Hinc illse lachrimse ! From that 

 time hee became a mortal enemy. 



When I went over to Buda, upon the king's Restauration, the 

 chancellor charged mee not to ask any thing of the King, till he 

 came into England, His Majesty being resolved to give mee more than 

 in modesty I could petition for. But when I had wayted in 

 England till all things of moment were given away, and at last de- 

 sired to know what the king designed for mee, his answer was, 

 zounds ! what the Divel would you have ? 



Before the king's coming over, by Major Henshaw's and his 

 confidents privat agreement, as I believe with the chancellor, my 

 wife was made believe that there was a patent brought over and hid 



