A great design for the

the protestant reli

gion.

of that regard that was paid him in Cromwell's time ".

Stoupe told me of a great design Cromwell had interest of intended to begin his kingship with, if he had assumed it he resolved to set up a council for the protestant religion, in opposition to the congregation de propaganda fide at Rome. He intended it should consist of seven counsellors, and four secretaries for different provinces. These were the first, France, Switzerland, and the Valleys: the palatinate and the other Calvinists were the second: Germany, the North, and Turkey were the third: and the East and West Indies were the fourth. The secretaries were to have 5007. salary apiece, and to keep a correspondence every where, to know the state of religion all over the world, that so all good designs might be by their means protected and assisted. Stoupe was to have the first province. They were to have a fund of 10,000l. a year at their disposal for ordinary emergencies, but to be farther supplied as occasions should require it. Chelsea college was to be made up for them, which was then an old decayed building, that had been at first raised to be a college for writers of controversy. I thought it was not fit to let such a project as this be quite lost: it was certainly a noble one: but how far he would have pursued it, must be left to conjecture. Stoupe told me a remarkable passage in his em

n No doubt Lockhart was not looked upon in France to be in the same degree of credit in king Charles's court, that he had been in Oliver's, whose niece he had married: but the bishop would gladly insinuate,

that the king's minister was not so much regarded as Cromwell's, which, if true, must have been personal to the man, not to his character as an ambassador. D.

sages in

life.

78

ployment under Cromwell. Stoupe had desired all Some pasthat were under the prince of Conde to let him Cromwell's know some news, in return of that he writ to them. So he had a letter from one of them, giving an account of an Irishman newly gone over, who had said he would kill Cromwell, and that he was to lodge in King-street, Westminster. With this Stoupe went to Whitehall. Cromwell being then at council, he sent him a note, letting him know that he had a business of great consequence to lay before him. Cromwell was then upon a matter that did so entirely possess him, that he, fancying it was only some piece of foreign intelligence, sent Thurlo to know what it might be. Stoupe was troubled at this, but could not refuse to shew him his letter. Thurlo made no great matter of it: he said, they had many such advertisements sent them, which signified nothing, but to make the world think the Protector was in danger of his life: and the looking too much after these things had an appearance of fear, which did ill become so great a man. Stoupe told him, King-street might be soon searched. Thurlo answered, if we find no such person, how shall we be laughed at? Yet he ordered him to write again to Bruxells, and promise any reward if a more particular discovery could be made. Stoupe was much cast down, when he saw that a piece of intelligence which he hoped might have made his fortune was so little considered. He wrote to Bruxells but he had no more from thence, but a confirmation of what had been writ formerly to him. And Thurlo did not think fit to make any search, or any farther inquiry into it: nor did he so much as acquaint Cromwell with it. Stoupe, being un

easy at this, told lord Lisle of it: and it happened that, a few weeks after, Syndercomb's design of assassinating Cromwell near Brentford, as he was going to Hampton court, was discovered. When he was examined, it appeared that he was the person set out in the letters from Bruxells. So Lisle said to Cromwell, this is the very man of whom Stoupe had the notice given him". Cromwell seemed amazed at this; and sent for Stoupe, and in great wrath reproached him for his ingratitude in concealing a matter of such consequence to him. Stoupe upon this shewed him the letters he had received; and put him in mind of the note he had sent in to him, which was immediately after he had the first letter, and that he had sent out Thurlo to him. At that Cromwell seemed yet more amazed; and sent for Thurlo, to whose face Stoupe affirmed the matter: nor did he deny any part of it; but only said, that he had many such advertisements sent him, in which till this time he had never found any truth. Cromwell replied sternly, that he ought to have acquainted him with it, and left him to judge of the 79 importance of it. Thurlo desired to speak in private with Cromwell. So Stoupe was dismissed, and went away, not doubting but Thurlo would be disgraced. But, as he understood from Lisle afterward, Thurlo shewed Cromwell such instances of his care and fidelity on all such occasions, and humbly acknowledged his error in this matter, but imputed it wholly to his care, both for his honour and quiet,

• (Bevil Higgons in his Remarks om Bp. Burnet's Hist. p. 64. says, that Syndercomb was born in Hampshire, and

that he was a mortal enemy to the king; which, he observes, ill agrees with this account.)

that he pacified him entirely: and indeed he was so much in all Cromwell's secrets, that it was not safe to disgrace him without destroying him; and that, it seems, Cromwell could not resolve on. Thurlo having mastered this point, that he might farther justify his not being so attentive as he ought to have been, did so much search into Stoupe's whole deportment, that he possessed Cromwell with such an ill opinion of him, that after that, he never treated him with any confidence. So he found how dangerous it was even to preserve a prince, (so he called him,) when a minister was wounded in the doing of it; and that the minister would be too hard for the prince, even though his own safety was concerned in it.

These are all the memorable things that I have learnt concerning Cromwell; of whom so few have spoken with any temper, some commending, and others condemning him, and both out of measure, that I thought a just account of him, which I had from sure hands, might be no unacceptable thing. He never could shake off the roughness P of his education and temper: he spoke always long, and very ungracefully. The enthusiast and the dissembler mixed so equally in a great part of his deportment, that it was not easy to tell which was the prevailing character. He was indeed both, as I understood from Wilkins and Tillotson, the one having married his sister, and the other his niece. He was a true enthusiast, but with the principle formerly mentioned, from which he might be easily led into all the practices both of falsehood and cruelty: which

⚫ Lord Clarendon and Sir Philip Warwick say quite otherwise. O.

His moderation in govern-' ment.

was, that he thought moral laws were only binding on ordinary occasions, but that upon extraordinary ones these might be superseded. When his own designs did not lead him out of the way, he was a lover of justice and virtue, and even of learning, though much decried at that time.

He studied to seek out able and honest men, and to employ them: and so having heard that my father had a very great reputation in Scotland for piety and integrity, though he knew him to be a royalist, he sent to him, desiring him to accept of a judge's place, and to do justice in his own country, hoping only that he would not act against his government; but he would not press him to subscribe 80 or swear to it. My father refused it in a pleasant way, [being a facetious man, and abounding in little stories.] When he who brought the message was running out into Cromwell's commendation, my father told a story of a pilgrim in popery, who came to a church where one saint Kilmaclotius was in great reverence: so the pilgrim was bid pray to him but he answered, he knew nothing of him, for he was not in his breviary: but when he was told how great a saint he was, he prayed this collect; O sancte Kilmacloti, tu nobis hactenus es incognitus, hoc solum a te rogo, ut si bona tua nobis non prosint, saltem mala ne noceant. My father replied, that he desired no other favour of him, but leave to live privately, without the impositions of oaths and subscriptions: and ever after, he lived in great quiet. And this was an instance of it: Overton, one of Cromwell's major-generals, who was a high republican, being for some time at Aberdeen, where we then lived, my father and he were often together: