lamented that these lords had failed him that he, Lord Howard, answered to this, that Lord S. was aware of his disposition, and the bent of his spirit; but he desired to converse with these lords, before he gave his assent to the plan. This, with much ado, Lord Shaftesbury at length consented to; and, the next day, he visited the Duke of Monmouth, and told him the complaint Lord Shaftesbury made against him, concealing the truth that he had been with him, but pretending to have heard it from a third person. The Duke answered, he thought Lord Shaftes bury was mad; he and Lord Russell had not given him any encouragement, and had told him it was impossible to do any thing in the country at that time. He then asked the Duke, if he was willing to meet Lord Shaftesbury; to which the Duke replied, he was, " with all his heart." This conversation was, on the Wednesday following, related by him to Lord Shaftesbury, who denied the truth of the Duke's assertion, and said, he suspected some artificial bargain between him and his father to save one another. He said, that several honest men, in the city, had asked him how the Duke of Monmouth lived; which question he could not answer, as he knew he was dependent upon the King. He thought the Duke had no other design but personal interest; whilst his, and his people's wish,

was for a Commonwealth. He saw no good could result from an interview; it would but widen the breach; and he was afraid to trust him. He then said, his friends had gone too far to recede; that, in addition to the 10,000 men, they would have 1000 or 1500 horse, that were to be drawn insensibly into town; he enlarged greatly on the means they possessed, and other heads. To this Lord Howard answered, nothing would satisfy him but a meeting between Lord S. and the Lords; which, however, Shaftesbury would not consent to, but told him he might inform them of the state of forwardness he was in; and if they did themselves right, they would put themselves in a correspondent action, where their interest most lay. Lord Howard then went to the Duke of Monmouth, who was alone, and expressed to him his fears that the rashness of Shaftesbury would be the ruin of them all; and again requested the Duke to meet Lord S.; to which the Duke replied, he desired nothing so much as to see him. He then returned to Lord Shaftesbury; and, by threatening to break off all correspondence with him, at last got his consent to an interview, which was to take place on the Sunday following, at his own house. In the morning, however, a note was left there by Colonel Rumsey, stating,

the meeting could not be that day. Captain Walcot came, a few days afterwards, to Lord Howard, and told him Lord Shaftesbury had withdrawn, but did not doubt that they should hear from him soon; and that there would be a rising in about eight or ten days. This intelligence he communicated to the Duke of Monmouth; and the consequence was, that Lord Russell (so he was told) forced his way to Lord Shaftesbury, and persuaded him to put off the day of his rendezvous, which he consented to, on condition that they would be in readiness to raise the country about that day fortnight. The Duke of Monmouth observed, that, though they had now put it off, they must not be idle; for it would be impossible to hold off any longer. He had been at Wapping, and never saw brisker fellows. He had been round the Tower, and believed it easy to possess themselves of it; and added, that he had spoken to Mr. Trenchard to take particular care of Somersetshire; but that Mr. Trenchard turned so pale, he thought he would have fainted. The next day, the Duke of Monmouth said the rising was impossible; for he could not get the gentlemen of the country to stir yet.

Here Lord Russell interrupted Lord Howard, saying, he thought it very hard that so great part of the evidence was hearsay. The Attorney

General replied, "There is nothing against you; but it's coming to you, if your lordship will "have patience, I assure you."

"Lord Howard continued. He said, after

this was put off, Captain Walcot came several times, and discoursed of it; and, about the 17th or 18th October, said they were positively determined to rise, and that a smart party might, perhaps, meet with some great men. This he (Lord H.) told the Duke of Monmouth, adding, he thought, from the intimation, there would be some attempt to kill the King. The Duke replied, "God-so! kill the King! I will never "suffer that." They then went in search of Sir Thomas Armstrong, and sent him up and down the city to put off the rising; and this was done with success: that, afterwards, being at dinner together, on the day the King came from Newmarket, from some insinuations that were made, great anxiety prevailed for his safety, until he arrived in town. Sir T. Armstrong, not being with them at dinner, was supposed to be of the party. The rising was then determined to take place on the 17th November, the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth; but a proclamation, forbidding public bonfires, without leave of the Lord Mayor, made an impression on their minds that their scheme was discovered, and they were again disappointed: that Lord Shaftes

by being told this, took shipping, and got away, and had not been heard of by him until he was told of his death.

After this, they lay under the dread and apprehension of discovery, from having gone so far, and thought they had entrusted so many, that it was unsafe to retreat. They also considered it was necessary to have some general council, to manage so intricate an affair: they resolved, therefore, to form a little cabal, to consist of six persons, which were, the Duke of Monmouth, Lord Essex, Lord Russell, Algernon Sydney, Mr. Hampden, junior, and himself.

These persons met in the middle of January, at the house of Mr. Hampden, where it was debated which was the most proper place to commence the insurrection, whether in town or in the country; as also a proposition of the Duke of Monmouth, for having a common Bank of 25, or 30,000l. to answer any occasion; but the most material was, how they might draw Scotland in, to co-operate with them, as they thought it necessary that all the diversion possible should

be made.

The same persons had a meeting, about ten days afterwards, at Lord Russell's; when they came to a resolution to send messengers to Lord Argyle, and others, into Scotland, to invite