tifiable and meritorious loyalty.[2]

Sexby had found a fit instrument for his purpose in Syndercombe, a man of
the most desperate courage,

[Footnote 1: Thurloe, iv. 567. Carte, Letters, ii. 81. Their pay was four
and sixpence per day.--Ibid. In addition, if we may believe Clarendon, he
had always several beds prepared in different chambers, so that no one knew
in what particular room he would pass the night.--Hist. iii. 646.]

[Footnote 2: That both Charles and Clarendon knew of the design,
and interested themselves in its execution, is plain from several
letters.--Clar. Pap. iii. 311, 312, 315, 324, 327, 331, 335. Nor can there
be a doubt that Clarendon approved of such murders. It is, indeed, true
that, speaking of the murder of Ascham, when he was at Madrid, he says that
he and his colleague, Lord Cottington, abhorred it.--Clar. Hist. iii. 351.
Yet, from his private correspondence, it appears that he wrote papers in
defence of the murderers (Clar. Pap. iii. 21, 23), recommended them as
"brave fellows, and honest gentlemen" (ibid. 235, 236), and observed to
Secretary Nicholas, that it was a sad and grievous thing that the princess
royal had not supplied Middleton with money, "but a worse and baser thing
that any man should appear in any part beyond sea under the character of an
agent from the rebels, and not have his throat cut."--Ibid. 144, 1652, Feb.
20.]

[Sidenote a: A.D. 1657. Dec. 9.]

formerly a quarter-master in the army in Scotland, and dismissed on account
of his political principles. Having admitted a man of the name of Cecil as
his associate, he procured seven guns which would carry a number of balls,
hired lodgings in places near which the protector was likely to pass,
bribed Took, one of the life-guardsmen, to give information of his motions,
and bought the fleetest horses for the purpose of escape. Yet all his
designs were frustrated, either by the multitude of the spectators, or the
vigilance of the guards, or by some unforeseen and unlucky accident. At the
persuasion of Wildman he changed his plan;[a] and on the 9th of January,
about six in the evening, entered Whitehall with his two accomplices; he
unlocked the door of the chapel, deposited in a pew a basket filled with
inflammable materials, and lighted a match, which, it was calculated, would
burn six hours. His intention, was that the fire should break out about
midnight; but Took had already revealed the secret to Cromwell, and all
three we