nd walking the upper Exchange, they met with one Col. Mayo, who,
being a proper man, they supposed him to have been the same Anstruther
that repelled them the night before; and so shooting off a pistol (which
was as the watchword), the rest of the Portugals (supposed about fifty)
came in with drawn swords, and leaving a sufficient number to keep the
stairs, the rest went up with the ambassador's brother, and there they
fell upon Col. Mayo, who, very gallantly defending himself, received
seven dangerous wounds, and lies in a mortal condition. They fell also
upon one Mr. Greenway, of Lincoln's Inn, as he was walking with his
sister in one hand and his mistress in the other (to whom, as I am
informed, he was to have been married on Tuesday next), and pistoled him
in the head, whereof he died immediately. They brought with them several
earthen jars stuffed with gunpowder, stopped with wax, and fitted with
matches, intending, it seems, to have done some mischief to the Exchange
that they might complete their revenge, but they were prevented."

There is an account of their trial in the _State Trials_, of some
interest to lawyers; it resulted in the execution of Don Pantaleon Sa
and four of his servants. By one of those curious fateful coincidences,
with which fact often outbids fiction, Mr. Gerard, who was the first
Englishman attacked by the Portuguese, suffers on the same scaffold as
his would-be murderers, his offence being high treason. Vowel, the other
plotter, is also executed, but the third saves himself, as we know, by
confession.

_July 20th_ [1654 in pencil].

I am very sorry I spoke too late, for I am confident this was an
excellent servant. He was in the same house where I lay, and I had taken
a great fancy to him, upon what was told me of him and what I saw. The
poor fellow, too, was so pleased that I undertook to inquire out a place
for him, that, though mine was, as I told him, uncertain, yet upon the
bare hopes on't he refused two or three good conditions; but I shall set
him now at liberty, and not think at all the worse of him for his
good-nature. Sure you go a little too far in your condemnation on't. I
know it may be abused, as the best things are most subject to be, but in
itself 'tis so absolutely necessary that where it is wanting nothing can
recompense the miss on't. The most contemptible person in the world, if
he has that, cannot be justly hated, and the most considerable without
it cannot deserv