pleases me well: and most of all,
the sight of many fine ladies, amongst others, my Lady Castlemaine and
Mrs. Middleton.'

The whole management of public affairs was, at this period, intrusted to
five persons, and hence the famous combination, the united letters of
which formed the word 'Cabal:'--Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley,
and Lauderdale. Their reprehensible schemes, their desperate characters,
rendered them the opprobrium of their age, and the objects of censure to
all posterity. Whilst matters were in this state a daring outrage, which
spoke fearfully of the lawless state of the times, was ascribed, though
wrongly, to Buckingham. The Duke of Ormond, the object of his inveterate
hatred, was at that time Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Colonel Blood,--a
disaffected disbanded officer of the Commonwealth, who had been
attainted for a conspiracy in Ireland, but had escaped punishment,--came
to England, and acted as a spy for the 'Cabal,' who did not hesitate to
countenance this daring scoundrel.

His first exploit was to attack the Duke of Ormond's coach one night in
St. James's Street: to secure his person, bind him, put him on horseback
after one of his accomplices, and carry him to Tyburn, where he meant to
hang his grace. On their way, however, Ormond, by a violent effort,
threw himself on the ground; a scuffle ensued: the duke's servants came
up, and after receiving the fire of Blood's pistols, the duke escaped.
Lord Ossory, the Duke of Ormond's son, on going afterward to court, met
Buckingham, and addressed him in these words:--

'My lord, I know well that you are at the bottom of this late attempt on
my father; but I give you warning, if he by any means come to a violent
end, I shall not be at a loss to know the author. I shall consider you
as an assassin, and shall treat you as such; and wherever I meet you I
shall pistol you, though you stood behind the king's chair; and I tell
it you in his majesty's presence, that you may be sure I shall not fail
of performance.'

Blood's next feat was to carry off from the Tower the crown jewels. He
was overtaken and arrested: and was then asked to name his accomplices.
'No,' he replied, 'the fear of danger shall never tempt me to deny guilt
or to betray a friend.' Charles II., with undignified curiosity, wished
to see the culprit. On inquiring of Blood how he dared to make so bold
an attempt on the crown, the bravo answered, 'My father lost a good
estate fightin