313 mmmgs. Among these Coli. Rich and Commissary Staines and ""\Vatson had made a designe even against his life, and the businesse was brought to the examination of the councell of state. Before the hearing of it Coli. Rich came to Coli. Hutchinson and implor'd ·his assistance with teares, affirming all the crimes of Cromwell, but not daring to iustifie his accusations, although the collonell advis'd him if they were true to stand boldly to it, if false to acknowledge his owne iniquity. The latter course he tooke, and . the councell l1 ad resolv'd upon the iust punishment of the men, when Cromwell, having only thus in a private councell vindicated himselfe from their mall ice, and lay'd open what pi ttifull sneaking poore knaves they were, how ungrateful! to him, and how treacherous and cowardly to themselves, he became their advocate, and made it his suite they might be no farther publisht or punisht. This being pet:- mitted him, and they thus render'd contemptible to others, they became beas ts and' slaves to him, who knew how to sefl'e himselfe of them without trusting them . This generosity, for indeed he carried himselfe with the · greatest bravery that is imaginable herein, much advanc'd his glory, and clear"d him in the eies of superficiall beholders; but others saw he crept on, and could not stop him, whil e fortune itselfe seem'd to prepare his way" in sundry occasions. All this while he canied to Mr. Hutchinson the most open face, and made the most oblieging professions of friend~hip imaginable, but the collonell saw through him, and forbore not often to tell him what was suspected of his ambition, what dissirnulations of his wereremarked, and how dishonorablc to the name of God and the proz By the adm irers of Tacitns the development of this intrigue will be highly relished: it aids 1iL:ewi se to confirm the remark that Cromwell's forte lay in WiJ.tching and adroitly se izing opportunities, not in creating or inventing them. By the former method a man swims with the tide of human affairs) and is assi:ited by it; by the latter l1e must stem and encounter it.
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