342 1uises and im·ocations to God, the protector hearing of it, overaw'd them all, and told them, " it was not they who upheld him, but he " them," and rated them, and made them understand what pi.ttifull feJ]o,ys they were; whereupon they all, like rated dogs, elapp'd their tayles betweene their !eggs, and begg'd his pardon, and left Lambert to fall alone, none daring to owne him publickly, though many in their hearts wisht him the sovereignty. Some of the Lambertonians had at that time a plott to come with a petition to Cromwell, and, while he was reading it, certeine of them had under taken to cast him ·out of a windore at 'Vhitehall that lookt upon the Thames, where ot hers shou ld be ready to catch him up in a blankett, if he scap'd breaking his neck, and carrie him away in a boatc prepar'd for the purpose to kill or keepe him alive, as they· saw occasion, and then sett up Lambert. This was so carried on that it was nee re the execution before the protector knew aniething of it. Coil. Hutchinson being at that time at London, by chance came to know all the plott; ce rteine of the conspirators coming into a place where he was, and not being so cautious of their whispers to each other before him, but that he apprehended something, which making use of to others of the confederates, he at last found out the whole matter, without being committed to him as a matter of trust, but carelessely throwne downe iu pieces before him, which he gather'cl together, and became perfectly acquainted with the whole dcsigne; and weighing it, and iudging that Lambert would be the worse tirant of the two, he determin'd to prevent it, without being the author of any man's punishment. Hereupon having occasion to sec Fleetwood (for he had never seene the protector since his t!surpation, but publiekly declar'd his testimony against it to all the tirant's minions), he bade Fleetwood wish him to have a care of petitioners, by whom he apprehended danger to his life. Fleetwood desi r'd a more particular information, but the colloncll was resol v'd be would gir e him no more then to prevent that euterprize which he dislik'd. For indeed those who were deepely engag'd,
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