Chap. !H. The HISTORY of the PuRITANS. 4-35 intere!l:s of king Charles II, to exclude the prince of Orange from being O li ver I d • ld h r • f h {i Proteflar. fl:adtho der,. an to y1e ~P t e iOvemgnty o t ~ eas. . . 1654 . When this was accomphfhed, moO: of the fovere1gn pnnces m Europe~· fent to compliment his high11efi upon his advancement, and to cultivate his His h_igh re– friendfhip: The king of Portugal aiked pardon for receiving prince Ru- putatz~n ~- 1 d . h d h mong Jorezgn pert into his ports; the danes got themfelves inc ude m. t e utc treaty, nations. and became fecurity for one hundred and forty thoufand pounds damages done to the englijh ihipping; the fwedes fued for an alliance, which was concluded with their amba!Tador ; the crown of Spain made offers which the protector rejected ; but the addrefs of the french amba!Tador was mofl: extraordinary; the protector received him in the banquetting houje at Whitehall, with all the Hate and magnificence of a crowned head; and the French ,am· ambaffador having made hi~ obeifance, acquainted his highn_efi wit? ~h.e king }{f::t:r' his mafter's defire, to eflab!Ilh a correfpondence between h1s domm1ons and p England. He mentioned the value of the friendihip of France, and how much it was courted by the greateft potentates of the earth; " and (fays " the amba!Tador) the king my mafter communicates his refolutions to " none with fo much joy and chearfulnefs, as to thofe whofe virtuous " aC!ions, and extraordinary merits, render them more confpicuoufly fa~ " mous, than the largenefs of their dominans. His majefiy is fenfible, " that all thefe advantages do wholly refide in your HIGHNESS, and that " the divine providence, after fo many calamities, could not deal more " favourably with thefe three nations, nor caufe them to forget their paft " miferies with greater fatisfaction, than by fubjecting them to fo juft a ~· government.--" The protector's mofi dangerous enemies were the royalijls, pr1!Jyterians, Protector's and republicans at home; the former menaced him with an affaffina- do~1ef11c me· tion, upon which h~ declare:J openly, that t.ho~gh he would never begi~ ~J~i" cava– fa deteftable a practice, yet If any of the kmg s party fhoukl attempt It lim. and fail, be would make an afi1ffinating war of it, and exterminate the whole family, which his fervants were ready to execute; the terror of this threatening, was a greater fecurity to him than his coat of mail or guards. The protector had the !kill a! ways to difcover the moft fec.ret de!igns of the royalifts by fome of their own number, whom he fpared no coO: to gain over to his intereil:s. Sir Richard fViilis was chancellor Hyde's chief confident, to whom he writ often, and in whom all the pa.rty c~nfide?, as in an able and wife fiates-man; but the protector Burn, p. 65. gamed htm w1th two hundred pounds a year, by which means he had all the king's party in a net, and let them dance in it at pleafure. He had anoth~r correfpondent in the king's little family, one Manning a roman ca· thohc, who gave fecretary Thurloe intelligence of all his maiefiy's councils and proceedings.· But though the king's friends were always in one - K k k 2 plot
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