e knew that Lord Bellingham was intrusted
with the secrets of the Commonwealth's-men, and determined to pay him a
conciliatory visit in prison. He met the captive Earl with mock
humility, and sycophantic friendship; talked largely of his talents and
deserts; lamented that he should fall into the displeasure of the
nation, and spoke of the lenity he was accused of showing to the
Loyalists, as a frailty he could pity, having himself fallen into a
similar temptation, when he was moved in the spirit to spare Charles
Stewart, till the Lord, whom he sought in prayer, showed him it was not
to be.

A measured smile smoothed the features of the stern conspirator while he
spoke, and his eye seemed with meek simplicity to tell all the secrets
of his own soul, while in reality it read that of his observer. Lord
Bellingham thought this change from hatred to esteem wonderful; yet the
love of life made him a ready dupe, and he fell into the snare which he
suspected. He could easily justify himself from the charge of secret
attachment to royalty, and Cromwell seemed to require no other test to
admit him to his confidence. He told the Earl that he would open to him
his whole heart; he deplored the licence of evil tongues, and the
endeavours of the malignants to disunite the godly. His own views, he
said, had been grossly misrepresented. It was reported, that he wished
to make himself King; but he abhorred the name, as anti-christian, and
prayed that whenever the heathenish sound was uttered, a Samuel might
arise among the prophets, and call down lightning and rain even in
wheat-harvest. The Parliament, whose humble instrument he was, had
forced honours upon him, and had commanded him to go to Ireland, and
extirpate the bloody Papists, as Joshua had done the idolatrous
Canaanites. On his return, he trusted he should lay the sword on the
mercy-seat, that is, beside the mace of the Speaker, to whom he would on
his knees give up all his employments, and apply himself to the care of
his own soul, which was a burthen great enough for any man. And he
trusted the Lord would give peace to Israel, and build up the desolate
places of Zion, to which purpose he would put up a prayer, wherein he
required Lord Bellingham to join.

After their devotions, Bellingham assured Cromwell that the wishes of
his party went but little further than what he proposed to do.
Considering the established forms of Geneva and Scotland as the most
scriptural, it was t