s great name, and established their
right to worship God in peace after their own harmless manner.

Lastly, his English army won such admiration in fighting with the French
against the Spaniards, that, after they had assaulted the town of Dunkirk
together, the French King in person gave it up to the English, that it
might be a token to them of their might and valour.

There were plots enough against Oliver among the frantic religionists
(who called themselves Fifth Monarchy Men), and among the disappointed
Republicans. He had a difficult game to play, for the Royalists were
always ready to side with either party against him. The 'King over the
water,' too, as Charles was called, had no scruples about plotting with
any one against his life; although there is reason to suppose that he
would willingly have married one of his daughters, if Oliver would have
had such a son-in-law. There was a certain COLONEL SAXBY of the army,
once a great supporter of Oliver's but now turned against him, who was a
grievous trouble to him through all this part of his career; and who came
and went between the discontented in England and Spain, and Charles who
put himself in alliance with Spain on being thrown off by France. This
man died in prison at last; but not until there had been very serious
plots between the Royalists and Republicans, and an actual rising of them
in England, when they burst into the city of Salisbury, on a Sunday
night, seized the judges who were going to hold the assizes there next
day, and would have hanged them but for the merciful objections of the
more temperate of their number. Oliver was so vigorous and shrewd that
he soon put this revolt down, as he did most other conspiracies; and it
was well for one of its chief managers--that same Lord Wilmot who had
assisted in Charles's flight, and was now EARL OF ROCHESTER--that he made
his escape. Oliver seemed to have eyes and ears everywhere, and secured
such sources of information as his enemies little dreamed of. There was
a chosen body of six persons, called the Sealed Knot, who were in the
closest and most secret confidence of Charles. One of the foremost of
these very men, a SIR RICHARD WILLIS, reported to Oliver everything that
passed among them, and had two hundred a year for it.

MILES SYNDARCOMB, also of the old army, was another conspirator against
the Protector. He and a man named CECIL, bribed one of his Life Guards
to let them have good notice wh