cess of his arms
abroad: the situation in which he stood at home kept him in perpetual
uneasiness and inquietude. His administration, so expensive both by
military enterprises and secret intelligence, had exhausted his revenue,
and involved him in a considerable debt. The royalists, he heard, had
renewed their conspiracies for a general insurrection; and Ormond was
secretly come over with a view of concerting measures for the execution
of this project. Lord Fairfax, Sir William Waller, and many heads of the
Presbyterians, had secretly entered into the engagement. Even the army
was infected with the general spirit of discontent; and some sudden
and dangerous eruption was every moment to be dreaded from it. No hopes
remained, after his violent breach with the last parliament, that
he should ever be able to establish, with general consent, a legal
settlement, or temper the military with any mixture of civil authority.
All his arts and policy were exhausted; and having so often, by fraud
and false pretences, deceived every party, and almost every individual,
he could no longer hope, by repeating the same professions, to meet with
equal confidence and regard.

However zealous the royalists, their conspiracy took not effect: Willis
discovered the whole to the protector. Ormond was obliged to fly, and he
deemed himself fortunate to have escaped so vigilant an administration.
Great numbers were thrown into prison. A high court of justice was anew
erected for the trial of those criminals whose guilt was most apparent.
Notwithstanding the recognition of his authority by the last parliament,
the protector could not as yet trust to an unbiased jury. Sir Henry
Slingsby and Dr. Huet were condemned and beheaded. Mordaunt, brother
to the earl of Peterborough, narrowly escaped. The numbers for his
condemnation and his acquittal were equal; and just as the sentence was
pronounced in his favor. Colonel Pride, who was resolved to condemn him,
came into court. Ashton, Storey, and Bestley were hanged in different
streets of the city.

The conspiracy of the Millenarians in the army struck Cromwell with
still greater apprehensions. Harrison and the other discarded officers
of that party could not remain at rest. Stimulated equally by revenge,
by ambition, and by conscience, they still harbored in their breast some
desperate project; and there wanted not officers in the army who,
from like motives, were disposed to second all their undertaking