The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1841-04-09
ANECDOTES OF CROMWELL.

From JesseS " memories Of The Court Of Eng.
land' SC. just pajtishet,
In reviewing the policy of the Protector, there i
no circumstance which appears more striking thar
the extraordinary manner in which he m; de him
self master of the secrets of others, and the happ,
mystery in which he cOnlrivcd to involve his own
Even his principal confident, rhurIoe, Gas VIC ma,
CLEAN from the following anecdote related by him
SELF was never enlightened more than was abso-
lutely necessary. ThnrIoe, it seems, had received
orders ftom the Protector to be at particular hour
in Gray's Inn, where he would meet with stran-
ger, whose description had been previously given
to him BY Cromwell. To this person, with whom
he was forbidden to exchange a word, he was to
deliver an order ofthirty thousand pounds payable
to the bearer at Genoa. Thurloe did as he was de
sired but never to this dying day discovered either
the secret of the errand or the name of the person
whom he had so mys.eriously encountered.
All the secrets of the little court of Charles the
second were Immediately known to Conlwc lie
once give permission to nob'eman to travel on the
continent, on condition that he should not see the
SNI'u h''S VIZ UN 'Ctu'H TIC tH'IuIcu VI tlC mo-
b'enan lfhe had obeycd his imjancons, to which
the other affirmed Z" 1t is true" said Comwc,
" that you did not see hun, for to keep your word
with me you agreed to meet in the dark, and the
candles were put out for tina, purpose" He then
related to him what had taken place at the inter-
view"
1t was one Of Cromwell's maxins that no cost
should be spared in obtaining information land it has
been computed that he spent 100000 year in
this article of policy. Hume says thu, "pos,mas-
tiers both at home and abroad were in his pay: car
riers were searched brhcd secretaries and clerks
were corruptcd the greatest zeors in all parties
were often those who conveyed private information
10 him; and nothing could escape his visient in
quiry' This does not appear to have been exag-
gerated. The secret of his ciNiIi,ies to tho Jews
consisted, it would seem, in the private intelligence
which they were enable to afford him. "J.ord
BroghiIl," (says his champ|ain and biographer
Morricc,) could never find out who were Crom-
wells spies, till by accident he saw one, who was
Jew, and who come to Cromwell to give ntelli-
gence of the Dutch East India fleet. The manner
was thus; whilst Lord BroghiIl was walking with
Cromwell in Il chamber hung with arras, he saw
fellow paeping in through the hangngs, the usicsl
i'll looking fellow he ever had seen. His lordshp
happening TO cspy him first, immediately drew hi,
sword and was running at him, surprising him to
be some rogue who was come 70 do mischief
Cromwell seeing my lord Draw his sword with such
fury, in n terrible fright asked him what he meant /:
His Iord'hip told him he saw somebody look into
his chamber like rogue, Upon which Cromwell
followed him to the chamber door and looking over
Lord BroghlI's shoulder saw who it was, and cried
out, 'my TORT n trieai! and then desired his lord.
ship to walk in again, and he would come to him
presently. Lord BroghiIl left them alone together
in the outward room, and in little while, Crom-
well, having despatched his spy. came to my lord
and told him he would only write line or two and
then would rciurn to his lord,hlp Accordingly.
after he had done his business he returned and m,
lord asked him if he might know who that fellow
was who had been with him Cromwell answered
him that he was one to whom he gave lOOOi per
annum for intelligence, and that he was Jew who
had now brought him word Of the Dutch feet COM
ing up the channel, which would be great prize.
ThaFeiore,upon this intelligence he had sen, ORDER
to VICE Admiral Blake to set upon them; which he
did, and brought a vast treasure to Cromwell. This
was the only spy my lord saw and he never saw
him more after that time"
a curious anerdoe related by Wildwood .eyhib-
. tlp ip1lnua rrutin,, # ',n -
his secrets from others. One night the Protector
came into Thuroe's Ole e, and had proceeded 10
some length in a business Of the utmost secrecy
and Importance, when he observed clerk n.ecp
at his desk, This was Mr. Morand. afterwards Sir
Samuel Mor!lnd) the famous mechanis,, and no,
unknown as a statesman. Cromwell drew his DAY.
ger and would have despatched him on the spot
mad not ihuroe with some difficulty, prevented
him; assuring him that his intended yctcm was cor
tainIy sound asleep since, to his own KNOWLEDGE.
he had been sitting up two nights altogether.
This story Of Thnroe is curiously corroboro,oa
by another statement from another source. or,Lo
manner in which plot of CromweI's to get into
his possession the persons ofthe King and his broth
VIZ, was "i' o'e'Vu anu piOSUdlcl Dy tnariCs.
During the residence of Charles at Brnrrs. n
plot was conirived by Comwell and Thurloe which
was on the point ofhrowing the Young king. ms well
as his brothers, the Dukes of York and Glouce .,er
into the hands ofthc Usurper. 1t had been trench |
eronsly imimatcd to them ihro' the agency of Sir
Richard Willis, that it, on stated day, they would
pass over TO certain port in SUSSEX. they womb
be received on landing by body offy hundred
men, which would be augmented on the Gllu;n,
morning by two thousand horses Had thew c,llen
into the snare, it seems that all three womb have
been shot Immediately on their reaching the shore.
The pot was discovered, however, by Sir Samuel
Morand, the under secretary to Thurloe, who pre-
tending 10 be asleep at his desk. overheard Crom-
well and Thurloc conversing with Willis on the
subject, and disclosed their designs to the ROYAL
party.
'WewooJ p. Ill. |.