king, whose fear concealed their loyalty; and many desired peace,
though they durst not oppose the clamour for war; and they imagined
that, if those who had these good intentions should be informed of
their own strength, and enabled by intelligence to act together,
they might overpower the fury of sedition, by refusing to comply
with the ordinance for the twentieth part, and the other taxes
levied for the support of the rebel army, and by uniting great
numbers in a petition for peace. They proceeded with great caution.
Three only met in one place, and no man was allowed to impart the
plot to more than two others; so that, if any should be suspected or
seized, more than three could not be endangered.

Lord Conway joined in the design, and, Clarendon imagines,
incidentally mingled, as he was a soldier, some martial hopes or
projects, which however were only mentioned, the main design being
to bring the loyal inhabitants to the knowledge of each other; for
which purpose there was to be appointed one in every district, to
distinguish the friends of the king, the adherents to the
Parliament, and the neutrals. How far they proceeded does not
appear; the result of their inquiry, as Pym declared, was, that
within the walls, for one that was for the Royalists, there were
three against them; but that without the walls, for one that was
against them, there were five for them. Whether this was said from
knowledge or guess, was perhaps never inquired.

It is the opinion of Clarendon, that in Waller's plan no violence or
sanguinary resistance was comprised; that he intended only to abate
the confidence of the rebels by public declarations, and to weaken
their powers by an opposition to new supplies. This, in calmer
times, and more than this, is done without fear; but such was the