persuade Portland to a declaration like his own, by a letter extant
in Fenton's edition. "But for me," says he, "you had never known
anything of this business, which was prepared for another; and
therefore I cannot imagine why you should hide it so far as to
contract your own ruin by concealing it, and persisting unreasonably
to hide that truth, which, without you, already is, and will every
day be made more manifest. Can you imagine yourself bound in honour
to keep that secret, which is already revealed by another? or
possible it should still be a secret, which is known to one of the
other sex?--If you persist to be cruel to yourself for their sakes
who deserve it not, it will nevertheless be made appear, ere long, I
fear, to your ruin. Surely, if I had the happiness to wait on you,
I could move you to compassionate both yourself and me, who,
desperate as my case is, am desirous to die with the honour of being
known to have declared the truth. You have no reason to contend to
hide what is already revealed--inconsiderately to throw away
yourself, for the interest of others, to whom you are less obliged
than you are aware of."

This persuasion seems to have had little effect. Portland sent
(June 29) a letter to the Lords, to tell them that he "is in
custody, as he conceives, without any charge; and that, by what Mr.
Waller hath threatened him with since he was imprisoned, he doth
apprehend a very cruel, long, and ruinous restraint:- He therefore
prays, that he may not find the effects of Mr. Waller's threats, a
long and close imprisonment; but may be speedily brought to a legal
trial, and then he is confident the vanity and falsehood of those
informations which have been given against him will appear."

In consequence of this letter, the Lords ordered Portland and Waller