chap, the furprifing boldnefs of the enterprife , as by g
ixv. the views of profit. He was near fucceeding. t li
*S7r. He had bound and wounded Edwards, the keeper e)
of the jewel-office, and had gotten out of the f : j
Tower with his prey ; but was overtaken and 0 f
feized, with fome of his affociates. One of them t ji
was known to have been concerned in the at- £ f
tempt upon Ormond ; and Blood was immediatelyconcluded to be the ringleader. When queftioned, a(he frankly avowed the enterprife; but refufed totell his accomplices. “ The fear of death , ” he t
faid, ct Ihould never engage him , either to deny £
c ‘ a guilt, or betray a friend. ” All thefe extra- (
ordinary circumflances made him the general ,
fubjetff of converfation; and the king was moved ]
by an idle curiofity to fee and fpeak with a ,
perfon, fo noted for his courage and his crimes.
Blood might now efteern himfelf fecure of pardon;and he wanted not addrefs to improve the op-portunity. He told Charles, that he had beenengaged, with others, in a defign to kill himwith a carabine above Batterfea, where his majeflyoften went to bathe : That the caufe of this refo-lution was the feverity exercifed over the con-fciences of the godly , in reftraining the libertyof their religious affemblies : That when he hadtaken his Hand among the reeds, full of thefebloody refolutions, he found his heart checkedwith an awe of majefly; and he not only relentedhimfelf , but diverted his affociates from theirpurpofe : That he had long ago brought himfelfto an entire indifference about life 5 which he now