CHARLES IL i§7

gave for loft; yet could lie not forbear warningthe king of the danger which might attend hisexecution : That his associates had bound them-selves by the strictest oaths to revenge the deathof any of the confederacy: And that no precau-tion or power could secure any one from theeffects of their desperate resolutions.

Whether these considerations excited fear oradmiration in the king, they confirmed his reso-lution of granting a pardon to Blood ; but hethought it a point of decency, first to obtain theduke of Ormond's consent. Arlington came toOrmond in the king’s name , and desired that hewould not prosecute Blood, for reasons whichlie was commanded to give him. The dukereplied , that his majesty’s commands were theonly reason , that could be given ; and beingsufficient', he might therefore spare the rest.Charles carried his kindness to Blood still farther:He granted him an estate of five hundred poundsa year in Ireland; he encouraged his attendanceabout his person; he showed him great counte-nance , and many applied to him for promotingtheir pretensions at court. And while old Ed-wards , who had bravely ventured his life, andhad been wounded, in defending the crown andregalia, was forgotten and neglected, this man,who deserved only to be stared at, and detestedas a monster, became a kind of favorite.

Errors of this nature in private life have oftenas bad an influence as miscarriages, in which thepublic is more immediately concerned. Another

H A g.LXV.

IL7I.