But yonder comes my faithful friend,

That like assaults hath often tried;

On his advice I will depend

Whe'er I shall win or be denied;

And, look, what counsel he shall give,

That will I do, whe'er die or live

HENRY WILLOBY

Robin, when he arrived in London, loitered away an hour around Whitehall

and the Park, before he proceeded farther, and easily ascertained that

the Protector was then at Hampton Court; as to who went with him, how

long he would remain, or when he would return, he could receive no

intelligence; for the best of all possible reasons--the movements of his

Highness were secrets even from his own family.

There was much talk, however, and considerable speculation among all

classes of people, as to whether he would yield to the eager entreaties

of a certain party in the parliament, who were urgently pressing forward

a motion, the object of which was, that Cromwell should exchange the

title he had heretofore borne, and adopt the more time-honoured, but,

alas! more obnoxious one, of King. Some of the more rigid sects were

busily discoursing in groups, respecting Walton's Polyglott Bible, and

the fitness or unfitness of the committee that had been sitting at

Whitelock's house at Chelsea, to consider properly the translations and

impressions of the Holy Scriptures. Robin received but surly treatment

at the palace-gates, for minstrelsy was not the fashion; and he almost

began to think the disguise he had selected was an injudicious one. He

hastened on to the city, along the line of street now called the Strand,

but which was then only partially skirted by houses, and delivered

Dalton's invoices to the merchant beyond St. Paul's, who had need of the

Genoa velvets; then proceeded to the dealer in jewels, by whom the

pearls had been commanded. Here it appeared no easy matter to gain

admission; but a few words mysteriously pronounced to a grave-looking

person, whose occupation was half porter, half clerk, removed all

obstacles, and he found himself in a dark, noisome room, at the back of

one of the houses in Fenchurch Street--at that time much inhabited by

foreign merchants, who were generally dealers in contraband goods, as

well as in the more legitimate articles of commerce.

As soon as the wayfarer entered, he disburdened himself of his hump, and

from between its folds produced strings of the finest pearls and heaped

them on the table. The dealer put on his glasses, and examined them

separately, with great care, but much rapidity; while Robin, like a good

and faithful steward, kept his eyes steadily fixed upon the jewels,

never losing sight of them for a single moment, until his attention was

arrested by a person entering and addressing the merchant. Robin

immediately recognised the stranger as the old Jew, Manasseh Ben Israel,

whom he had seen at Sir Willmott Burrell's.




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