They reckoned also without that treachery which had only too ample
opportunity to work, amidst plans and associates so scattered and so
lamentably disorganized, A traitor was now, as often in these Royalist
plottings, received into their full confidence, and through him a detailed
account of all their plans was sent to Thurloe. [Footnote: John Thurloe
was born in 1616, and became a lawyer. He obtained active employment under
the Parliament, and was Secretary to the Parliamentary Commissioners at
Uxbridge. He acted as Secretary to Cromwell for secret correspondence, and
amassed enormous experience in the intricacies of foreign diplomacy, which
afterwards stood him in good stead when, after the Restoration, he wished
to make himself useful to the new Government, and thus escape the
penalties which his former political attachments would certainly have
involved. Until the Restoration was all but accomplished he gave useful
help to Richard Cromwell, but yet was able to ingratiate himself with the
new Ministers.] Hyde learned that Sir Richard Willis, [Footnote: Sir
Richard Willis had done good service to the royal cause in the war. As a
close adherent of Prince Rupert, he became, when Governor of Newark in
1645, involved in one of the many quarrels between the Civil Commissioners
and the army officers. Charles I. removed him from the Governorship, but
desired to do so without friction by providing him with a post in his own
escort. Willis's insolence in refusing this roused the King's anger so far
as to lead him to banish Willis from his presence. Willis was a good
soldier, rendered mutinous by the bad example of Prince Rupert; but it is
hard to account for his present treachery. As Warburton, in his note on
the _History of the Rebellion_ (Bk. XVI., para. 31) says, "he could
not think of starving for conscience' sake, though he had courage enough
to fight for it."] who had already played a double game of treachery, was
acting as he had acted before, when he betrayed Ormonde's presence in
London to Cromwell, and at the same time enabled Ormonde to escape by
telling him of Cromwell's knowledge. Willis's betrayal gave the