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.