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“I am deeply grateful and trust I will be able to repay such favor,” I said.
Be
“Just so,” I said. “But that is of little purpose unless you are constantly informed of what they are doing.”
“Precisely. I am convinced they will try again. Such is the nature of these people; they ca
“Some as their right, sir,” I murmured.
“I do not wish to engage in dispute. Rights and duties. It is all treason, wherever it comes from. Do you agree or not?”
“I believe the king has a right to his place and it is our duty to keep him there.”
“So will you see to it?”
“I?”
“You. You do not fool me, sir. That air of the philosopher does not deceive. I know exactly what tasks you performed for Thurloe.”
“I’m sure you have heard an exaggerated report,” I said. “I acted as cryptographer, not as an intelligencer. But that is of no matter. If you want me to see to it, as you put it, I am content to serve you. But I will need money.”
“You will have what you require. Within reason, of course.”
“And I beg to remind you that communication with London is not so very rapid.”
“You will have a warrant giving you leave to act as you see fit.”
“And does that include use of the garrisons nearby?”
He frowned, then said, very reluctantly, “In an emergency, if need be.”
“And how will I stand with the Lords Lieutenant of the counties?”
“You will not stand with them at all. You will communicate only with me. No one else, not even in the government. Is that understood?”
I nodded. “Very well.”
Be
For once I could agree with him wholeheartedly.
I will not have it thought that I entered into my role with enthusiasm or without thought. I was not going to tie my fortunes to a man who might drag me down with him should he prove to have only an unsteady purchase on power and position. I knew little enough about this Mr. Ben-net and so, the moment I had registered my appointment as Royal Chaplain with the appropriate offices, and dispatched the confirmation of my university position back to Oxford to confound my enemies there, I set myself to find out a little more about him.
He certainly had given ample evidence of his loyalty to the king, as he had shared exile with him and been entrusted with diplomatic missions of some importance. More to the point, he was a skillful courtier—too skillful, indeed, for Lord Clarendon; the king’s first minister had spotted his abilities and, rather than enlisting his support, had instantly seen him as a threat. The enmity grew, and Be
Until it was clear whether he would continue to rise, or fall in the attempt, I had as much interest as Mr. Be
The enemies of the kingdom had men of discipline and ability in their ranks—anyone who had witnessed (as I had) the triumphs of Cromwell’s armies knew that. Moreover, they were fanatics, ready to die for their delusions. They had tasted power, and in their mouths it was as sweet as honey. (Revelation 10:9.) Even more dangerous was the fact that outsiders were ready to manipulate them and urge them on. My dealings with Cola (which I intend to narrate here) were more dangerous and more hidden still. A trust in God is very fine, but God also expects you to look to yourself. My greatest concern was that those in power would become complacent and underestimate their enemies. Although I ca
And so I returned to Oxford, resumed my mathematical enquiry, and began weaving a web in which to catch the king’s enemies. Mr. Be
2
I first heard of Marco da Cola, Gentleman (so-called) of Venice, in a letter from a correspondent in the Low Countries, to whom the government paid a moderate competence to observe the activities of English radicals in exile. Particularly, this fellow was requested to watch keenly for the slightest contact between them and anybody close to the Dutch government, and to note any absences or unusual visitors. This man wrote to me in the October of 1662 (more to justify his gold than for any other reason, I suspect) and said nothing at all except that a Venetian, one Cola, had arrived in Leiden and had spent some time in the exiles’ company.
That was all; certainly there was no reason at that time to imagine that this man was anything other than a wandering student. I gave the matter little attention beyond writing to a merchant, then traveling to Italy to acquire paintings for Englishmen with more money than sense, asking him to identify this man. I might mention in passing that picture dealers (now more common since it became legal to bring such works into the country) make excellent investigators, as they come and go as they please without causing suspicion. Their trade brings them into contact with men of influence, but they are so lowly and absurd in their pretensions to gentility and education that few ever take them seriously.