The daughter, it seems, was not in the plot. Her husband had ostentatiously ridden away from the door on the previous morning, to go into the country, for an absence of some days;—exactly like a hero in BOCCACCIO. At night, he quietly returned, and took up his abode, by preconcert with his neighbours, next door. In the morning he lay with those neighbours in ambush. When they all tumultuously rushed up stairs—into the man’s own abode—they were full of indignation at Sir Robert’s wantonness; but,—unfortunately for their story—in their eager haste they entered the room almost as soon as he himself had entered it, with his two companions. Nevertheless, they persisted in their accusation; permitting, however, when the first burst of virtuous wrath had somewhat subsided, the appearance of a sufficient indication that they were not wholly averse from listening to a reasonable proposal. There was a way, and one way only, in which that fierce wrath might be appeased. Sir Robert, however, was indignant in his turn. The purse of the intended victim remained stubbornly closed. [Sidenote: 1630. July—Decr.] There is no need to pursue the unsavoury narrative. Nor would so much of the story have here been told, but for the suggestion which lies within it that the rapid breaking up of Sir Robert’s vigorous constitution was not perhaps due, quite exclusively,—as has been commonly believed[15]—to the malicious privation inflicted upon him by King CHARLES. For though he was successful in extracting, from the chief accuser himself, a confession of the falsehood of the charge, and an acknowledgment that the object of the conspirators was to extort money, yet the matter brought him much toil and vexation of spirit. One of the latest acts of his life was to arrange the proofs of the conspiracy in due and formal array.[16] [Sidenote: _Cottonian Charters_, &c., i, 3, seqq.; MS. ADDIT., 14049, ff. 21–43. (B. M.)] When he had done that, and had once again made an effort—as fruitless as the efforts which had been made before—for the recovery of his library, he seems to have prepared himself for death. [Sidenote: _Domestic Corresp._, Charles I, vol. clxvii, § 45, seqq. (R. H.).] Sir Robert’s repeated efforts to regain his Library were not unseconded by friends powerful at Court. But the King’s stubbornness would not give way—till concession was too late. The Lord Privy Seal (the newly-appointed successor of WORCESTER, recently dead), was amongst those who interceded with CHARLES. [Sidenote: COTTON’S DEATH.] A little before Sir Robert’s death his Lordship sent to him John ROWLAND—one of his officers—to tell him that, at length, his mediation had been successful, and the King was reconciled to him. [Sidenote: Rowland, in Pref. to the Political Satire entitled _Gondomar’s Transactions_, &c.] COTTON answered, ‘You come too late. My heart is broken.’