private company of some five or six persons.  They desired me to take up a Viol, and bear a part.  I did so, and that part too, not much advance to the reputation of my cunning.  By and by, without the least colour of design, or expectation, in comes Cromwel.  He found us playing, and, as I remember, so he left us.—­As to bribing of his attendants, I disclaim it.  I never spake to Thurloe, but once in my life, and that was about my discharge.  Nor did I ever give bribe, little or great, in the family.’

The above declaration Sir Roger was obliged to make, as some of his enemies wanted to turn those circumstances of favour he received from the Oliverian government to his disadvantage, and prevent his rising in court distinction.

Sir Roger having little paternal fortune, and being a man rather profuse than oeconomical, he had recourse to writing for bread.  After the restoration he set up a news-paper, which was continued ’till the Gazette was first set on foot by Sir Joseph Williamson, under secretary of state, for which, however, the government allowed Mr. L’Estrange a consideration.  Mr. Wood informs us, that our author published his paper twice every week in 4to. under the title of The Public Intelligence and News; the first of which came out August the 31st, 1663, and the other September the 3d, the same year.  ’These continued till the 9th of January 1665, at which time Mr. L’Estrange desisted, because in the November before, there were other News-Papers published twice every week, in half a sheet in folio.  These were called The Oxford Gazettes, and commenced the 7th of November, 1665, the king and queen, with their courts being then at Oxford.  These for a little while were written by one Henry Muddeman; but when the court removed to London, they were called the London Gazette.  Soon after Mr. Joseph Williamson, under secretary of State, procured the writing of them for himself; and thereupon employed Charles Perrot, M.A. and fellow of Oriel College in Oxford, who had a good command of his pen, to do that office under him, and so he did, though not constantly, till about 1671; after which time they were constantly written by under secretaries, belonging to those that are principal, and do continue so to this day.’

Soon after the popish plot, when the Tories began to gain the ascendant over the Whigs, Mr. L’Estrange became a zealous promoter of the Tory interest.  He set up a paper called the Observator, in which he defended the court, and endeavoured to invalidate those evidences which were given by Oates’s party against the Jesuits.  He likewise wrote a pamphlet, in which he attempts to prove, that Sir Edmundbury Godfrey’s murther, for which so many suffered, and so great a flame was raised in the nation, was really perpetrated by himself.  He attempts to shew that Sir Edmundbury was a melancholy enthusiastic man; that he was weak in his undemanding, and absurd in his conduct.  The activity he discovered in Oates’s plot, had raised him to such reputation, that he was unable to bear it, and therefore the natural enthusiasm of his temper prompted him to make himself a sacrifice, from a view of advancing the Protestant cause, as he knew his murther would be charged upon the Papists.