on the Spanish West Indies before all the rest of the world.  One day, late in 1654, having been called into the Protector’s room on business, he had noticed him very intent upon a map and measuring distances on it.  Information being Stoupe’s trade, he contrived to see that the map was one of the Bay of Mexico, and drew his inference.  Accordingly, when the fleet of Penn and Venables was ready to sail, but nobody knew its destination, “Stoupe happened to say in a company he believed the design was on the West Indies.  The Spanish Ambassador, hearing that, sent for him very privately, to ask him upon what ground he said it; and he offered to lay down L10,000 if he could make any discovery of that.  Stoupe owned to me that he had a great mind to the money, and fancied he betrayed nothing if he did discover the grounds of these conjectures, since nothing had been trusted to him; but he expected greater matters from Cromwell, and said only that in a diversity of conjectures that seemed to him more probable than any others.”  Another of Stoupe’s stories to Burnet was even more curious.  Having learnt by a letter from Brussels that a certain refugee had come over to assassinate Cromwell, and was lodged in King Street, Westminster, he had hurried to Whitehall, and sent in a note to Cromwell, then in Council, saying he had something to communicate.  Cromwell, supposing it might be one of Stoupe’s ordinary pieces of intelligence, had sent out Thurloe to him.  Though “troubled at this,” Stoupe had no option but to show Thurloe the letter.  To his surprise, Thurloe had made light of the matter, saying that they had rumours of that kind by the score, and it was not for a great man like the Protector to trouble himself about them.  Stoupe, who had hoped his fortune would be made, went away “much cast down,” to write to Brussels for surer evidence.  He mentioned the matter, however, to Lord Lisle; and so, when Sexby’s or Sindercombe’s Plot was discovered a while afterwards, Lisle, talking of it with the Protector, and not doubting that the Protector knew all about Stoupe’s previous revelation, said that must be the man Stoupe had spoken of.  “Cromwell seemed amazed at this, and sent for Stoupe, and in great wrath reproached him for his ingratitude in concealing a matter of such consequence to him.  Stoupe upon this shewed him the letters he had received, and put him in mind of the note he had sent in to him, which was immediately after he had the first letter, and that he had sent out Thurloe to him.  At that Cromwell seemed yet more amazed, and sent for Thurloe, to whose face Stoupe affirmed the matter; nor did he deny any part of it, but only said that he had many such advertisements sent him, in which till this time he had never found any truth.  Cromwell replied sternly that he ought to have acquainted him with it, and left him to judge of the importance of it.  Thurloe desired to speak in private with Cromwell.  So Stoupe was dismissed, and went away, not doubting but Thurloe