CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME. Letter of Lady Russell.— Projects of the Court. - Trial of Colledge. — Indictment against Shaftesbury thrown out by the Grand Jury. Quo Warranto. - System of arbitrary Government. Election of Sheriffs. - Wild Schemes of Lord Shaftesbury. Information CHAPTER XVI. CHAPTER XVIII. CHAPTER XIX. THE LIFE OF WILLIAM LORD RUSSELL. CHAPTER XIV. LETTER OF LADY RUSSELL. PROJECTS OF THE COURT. TRIAL OF COLLEDGE. -INDICTMENT AGAINST SHAFTESBURY THROWN OUT BY THE GRAND JURY. QUO WARRANTO. SYSTEM OF ARBITRARY GOVERNMENT. ELECTION -- OF SHERIFFS. WILD SCHEMES OF LORD SHAFTESBURY.- INFORMATION OF KEELING. LORD RUSSELL SENT TO THE TOWER. - DEATH OF LORD ESSEX. WHEN the tumult of public affairs was over, and the members of the Whig party, dispersed in every quarter, followed their several occupations and amusements, Lord Russell retired to the tranquillity of his own house, where he confined himself to the society of his family and his relations. * The following letter will show, better than any description I could give, the *See Mr. Spencer's evidence on Lord Russell's trial. manner of his life. It is written from Stratton, in Hampshire, a seat which Lady Russell had inherited from her father, and the country residence of Lord Russell from the time of his marriage. "September 30, 1681. "To see any body preparing and taking their way to see what I long to do a thousand times more than they, makes me not endure to suffer their going, without saying something to my best life, though it is a kind of anticipating my joy when we shall meet, to allow myself so much before the time. But I confess I feel a great deal, that, though I left London with great reluctancy, (as 'tis easy to persuade men a woman does,) yet that I am likely to leave Stratton with greater. They will tell you how well I got hither; and how well I found our dear treasure here. Your boy will please you; you will, I think, find him improved, though I tell you so before-hand; they fancy he wanted you; for, as soon as I alighted, he followed, calling Papa: but I suppose 'tis the word he has most command of, so was not disobliged by the little fellow. The girls were in remembrance of the happy 29th September*, and we drank your health, after a red-deer руе, and at night the girls and I supt * Lord Russell's birth-day. on a sackposset; nay, master would have his soon, and for haste burnt his fingers in the posset; but he does but rub his hands for it....... I do propose going to my neighbour Worsley's today. Would fain be telling my heart more things, any thing to be in a kind of talk with him; but I believe Spencer stays for my dispatch. He was willing to go early; but this was to be the delight of the morning, and the support of the day. 'Tis written in bed, thy pillow at my back, where thy dear head shall lie, I hope, to-morrow night, and many more I trust in His mercy, notwithstanding all our enemies, or ill-wishers. Love, and be willing to be loved by, "R. RUSSELL.' Though the Whig party seem to have sunk quietly into retirement after their defeat, the King could, by no means, rest satisfied with the victory he had obtained over his parliament, and the general tranquillity which ensued. He was determined to execute vengeance on his opponents, and establish arbitrary power upon a system of terror. For this purpose he did not scruple to employ those witnesses whose perjuries in the trials for the Popish plot he had been the foremost to expose. The first person selected for punishment was Stephen Colledge. This man was a carpenter, who, by his noisy zeal, and the notice he had received from the *B 2 VOL. II. |