to be trusty and resolute, wth a party of horse to take them. 'Twas about Epping in Essex; whither he got about midnight, & found them gathering into a body well arm'd and horsed: he divides his party, & falls upo' them on a sudden firing (with powder only) in their faces, wch so amazed them that they cryed quarter: & were about 60 taken (more than ye party that took them: y rest escaped away,) & brought to White-hall by 6 of y clock in yo morning, wth their hands bound behind them on their horse-backs, for we good service my La Protecto' hath an eye upo' him that may well make him expect farther p'ferment. He might have had a good officer's place, if he would have gone with those forces that ar sent over to help ye French against ye Spainiard: but his wife kept him from accepting it: & I think he would not willingly leave her for any such designe. "The letter you sent to yo' uncle John, & that we accompanied it with pictures for me, have not bin yet received: & I believe never will now for it is 6 weekes since that wherein the flea-chain, & ye pictures of s German beauties were enclosed, came to my hands, for which I do again give you my very humble thankes. I have satisfyed many curious eyes with them already; & had I a few more such rarities my chamber would be resorted to like John Tredescant's. The truth is I have an ambition to obtain your two pictures in one way or other, wch Tho. Gregory puts me in hopes I shall. However, I shall treasure up y°r letters (those pictures of yo' better part) & therewith entertain myself & others, till you appear in person to answer ye expectation that is rais'd of you. But give me leave to reinforce my former petition, viz. that you would please to gratify me with some account of what you do in order to yo' keeping or encreasing yo' knowledge in ye Latine tongue, (wch I beleeve you find ye benefit of every day more & more,) as also of what experiments or rarities, appertaining to Optiques, Geometry, Astronomy, or any other Science you have met with, seen, or heard of since your comming into Germany, & that you would please to hearken after such things for ye future. But I hasten. Yours to Mr. Hid and Mr. Knightbridge were delivered; & I expected one fro' Mr. Hid to you, but have not yet heard fro' him. "Yo' brothers p'sent their service to you: but I cannot get them to doe it with their own pen. A word or two from you to mind their studies, would take much & be very acceptable to my Lord. You forgot to tell me in yo' bro' whether yo Coates of Armes I sent were according to yo' mind, and whether you desire more. "I should be very glad to be employed in any service I am capable to p'form for you. Let me conclude with a request to you to seek, & feare God above all; & with a request to God to own, direct, & sanctify you; which I pray for wth all my hart as ye unum necessariu'. And herein I am sure I answer ye title of "Ne sit mortale quod optes. "Sir, "Yo' faithfull Servant, IOHN THORNTON. "I much wonder that you write English so true, wherein (for want of heed) you were formerly so much defective. Mr. Russell spent the winter of 1658 at Paris; and it appears by a lettter to his cousin Mr. Henry Capel, that he did not escape the affectation common to young travellers, of using French phrases and words for things which may be as well expressed in English. Having been attacked by a severe illness, he writes to Mr. Thornton. "I am recovered of an unruly sickness, which brought me so low that I was just at death's door: my prayers to God are to give me together with my health, grace to employ it in his service, and to make good use of this his visitation by the serious application of it." These reflections are a proof of a religious disposition. But it was not till after his marriage that he applied himself with earnestness both in meditation and action to fulfil the duties of a Christian. The following letter explains how he was employed in the year 1659, and is a proof of his consideration for those who had been attached to his person. "Most Deare Brother, "When I left you at Augsburg out of vexation to stay there soe long; I thought good to leave you the letter you find here, to bee given you in case I should miscarry, for to make myself known not to be ungrateful. I was moved to't, because I intended as then to have made a far longer journey from you then I did, as it fell out; for having heard that there were Commanders of Consideration of the King of Sweden's at Ulm, a leaging men, I thought I might have had a fine occasion by their meanes to make a voiage unto that armie, and afterwards give an account of it to my lord (who as I thought would not have been much against it when 'twas done), excusing it upon a distaste of Mr. Hainkofer's proceedings, and my inclination to the warres. But my designe succeeded quite otherwise: for when I came to Ulm, instead of finding the King of Sweden's officers, I found none but the Emperour's, wherefore it pleased God to make me take the resolution of staying there for your comeing till indede you came, which I was easily induced to by the tender love I bore you, which by the way let me assure you is still the same. The reason of my writing this for you at present is to let you know, that now since my coming over out of France I have opened and viewed these two letters, and altered them in some places as I have thought fit; and having reduced the quantitie of what I desire should be givin to 801. sterling a year, the which summe I desire you, and moreover conjure you by the love that has ever bin between us, to see duely paid every year to Mr. John Thornton our tutor, and Fox Gregory our servant, during their lives, according as I have divided it between them. Written by mee, your most loving and affectionate Brother, "Woburne Abbey, the 5 Dec 1659. "The night before I went up to London." WILLIAM RUSSELL. Upon the Restoration he was elected member of parliament for Tavistock. But the Court, which was then the abode of magnifi cence and gaiety, seems to have attracted his firstattention, and according to Bishop Burnet, drew him into some irregularities. Thus entangled in a Court life, he appears, by the two following letters to his father, to have been engaged in duels, the common practice of the age. "My Lord, Although I think I have courage enough to fight with any body without despairing of the victory, yet neverthelesse knowing that the issue of combats depends upon fortune, and that it is not allwayes hee that has most courage and the justest cause who overcomes, but hee that is luckiest; and having found myself very unluckie in several things, I have thought fitt to leave these few lines behind mee for to expresse (in case I should miscarry) some kind of acknowledgement for the goodness Your Lordship has had in shewing mee soe much kindnesse above what I have deserved. I have the deepest sense of it in the world, and shall alwayes (during life) make it in my businesse to expresse it by my life and actions. For really, my Lord, I think myself the happiest man in the world in a father, and I hope (if I have not allready) I should at least for the future have carried myself soe as not to make Your Lordship think yourself unhappy in a sonne. My Lord, in case` I miscarry (for without it I suppose this will not come to your hands), let me beg it of you to remember mee in the persons of those who have served me well. Pray let not my friend Taaffe suffer for his generous redinesse to serve mee, not only on this occasion but in severall other wherein he has shewed himselfe a very generous and kind frind to mee, therefore pray bring him off cleare, and let him not suffer for my sake. For my men, I doubt not but your Lordship will reward them well. For Robin, my footman, because hee has served me faithfully, carefully, and with great affection, and has lost a great deal of time with mee, I desire that 20 pounds a year be settled on him during his life: and the French man I hope you'll reward very well, having served with care and affection. For my debts, I hope Your Lordship will see them paid, and therefore I shall set them down to prevent mistakes. I owe one hundred pounds, forty may D pounds, and I think some 4 or 5 more to my Lord Brook: this is all I owe which I can call to mind at present, except for the cloaths and some other things I have had this winter, of which my man can give an account. I have not time to write any longer, therefore I shall conclude with assuring Your Lordship that I am as much as it is possible for one to be, "I have here inclosed a letter which I writ not long agoe upon the like occasion, and therefore shall say little now, being in hast, but only to assure you that I am of the same mind still, and think myselfe the happiest man alive in a father, and shall alwayes make it my businesse to be a dutifull sonne, tho' now I am forced to slip away without Your Lordship's privitie, but I hope you will not take it ill when it shall appear upon what account it is, and that honour commands me not to stay nor aske leave to goe. 66 My Lord, I know it is not impossible for mee to miscarry, though I do not at all feare it, and therefore shall reiterate my supplications which I made in the inclosed, which is, that you will provide for my servants and see my debts paid, which are something increased since the last yeare by reason of my small allowance; to prevent mistakes I shall leave a catalogue of them. Between 60 and 70 pounds to my Lord Brook, some tradesmen's bills, of which my man can give an account. This being all I can say at present, I shall take my leave of you, and rest till death, "Mund. morning, 66 Ap. 26. 1664. 66 My Deare Lord, "WILLM. RUSSELL." |