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the laws enacted during the contest were in favour of the conquered party.

The history of this period, as Mr. Serjeant Heywood has remarked, has not yet been accurately written. Hume had finished his work before Sir John Dalrymple published the valuable dispatches of the French ministers in England; besides which, every reader must feel that his partiality to the house of Stuart greatly lessens the value of what he has written. Yet, even with these defects, such is his depth of thought, and beauty of style, that I cannot take up his book without wondering at my own presumption in describing events which have been related by so able an author.

A very different feeling arises in my mind. on looking at the work of Sir John Dalrymple. At first one is inclined to believe, that his taste for bombast led to his numerous errors; but when it appears, as I think it does in the following pages, that there is not a single member of the Whig party of any note whom he has

not traduced by false allegations, it is difficult to acquit him of intentional misrepresentation.

The last few years have brought to light several works which illustrate the reign of Charles the Second. The Life of King James, great part of which is written by himself, and Evelyn's Memoirs, are the most remarkable. With the assistance of these materials I conceived that it was possible a narrative might be formed of the domestic history of Charles the Second, not altogether uninteresting. And although I have been obliged sometimes to lose sight of Lord Russell, he is always closely connected with the subject; for the opposition made to the designs of Charles the Second began with his entrance into public life, was continued with his aid, and was totally extinguished at his death.

The principal sources from which the present work is derived, are the well known histories and memoirs, written by persons who lived at the time of which they treat. But it would be

ungrateful in me not to acknowlege the great obligations I owe to the late Mr. Howell, the editor of Cobbett's State Trials. The new Parliamentary History has also been of great use to me. And I have derived most useful lights from the observations on this reign, contained in the introductory chapter of Mr. Fox's History; a work which contains more sound constitutional opinions than any other history with which I am acquainted. Some information was gained from the letters of Secretary Coventry, in manuscript, at Longleat. A few letters and papers are preserved at Woburn Abbey. But by far the most valuable assistance I have received, has been from the original letters of Lady Russell, which the Duke of Devonshire had the kindness to let me see. They will, I

hope, be given to the world as

soon as this work, accompanied by all the illustrations they require.

In this place I beg to return my best thanks to Lord Sidmouth, for the permission to see some papers concerning Lord Russell, in the

State-Paper Office.

And to Lord Granville

Somerset, for the research he desired to be made into the books of the Treasury.

The style and composition of the following work require much apology, which, I trust, the indulgence of the public will supply.

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