than a bare misprision; and yet I am condemned as guilty of a design of killing the King. I pray God lay not this to the charge neither of the King, council, nor judges, nor sheriffs, nor jury; and for the witnesses, I pity them, and wish them well. I shall not reckon up the particulars wherein they did me wrong; I had rather their own consciences would do that; to which and the mercies of God, I leave them; only I shall aver, that what I said of my not hearing Colonel Rumsey deliver any message from my Lord Shaftesbury was true; for I always detested lying, though never so much to my advantage. I hope none will be so unjust and uncharitable, as to think I would venture on it in these my last words, for which I am soon to give an account to the great God, the searcher of hearts and judge of all things.

"From the time of chusing sheriffs, I concluded the heat in that matter would produce something of this kind; and I am not much surprised to find it fall upon me; and I wish what is done to me may put a stop, and satiate some people's revenge, and that no more innocent blood be shed; for I must, and do still look upon mine to be such, since I know I was guilty of no treason; and therefore would not betray my innocency by flight, (though much pressed to it,) of which I do not, I thank God, yet repent,

how fatal soever it may have seemed to have proved to me; for I looked upon my death in this manner (I thank God) with other eyes than the world does: I know I said but little at the trial, and I suppose it looks more like innocence than guilt. I was also advised not to confess matter of fact plainly, since that certainly must have brought me within the guilt of misprision; and being thus restrained from dealing frankly and openly, I chose rather to say little, than to depart from that ingenuity that, by the grace of God, I had carried along with me in the former part of my life; and so could easier be silent, and leave the whole matter to the consciences of the jury, than to make the last and solemnest part of my life so different from the course of it, as the using little tricks and evasions must have been: nor did I ever pretend to any great readiness in speaking. I wish those gentlemen of the law, who have it, would make more conscience in the use of it, and not run men down, and, by strains and fetches, impose on easy and willing juries, to the ruin of innocent men: for, to kill by forms and subtilties of the law, is the worst sort of murder. But I wish the rage of hot men, and the partiality of juries, may be stopped with my blood, which I would offer up with so much the more

joy, if I thought I should be the last that were to suffer in such a way.

"Since my sentence, I have had few thoughts, but preparatory ones for death; yet the importunity of my friends, and particularly the best and dearest wife in the world, prevailed with me to sign petitions, and make an address for my life, to which I was ever averse; for (I thank God) though in all respects I have lived the happiest and contentedest man in the world, (for now very near fourteen years,) yet I am so willing to leave all, that it was not without difficulty that I did any thing for the saving of my life, that was begging; but I was willing to let my friends see what power they had over me, and that I was not obstinate nor sullen, but would do any thing that an honest man could do for their satisfaction; which was the only motive that swayed or had any weight with me.

"And now, to sum up all, as I had not any design against the King's life, or the life of any man whatsoever, so I never was in any contrivance of altering the government. What the heats, passions, and vanities of other men have occasioned, I ought not be responsible for, nor could I help them, though I now suffer for them. But the will of the Lord be done, into whose hands I commend my spirit! and trust

5

that Thou, O most merciful Father, hast forgiven all my transgressions, the sins of my youth, and all the errors of my past life, and ⚫ that thou wilt not lay my secret sins and igno6 rances to my charge, but wilt graciously support me during that small time of life now • before me, and assist me in my last moments, ⚫ and not leave me then to be disordered by fear, or any other temptations, but make the light of thy countenance to shine upon me: Thou art my sun and my shield, and as • thou supportest me by thy grace, so I hope thou wilt hereafter crown me with glory, and receive me into the fellowship of angels and saints, in that blessed inheritance purchased for me by my most merciful Redeemer, who is, • I trust, at thy right-hand, preparing a place for me, and is ready to receive me; into whose • hands I commend my spirit !" "

This paper was so soon printed, that it was selling about the streets an hour after Lord Russell's death. The court were much provoked at this circumstance, and sent for Tillotson and Burnet to appear before the cabinet council. Tillotson was soon dismissed ; but Burnet, who was suspected of writing the paper, underwent a long examination. He told the King he had kept notes of all that Lord Russell had done or said during his attendance upon him; and, on

the King's command, he read his journal to the council. The Duke of York was much incensed when he found this diary tended so much to the honour of Lord Russell; and concluded it was meant as a studied panegyrie on his memory. Dr. Burnet offered to take his oath, that the speech was written by Lord Russell himself, and not by him.

Lady Russell also contradicted this report, by the following letter to the King:

Endorsed by her," My letter to the King a few days after my lord's death."

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May it please Your Majesty;

"I find my husband's enemies are not appeased with his blood, but still continue to misrepresent him to Your Majesty. It is a great addition to my sorrows, to hear Your Majesty is prevailed upon to believe, that the paper he delivered to the sheriff at his death was not his own. I can truly say, and am ready in the solemnest manner to attest, that [during his imprisonment*] I often heard him discourse the chiefest matters contained in that paper, in the same expressions he therein uses, as some of those few relations that were admitted to him can likewise aver. And sure it is an argument of no great force, that there is a phrase or two

* The words included in the brackets are crossed out.