*it; and truft that thou, O merciful Father! haft forgiven me all my Tranfgreffions; the Sins of my Youth, and all the Errors of my paft Life, and that thou wilt not lay my fecret Sins to my Charge; but wilt gracioufly fupport me, during that Imall Part of my Life now before me, and affift me in my laft Moments, and not leave me then to be disorder'd by Fear, or any other Temptation; but make the Light of thy Countenance to fhine upon me; for thou art my Sun and my Shield: And as thou fupporteft me by thy Grace, fo I hope thou wilt hereafter crown me with Glory, and receive me into the Fellowship of Angels and Saints, in that bleffed Inheritance, purchas'd for me by my most merciful Redeemer, who is, I truft, at thy right Hand, preparing a Place for me; into whofe Hands I commend my Spirit.

Signed

WILLIAM RUSSEL

The CHARACTER of WILLIAM Lord

RUSSEL.

The Lord Ruffel was Son to the Earl of Bedford, a Family that was become exceeding popular by keeping up the old English Hospitality. This Earl feldom turn'd off his Servants when they married, but maintain'd them, their Children, and Grand-children, under his Roof; infomuch that there was feldom found fewer than a hundred of them in his Family; and whoever could claim any Relation or Acquaintance with his Domefticks, might have Access to their Tables: He took a peculiar Delight in beholding People eat and drink of his Bounty, and would appear frequently among them, and bid them welcome.

Whether the Earl was of Opinion that the Eftate he enjoy'd, which confifted chiefly in Abbey-lands, ought to be employ'd to the Ufes the

Donors

Donors originally intended them, viz. in Works of Charity and Hofpitality, or whether it proceeded from the Benevolence of his Nature, never were Lands given to maintain Hospitality more ftrictly apply'd to that Purpose: And the Family was not more fam'd for Acts of Generofity, than for their Oeconomy, and the good Orders obferv'd in it; but what was most wonderful in that Reign, amidst all this Affluence and Plenty, there was not a Gentleman more remarkable for his Sobriety, Temperance, and publick Spirit, than the Lord Ruffel, the Heir Apparent of thefe vaft Poffeffions: And whatever Errors he might commit in Politicks, his Enemies are ready to acknow ledge he always acted upon Principle, and according to the Dictates of his Confcience. It was his firm Belief that the Proteftant Religion would be in extreme Hazard under a popish Prince, and therefore he did, with all his Might, promote the Exclufion of the Duke of York. And fuch was his Power and Intereft in the House of Commons, that he brought them over entirely to his Sentiments. The Bill pafs'd the Commons, and was by himself, the principal Promoter of it, carried up to the Lords, where, meeting with a Repulfe, it is faid he then meditated the bringing that about by Force, which he found was not to be obtain'd in a legal Way; Way; but however that be, it is certain his Zeal was very great for the Exclufion Bill, as appears by that Expreffion of his when the Lords rejected it, viz. That had his own Father been one of thofe who refus'd to pass the Bill, he would have been the first Man that should have impeach'd him of High Treafon.

My Lord was a Gentleman of good Addrefs, chearful and affable to all Men, and of a very difcerning Spirit; he did not ufe many Words, but was a very weighty Speaker: The Opinion

Men

Men had of his Wifdom and Merit, made him generally well heard and attended to; and he did in a manner govern the Debates in the House of. Commons while he fat there.

He did not diffemble his Opinions in Politicks; he believ'd that Subjects might procure of their Prince by Force, whatever they judg'd neceffary to their Prefervation, according to the receiv'd Maxim that Kings were made for the People, and not the People for them. And when the Prince ceases to be the Minister of God for Good, and feeks to deftroy the People he should protect, his Subjects are abfolv'd from their Allegiance.

And fo tenacious was he of these Principles, that tho' his good Friends Dr. Tillotfon, and Dr. Burnet, who affifted his Lordship in his Preparation for Death, us'd their utmost Endeavours to bring him over to the Doctrine of Paffive Obedience, he held faft his Opinion to the last.

It is generally thought the Paper he left with the Sheriffs was drawn up by another Hand, there appearing more Art in it than was fuitable to his Lordship's known Sincerity: His Death was look'd upon by fome as a juft Judgment, in having for violently purfu'd the Earl of Stafford to his Grave; and not fatisfy'd with his Life, oppos'd the remitting the barbarous Part of the Sentence, and even question'd his Majefty's Power to change the Punishment to beheading, tho' this was a Favour that had been seldom denied to any Nobleman.

I cannot but take Notice in this Place of an Affertion of our Pretenders to fecret Hiftory: They tell us that the Executioner had Direction to use my Lord Ruffel ill, and accordingly he wounded him in the Shoulder, and that his Lordfhip got up and expoftulated the Matter with him; but the numerous Spectators ftill living can testify that the first Stroke depriv'd his Lordship of

all

all Senfe and Motion, and the two next fever'd his Head from his Body, both which were deliver'd to his Friends, who attended to receive them.

The late Bishop of Rochefter, in his Narrative of this Confpiracy, gives this Account of his Lordship's being feduc'd into it. My Lord (fays he) was carried away, beyond his Duty and Allegiance, into this traiterous Enterprize, by a vain Air of Popularity, and a wild Sufpicion of lofing a great Eftate, by an imaginary Return of Popery, whereby he was the more eafily feduc'd by the wicked Teachers of that most Antichriftian Doctrine, which has been the Caufe of fo many Rebellions, and was fo conformable to his Presbyterian Education, viz. That it is lawful to refift and rise against Sovereign Princes, for the Prefervation of Religion.

Captain WALCOT'S CHARACTER.

The Captain was an old Officer in Cromwel's Army, who, after Pardon and Indemnity receiv'd, and a plentiful Eftate fecur'd to him by the King's Restauration, was nevertheless actually engag❜d in all the Plots against the Government ever fince, and particularly in that of Ireland, fome Years before this, to furprize the Caftle of Dublin. He was introduc'd by the Lord Howard, under the Character of a ftout and able Officer, into a stric Familiarity with the Earl of Shaftsbury, from whom he never departed till his Death, accompanying him in his Flight into Holland; and returning thence with his Corps, he and Ferguson having this peculiar Mark of his Kindness, to be made Legatees in his laft Will and Teftament, as his fpecial Friends. Bishop of Rochester's Narrative of the Confpiracy, Page 22.

Sta

Sir THOMAS ARMSTRONG'S CHARACTER.

Sir Thomas was a debauch'd Atheistical Bravo, one of those who, with an Hypocrify peculiar to that Age, would have pass'd for one of the most forward Reformers of Church and State, while they themselves, both in their Practice and Opinions, were the greatest Corrupters of Virtue and all good Manners: Bp. Ro. p. 22.

The Execution of ALGERNOON SIDNEY, Efq; on Friday the 7th of December 1683.

HIS Majefty having been pleased to remit all

the Sentence but Beheading; he was brought. to a Scaffold erected, for that purpofe, on TowerHill, where, having deliver'd the following Paper to the Sheriff, his Head was fever'd from his Body.

Men, Brethren, and Fathers; Friends, Countrymen, and Strangers,

It may be expected that I fhould now say some great Matters unto you; but the Rigour of the Season, and the Infirmities of my Age, increased by a close Imprisonment of above five Months, do not permit me.

Moreover, we live in an Age that maketh Truth pafs for Treafon: I dare not fay any thing contrary unto it, and the Ears of thofe that are a bout me will probably be found too tender to hear it. My Tryal and Condemnation do fufficiently evidence this.

Weft, Rumsey, and Keyling, who were brought to prove the Plot, faid no more of me, than that. they knew me not; and fome others equally unknown unto me, had ufed my Name, and that of fome others, to give a little Reputation unto their

Ff

Designs,