sends him a special messenger from Woburn. She had written to him on some previous occasions, and now tells him, "I have, I may say, "created this, since the bearer of it has no "other errand than to carry this paper, and re"turn charged, I hope, with such good reports

as every good soul wishes for. Curiosity may "be too eager, and therefore not to be justified;

Lady Littleton talks of coming after Christmas, if things are settled here.

"I have not kept my promise at the beginning, so hard it is for me to break an old custom; but to punish you a little, at present, is no grief to me, being not at this time Lady Margaret's humble servant. Lord Dunbarton seized Colonel Kirke at the head of 3000 or 4000 men, going, as was suspected, to the Prince of Orange; and he is brought to London, and to be tried, as it is said, by a council of war. Lord Halifax, they say, made the most tender and obliging speech at council that was ever heard; but they do not give that character of Lord Clarendon's, but the contrary. Duke of Berwick has Lord Churchill's troop of guards, or the Duke of Grafton's, I know not which; and Lord Arran has his regiment of horse, and his brother his regiment. Colonel Kirke has been before the council this day, and the King has taken his word, and he is only confined to his chamber. Lord Churchill and Prince George have written the most submissive letters to the King that can be, and it is said there is one from the Prince of Orange too, but that it is not known what is in it. Sir George Hewet is gone ten days ago, and Mr. Heningame.

"Thursday night.

"For the Right Hon. the Lady Margarett Russell,

at Wooburn Abby, Bedfordshire.

"Wooborne Bagg."

Dev. MSS.

"but sure it is unavoidable.

I do not ask you "should satisfy any part of it, farther than you "can in six lines. But I would see something "of your hand-writing upon English ground, "and not read in print only the labour of your "brains." (1)

Burnet, it is known, wrote the declaration published at Exeter, explanatory of the intentions of the association which had invited over the Prince of Orange. His answer to Lady Russell's letter was, probably out of prudence, immediately destroyed, as no trace remains of any of his letters to her at this immediate juncture. She tells Dr. Fitzwilliam, on the 8th of December, while still remaining in the country, "I confess one would be very glad to spend "some hours in free discourse with a friend "there is no need to disguise any thought be"fore. When it is denied, one must be con"tent as one can. I think having staid so long "in the country, in the hurly-burly, we shall "try it a little longer." (2) She, however, removed to town with the Earl of Bedford, in time to witness the departure of the King, and the peaceable settlement by Parliament of the new government; which she speaks of with

the amazement it must necessarily have occasioned in all contemporaries: "Those who "have lived longest, and therefore seen the "most change, can scarce believe it is more "than a dream; yet it is real, and so amazing "a reality of mercy, as ought to melt our hearts "into subjection and resignation to Him, who "is the dispenser of all providences." (1)

The young Lady Cavendish was present with her mother-in-law, the Countess of Devonshire, at the proclamation of William and Mary, and accompanied her to their first drawing-room in the evening of the same day. (2) The following account which she gives of it, in a letter to some young friend in the country (3), is interesting from the memorable events and persons of which she speaks, as an eye-witness.

February 1689.”

"It is a great affliction to me to be so far from "my dear beloved Silvia, and to hear from her "so seldom; how happy shall I be when I see

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you next; how many things I have to tell

you: for I dare not trust affairs of so great "concern in a letter. But when will that time "come? I do not hear you speak of removing

(1) Published Letters, p. 191.

(2) The 13th of February, 1689, the day after the Princess arrived in London from Holland.

(3) Probably her cousin, Mrs. (Miss) Jane Allington.

"yet, to my grief. Pray leave your ugly prison "as soon as you can, and come to your Do"rinda. (1) But now to my news: the House "of Lords did vote that the Prince and Princess "should be made King and Queen, and it was ❝ carried by a good many voices, for Lord Not"tingham and many more came off. Lord "Nottingham had a great mind to come off "before, but could not tell which way; then "the Commons agreed also that the Prince and "Princess should be King and Queen, but "that the Prince should have the sole adminis"tration of affairs in his hands; that the Prin"cess should be no subject neither, as Queen "Katherine and Queen Mary were, but a Sove

reign Queen, and her name put in every "thing; but still he the management of affairs. "This they agreed upon, and so did the Lords; "then they went to the grievances, (that is) "the too great power of the crown. After "they had agreed upon what power to give the

King, and what to take away from him, (the

(1) These names, given to herself and to her correspondent, and afterwards to the King and Queen, were taken from some of the fashionable romances of the day, perhaps Clelia ; as in a letter addressed to Lady Cavendish, just before her marriage, the writer says: "There will be no talking to

your sister, when she has read Clelia; for the wise folks say, "it is the most improving book can be read." Dev. MSS.

particulars of which I cannot tell you,) my "Lord Halifax, who is chairman, went to the Banquetting House, where the Princess and "Prince were, and made them a short speech, 66 desiring them in the name of all the Lords to "accept of the crown. The Prince answered " him in a few words, and the Princess made "curtsies. They say, when they named her "father's faults, she looked down as if she was "troubled; then Mr. Powle, the Speaker of "the House of Commons, showed the Prince " what they had agreed of, but made no speech. "After this ceremony was ended, they pro"claimed them King and Queen of England,

Many of the churchmen would not have had it "done that day, because it was Ash-Wednesday, "I was at the sight, and, you may imagine, 66 very much pleased to see Ormanzor and "Phenixana proclaimed King and Queen of

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England, in the room of King James, my "father's murderer. There was wonderful ac"clamations of joy, which, though they were

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very pleasing to me, yet they frightened me "too; for I could not but think what a dread"ful thing it is to fall into the hands of the "rabble-they are such a strange sort of people. "At night I went to court with my Lady De"vonshire, and kissed the Queen's hand, and "the King's also. There was a world of bon