Edmondbury Godfrey and was guilty of the burning of London, packing of Juries, and false elections for Members of Parliament, and that he was now introducing Popery, Tyranny and arbitrary Government, Witnesse poore Oats that was the saviour of the nation and has been the first sufferer.'. And further said, 'you are for the Church of England, I am a dissenter from that Church. We dissenters shall be first brought to the stake but depend upon itt you will followe. And as for the juges they are twelve perjured Rogues and Justice Jefferys is as great a Rogue as ever the nation bore.' And farther said that the late Monmouth was legitimate and lawfull heire to the crowne, and the reason why his ffather did not owne itt was because he had the command of the Duke of York's purse and that Yorke could with itt make him (meaning the late King Charles the second of ever blessed memory) doe what he pleased. And farther said, 'if after all this you wont come in unto us, your blood be upon your owne heads,' and then forced the said members to goe with them into the street. And some one of the said Corporation said they would rather rely on the mercy of their now Sovereigne then trust to their crueltie and therefore through feare of their lives went with them, but read nothing, and what was read was read by some one of the Rebells. And these informants farther say that the said members of the Corporation did att the same time declare that they gave noe assent or consent to what was read, published, or proclaimed. And farther say that on the twentyeth day of June last past severall of Monmouth's souldiers came to the houses of the members of the said Corporation and required and forced them forth, and they went againe to the said Mr. Towill's house to conferre together. And while they were there one Zachary Wyatt, then a Captaine under the late Duke of Monmouth, and many others with swords drawne, carbynes, and pistolls mounted upp, required and forced the said members to come out, and those persons that refused to come out they would run their swords through them, and severall messengers came from the late Lord Grey who was then on horseback in the streete neare the doore of the said Mr. Towill's house, and said the Lord Grey had waited neare an hour for them, and that his patience was quite worne out and therefore they must come out. And with the same forced the said members of the said Corporation out of the said Mr. Towill's house, and that there were about 500 men in the streete with swords drawne and other armes and surrounded the said members of the said Corporation and hooped and hallowed that they had forced out the said members."

JOSEPH BURNE, THOMAS SEALY and WILLIAM HESTER depose concerning the seizing of arms in Francis Hobart's house.

COL. CHARLES TRELAWNY to

1685, Sept. 24. Taunton.-Reports endeavours of two prisoners, Mathews and Annesley, who had already made a vain attempt to escape, to persuade the whole of the prisoners

to break out by the windows, it being better to die by the hands of the soldiers than by the gallows. He has put "those two restless contrivers" into the dungeon of the guard, and hopes to receive immediate directions for their execution.

SIR C. LYTTLETON to LORD [SUNDERLAND ?]

1685, September 26. Taunton." I think itt my duty to acquaint your Lordship that I came hither but last night with the Prince's regiment, and that this morning Capt. Fox, of Col. Trelawny's regiment, who was captain of the guard, came and acquainted me that three of the prisoners in the Castle had made their escape by filinge one of the barrs in the prison windowe, and goeing downe by a rope out of the windowe leaving their shackles in the roome where they lodged, which were opened, not cutt or broke." The daughter of one of them, a girl of about 15 years of age, was known to be with her father in the prison not long before his escape. "I caused her to be seized and brought to mee, who upon examination has [Next part wanting.] "It seems to mee not very reasonable nor safe that soe many condemned rebells as are here in this prison should be left to the care and charge of the gaoler's wife and a mayd, the gaoler beeinge at Wells, and I hear of noe body else, the guards beeing only to assist them."

MR. BATEMAN.

1685, Dec. 18.-The speech and behaviour of Mr. Bateman at the place of execution.

LORD GREY.

[1685]-Extracts from the confessions of Lord Grey, James Burton, Nathaniel Wade, and others.

REV. ANDREW PASCHALL to LORD

1686, April 8. Chedzy.-"In the want I am in at present of a skilfull hand that might enable me to serve your lordship with an exact draught of this place (to which God be praised we are returned in safety) I have imployed some of my neighbours to measure the distances according to the enclosed paper, and I make no doubt but they have done it with care. [In all probability this refers to the plan of the battle of Sedgmoor mentioned below. The handwriting of both documents is the same.] Sir Francis Compton is very well spoken of heer for his diligence and valour that night, but I cannot attain to an exact account of his motions, which questionlesse your lordship may have from himselfe. It is now confidently reported heer by some that say they were eye witnesses that Captain Hucker (who entertained the Duke at his house in Taunton) was the man who discharged the gun (whether carabine or pistoll) at Langmoor Stone which is sayd to have given the alarme, and that the Duke charged him with treachery, and that he had been shot presently had it not been that they feared to

resolutione of going into England so sone, for when Mr. Forester was heer he spoke as if it wear yet in dispute, and I had bin very glad your conserns and your condition woud have permited you to stay longer since I have learnt to know you to well to be willing to louse you quite, and I coud now chid you for haveing bin so good humourd when your wear hear, but that your grave leter makes me think that I am writing to that sober Lady M. Forester I once knew at the Hague, if you had allways bin seen at the basset table makeing al pios and wanting an interpreter to ask for what you won you might have gone away allmost without being mist, but since you have been at Loo working walking and ramping, you must not wonder if I shoud have bin very glad to have found you still at the hague for all you deceived me so much as you really did when we play'd at hide and seek in the litle wood, if I had then known your conditione you had never got the reputation of as good a walker as myself, at least we had never pased ditches as we did togethere, but I am very glad it has suxceeded so well and hope you will get well into Englande and have a good deliverence which I think is the best wish can be made you now and that I do very seriously, if there be anything in this leter that is not so 'tis because I think I know you so good humord and so litle formal that you will bear with it, and I hope you have learnt to know me enough to belive tho' I can make no compliments that no body can wish you better or will be more glad of an ocatione of shewing the esteem I have for you by actions as well as words then I, Marie." Holograph.

MARIE, PRINCESS OF ORANGE, to LADY MARY FORESTER.

[1686,] February 13. Hague. "By the leter I received [several words erased] I was overjoyed to find you the same Lady Mary Forester I knew at Loo, and before I say any more must assure you such letters will be always very welcome to me for I am not changed in my humour tho' I am in my shape, but that not by so good a reasson as you had when I saw you last, but meer fatt. I like this subject so litle I shall say no more upon it but wish you joy of your daughter. I was extream glad to hear you wear well brought to bed and hope before this you are well up, I own 'tis a shame for me to come so long after, but good wishes never come to late and that you will never want from me. The death of Mr. Wharton is indeed a sad tragedy, I wish poets had more witt then to fight, 'tis a cruell thing to hazard both body and soull for a jest. I find we wemen have the beter of the men for that since raillery does not cost us so deer. The charitable Scotch lady you spake of has mist of her aime since Lady [M-h (?) put Ld. M. (?) erased] to the nessessity of endevoring a rape to satisfy his heroick passion, I belived his pride to have bin to great to stoop to such beast like inclinations, I thought his love had bin more refined and woud.

* Fatally wounded in a duel on February 2.

not have gone beyond ogleing, tho now I think ont his great eys may gogle about for fashions sake, but he is to pur blind to see at a distance or els his friends belye him. I find Lady [Mordaunt's erased] adventure as plesant as tis extraordinary, if ever any ons fortune wear told them that thay shoud marry twice, twoud to some be a disapointment to find the prophecy so fullfiled. 'Twas well 'twas a cold seasson and the Lady's blood not very warme at this age, or els certainly too wedings at once might have put her honor into a feaver, [if shee allways takes so much pains as I am told she did with Lady Salisbury erased] but my Lord Clifford and his Lady are of an age that I belive may be left abed togethere, so that half her troble is saved there, and if the Lady be as fruitfull as her sister, tis likely Mr. Boyl who has bin heer lately won't be long the youngest brothere. I am so far from finding faut with your leter that I shoud be very glad of many such, and I belive you write them so eassyly that they will not give you much troble, if I may judg by myself I phansie much lesse then a formall leter, I am sure there is nothing I haet like that and you see I don't write one, neithere is it for fashion's sake but really that I desire you to belive I am treully your affectionat friand, Marie." Holograph.

MARIE, PRINCESS OF ORANGE, to LADY MARY FORESTER.

I

[1688], April 15. Loo.-"Tho' I am very slow in ansereing leters yet I hope Lady Mary Forester will not belive hers is lesse welcome to me for not haveing assured her of it soner. was extreamly delighted with all the news you write me, but as every thing is but nine days wonder so I hope strange mariages will now be laid asside to make rome for some new marvellst therefore I dare say not spake of such old things for fear of seaming as old fashioned as thay, yet the Bishop of Oxford's death has not hapend so long ago but that I may say I hope he has seen his epitaph, or known himself enough to repent and disapoint the joy of the divin.

"I don't love the wedings of people I am not acquaintd with, yet I shall wish my self [at Lord Morpeth's, erased] to see how you woud behave yourself, I phansie that imployment will not become you unlesse you woud put on a forehead cloath like [Lady Danby, erased] to which if you will ad a good large mufler so as to hide your face you might pass for as old a lady as she [word erased] and then you may give instructions with authority. I have bin but once in the litle wood where we playd at hide and seek since I came hithere, the ill wethere will not suffer much walking, but I never go there without remembring how you ventured your great belly, big enough for you to brag

* Lord Clifford, eldest son of the Earl of Burlington, married his 2nd wife,

Arethusa, daughter of Lord Berkeley, at the beginning of 1686.

† Apparently "wonders" was first written and then altered to "marvels." The erasures in these letters are in a darker ink and very carefully made, probably by Lady Mary Forester.

of as long as you live, I belive there's anothere a comeing by this time, I expect if it be so you shoud be grown impudent enough to let me know it in your next leter for I never knew any body ashamed after one child, I am sory there are no wedings heer, when my maids marry I intend to act Lady [initial erased exactly I warrante they shall know the matrimony by heart and anssere to all with an audible voice, but for want of some such mater I must end my leter, do me the justice to belive I shall ever have all the esteem for you that you can desire. Marie." Holograph.

MARIE, PRINCESS OF ORANGE, to LADY MARY FORESTEer.

[1688,] September 9. Loo.-I can't hear of the losse Lady Mary Forester has had without leting her know the part I take in her just afliction & by the love I have for my own sister can judg what it must be to lose one who is dear, but I hope since it has pleased God to take one from you that is so, you will submit like a christian to his will who orders all things for the best tho' we dont know it. I wish I coud say any thing for your consolation but I belive you are to reasonable to want it, onely from that God who is best able and I hope will make it up to you othere ways, but pray do me the justice to belive I shall be glad of some beter ocation then this malancholly one to shew how much real esteam I have for you. Marie." Marie." Seal of arms surmounted by a coronet. Holograph.

III.-FAMILY LETTERS.

[CHARLES] EARL OF DORSET to his son, LORD BUCKHURST.

N.D., but before 1706. "Pray do not faile to make what hast you can posibile to come over by the next opertunity with your numerous family. i heare my Lady Northamton has order'd you not to obey me, if you take any notice of what shee sayes to you i have enough in my power to make you suffer for it beyond what shee will make you amends for. But I cannot imagine you to bee such a fool as to be governed by the passion and folly of anybody. Your afectionate father, Dorsett. "i expect you will come away by the next yocht.'

Lady Mary's sister Katherine, wife of Sir George Downing, died in August, 1688.