"the execution of several men, both on the score of the Plot, and the murder of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey, and it is apparent," he added, "that I have not been idle in prosecuting the discovery of both, as much farther as hath been possible in so short a time and above all I have commanded my brother to absent himself from me, because I would not leave malicious men room to say, I had not removed all causes which could be pretended to influence me towards Popish Counsels."*

This Parliament was in turn dissolved, as is stated in the letter from William Bennett of that date, on 10th July following, and the new Parliament was summoned to assemble on 17th October. In the meanwhile a sudden illness of the King alarmed his Councillors. and the Duke of York was hastily summoned from Brussels so as to be on the spot.

In the following October, Charles resolved to send the Duke of York to Scotland, as it was thought he could conciliate that Kingdom where the Covenantors had been cruelly repressed by Monmouth and Claverhouse.+ It was also supposed that his presence there would gain adherents to his cause in the event of a struggle for the succession, ensuing on the death of the King. The letter of William Bennett, of 20th October, relates to the reception of the Duke in the City, immediately before his departure for Scotland.

On 10th January, 1681, the King again dissolved the Parliament, and summoned a new one to meet him in

* History and proceedings of the House of Commons from the Restoration to the present time. Vol 1. p. 324, Lond: 1742.

+ Burnets own times, vol. I, p. 477. edit. 1724.

Oxford, on 21st March following,* and it is to the election for Shaftesbury, on this occasion that the letters of William Bennett mainly relate. These letters are addressed to Colonel Benett, of Norton Bavant, Wilts, who was elected Member for Shaftesbury, in the year 1679. At the poll held on 13th September in that year, the four Candidates for the Borough polled the following number of votes.

on the present occasion it appears by the correspondence that Colonel Benett was returned at the head of the poll. The politics he professed can be gathered from the fact stated by William Bennett, that Mr. Gray had received a letter from Lord Shaftesbury, stating he was a fit person to represent the town; we therefore assume he was returned as one of the Protestant party of that day, and that it was as a supporter of the men who upheld the exclusive bill, and believed in the popish plot that he earned his title of "honest Tom Benett."

Colonel Benett was, however, something more than the mere dupe of Oates and his gang of fellow conspirators. He was secretary to Prince Rupert, and in the accounts rendered by Lord Craven, the executor to the Prince, one of the largest item is the payment to "Thomas Benett, the secretary, in full of all demands of eight hundred pounds."

In concluding these notices, we have only to add *Rapin vol. ii, p. 595, edit. 1760.

N

that the documents now printed are in possession Mr. Benett Stanford, the collateral descendant of Colonel Benett, and present member for Shaftesbury. The papers were accidentally discovered by him two years since whilst destroying a vast accumulation of old unarranged and useless documents. In committing these papers to the flames he remarked on one of them the signature "Charles R," and reserved the bundle in which it was contained for further investigation-subsequently the remainder of the documents in his possession were very carefully examined, and the result has been the selection for publication of these which are now printed. Without claiming for them any great historical value, it is yet thought that they possess an interest for the scholar and historian which renders them worthy of publicity, while the domestic letters, and the sketch of a contested election two centuries ago abound in curious details which are not readily met with in other works.

LETTERS.

NEPHEU*

[No. 1.]

I have snached this litle tyme to congratulat your victory asseuring you that this (as the rest) is the welcomer because of you the cheefe Actor. So desyring you to have care of the Armes and Clothes there and thereabouts. Your loving Oncle and faithfull frend

I rest

I send you herewith a proposition concerning Lancasheere with wch I am very much pleased, but I will not conclude it without your advyce; wherefore I desyre you as soone as you can (for this buisness would not be delayed) to let me know your opinion of it, & if you approve it to send my Lord Biron (to whom, only, I desyre you to comunicat this business) presently to me; if not, then to send your objections against it. So wishing you good success in all your desynes I rest

Your loving Oncle & most faithfull frend
CHARLES R.

Oxford 4 No. 1643

p. ix.

* This letter refers to the storm of Cirencester. See Introduction,

B

This bearer hath desyred leave of me to goe, for sometyme, to Darbysheer, but I refer him & his reasons to you.

My Lo: Capell sends me word that there are great number of Cattel & other Provisions of Victuals at Stafford wch ar to caried to London

NEPHEU

[No. 3.]

Though I know that I need not recomend this bearer to you, yet a frend's remembrance, at no tyme can doe no harme; & with this occasion I cannot but mention two Oxford discourses to you; first it is saide that its impossible so to fortafie Tossiter* that it can be kept without so great a force bothe of Horse and Foote that it will not be worth the paines, & that the Horse wch lyes there will be continually put to such hard dewty, that (in short tyme) they are lyke to be much wasted; wherefor as it is possible that now you may fynde this to be so wch at first you did not belive (no more than I doe yet) & therefor thinke fitt to betake you to some other desyine, so by no means, I would not have you be guyded by our foolishe discourses heere, but doe according to your owen judgement; & certainly that Place is of such consequence that is not to quitted but to eschew verrie great inconveniencies wch I hope ye will not finde the second is that my Wyfe & I ar treating for a Peace wch you must not heare of: this is a damnable Ley;t the ground of it is that the French Ambasador said by way of discourse not proposition that he hoped I would not shutt my eares to honorable & reasonable propositions if they were ofred to me; but protested against treating + See p. xii. of Introduction.

* Towcester.