his followers Tories, meaning that they were enemies of the Protestants, like the Irish robbers. After a little time these names were accepted by the parties to which they had been at first applied in contempt, and men boasted of being Whigs or Tories without thinking what the words originally meant.

6. Violence of the Tories, and the Rye House Plot. After the dissolution of the third Short Parliament in 1681, the Tories had it all their own way. The Whigs had been strong for a time, because very few Englishmen wished to have a king who was a Catholic. But there was one thing which they liked less, and that was another Civil War. In 1681 only thirty-nine years had passed since the Civil War began, and men who were not very old could remember all the misery of that sad time. When, therefore, it was known that the Whigs had ridden armed into Oxford and had been talking about forcing the king to do as they wished, whether he liked it or not, sober men who did not usually care much about politics resolved that James should not be excluded from the throne. They would rather have a Catholic king than see another Puritan army governing England, and perhaps Shaftesbury as a new Lord Protector. People almost forgot their fright about the Popish Plot in their fright about a Whig insurrection. Whigs, who had threatened and persecuted the Catholics, found themselves threatened and persecuted in turn. Judges bullied them, and juries found verdicts against them without much regard for justice.

7. Forfeiture of the London Charter.-An accusa

tion was then brought against Shaftesbury. The grand jury, whose business it was to say whether he was to be tried or not, would not allow him to be tried. The fact was, that the juries were chosen by the sheriffs, and that in those days a sheriff would choose a jury which was likely to condemn a man whom he disliked, and to let off a man whom he

SHERIFF OF LONDON TIME OF CHARLES II.

liked. Shaftesbury had to be tried in Middlesex, if he was tried at all, and the sheriffs chosen by the City of London were then, as they are now, sheriffs for the whole county of Middlesex. Charles was so angry when he heard that Shaftesbury had got off in this way that he ordered his lawyers to try and find out some mistake in the Charter of the City. The

Charter was the parchment on which was written the grant to it by former kings to elect magistrates and to govern itself. The lawyers managed to find out that there was something wrong in the Charter, and the judge before whom the matter was brought said so too. The king, therefore, took away the Charter, and appointed the Lord Mayor and sheriffs himself. After this Shaftesbury knew that the new sheriffs would be sure to choose a jury which would condemn him. He therefore fled to Holland, where he soon afterwards died.

8. The Rye House Plot.-About this time some Whigs, bold with anger, formed a plot to murder the king and his brother at the Rye House on their return from Newmarket. The plot was discovered, and the plotters fled or were arrested and executed.

9. The Execution of Lord Russell.-Those who had taken part in the Rye House Plot were men of no note, and the Tories wished to strike down the leaders of the Whigs. Those leaders had been concerned in a scheme for calling on all who agreed with them to form an association which was to demand the summoning of another Parliament, and some of them were of opinion that, if their demand were refused, the association should use force to compel the King to accede to it, though they do not seem to have made up their minds how the force was to be employed. Their design was discovered, and the chief Whigs were, in the King's name, brought to trial on the charge that they had taken part, not merely in a political agitation, but even in the Rye House Plot. The Earl of Essex committed suicide in prison.

6

Lord Russell and Algernon Sidney were condemned and executed. Russell's case excited more than usual sympathy amongst his party. He was an upright, conscientious man. He firmly believed that if a Catholic were to succeed to the throne, English liberty would no longer be secure. If he did not think that all Titus Oates' lies were true, he thought that they were founded on reality. As for the share I had in the prosecution of the Popish Plot,' he declared on the scaffold, 'I take God to witness that I proceeded in it in the sincerity of my heart, being then really convinced, as I am still, that there was a conspiracy against the King, the nation, and the Protestant religion.' In those days the risk run by even an innocent prisoner tried for high treason was much greater than it is now. He was not allowed to have a lawyer to argue for him, and was thus obliged to conduct his own defence. Shortly before his trial Russell received a letter from his wife. 'Your friends,' she wrote,' believing I can do you some service at your trial, I am extremely willing to try. My resolution will hold out; pray let yours.' When the court was opened, this true-hearted wife sat by his side taking notes of all that was said, and helping her husband whenever his memory failed him.

10. The Last Days of Charles II.-All this while Charles did not think of summoning a Parliament. There were some, however, even amongst his supporters who advised him to do it. joined the Tories when the Whigs

Halifax, who had

were violent, was

now growing uncomfortable at the violence of his new friends. He urged the king to call Parliament.

No doubt the king would have had a majority on his side. The people were still angry with the Whigs. Charles, however, hesitated. The king of France, who knew that Charles would never make war against him, and that a Parliament might possibly do so, kept him well supplied with money. Before Charles could make up his mind what to do he was taken ill. He was soon known to be dying. Sancroft, the Archbishop of Canterbury, spoke plainly to him. 'It is time,' he said, ' to speak out; for, sir, you are about to appear before a Judge who is no respecter of persons.' The king took no notice. After a time the Duke of York came to his bedside The bishops and the courtiers were bidden to leave the room. A priest was fetched, and Charles, on his death-bed, acknowledged the authority of the Church of Rome. He lingered yet for some little time, and begged pardon of those around him. He had been, ne said, an unconscionable time in hoped they would excuse it.

dying, but he

CHAFTER XXXI.

THE REIGN OF JAMES II.

(1685-1688.)

1. James II. and Monmouth's Rebellion.-The new king began his reign in 1685 under favourable circumstances. He announced that he intended to support and defend the English Church, though he