Page:Biographical catalogue of the portraits at Weston, the seat of the Earl of Bradford (IA gri 33125003402027).pdf/69

 episode of the beautiful secretary, the faithful servant, the devoted wife and widow of William, Lord Russell. The jury were not long in returning the verdict of Guilty,—'an act,' says Rapin, 'of the most crying injustice that ever was perpetrated in England.'

To the cruel and hideous sentence for the execution of 'a traitor,' which was read aloud in English (instead of Latin) by his own desire, the prisoner listened with that decency and composure, 'which,' Burnet tells us, 'characterised his whole behaviour during the trial; even as if the issue were a matter of indifference to him.' The result of the proceedings produced an intense excitement. The most strenuous efforts were made in all quarters to save Lord Russell's life both at home and abroad. It was intimated to the King that M. de Ruvigny, a kinsman of Lady Russell's in favour at the Court of France, was coming over with a special message from Louis the Fourteenth to intercede for the prisoner; but Charles was said to have answered with cruel levity that he should be 'happy to receive M. de Ruvigny, but that Lord Russell's head would be off before he arrived.' Many men of position and influence waited on the King in person, and argued with him on the bad effect the execution would produce in many quarters. The Duchess of Portsmouth had a large sum of money offered to secure her interference, but all in vain. Then Lord Russell's 'noble consort' cast herself at the King's feet, and adjured him, by the memory of her father, the loyal and gallant Southampton, to let his services atone for 'the errors into which honest but mistaken principles had seduced her husband.' This was the last instance of female weakness, if it deserve the name, into which Rachel Russell was betrayed. But Charles was inexorable. He whose weak heart was too easily swayed by beauty, too frequently overcome by emotion of a baser kind, remained impervious to