Page:The house of Cecil.djvu/265

 THE SALISBURY LINE 229

Even the candlesticks had been taken away, and the Duke's servants were obliged to borrow some in the town, and to buy candles and all else that was necessary. Some of the neighbouring gentry came to the rescue and entertained members of the suite, but the Duke and Duchess had to put up with the greatest discomfort. By way of showing his contempt for such behaviour, the Duke gave orders that all that was consumed of what was in the house should be paid for, and the depth of degradation was reached when Salis- bury's steward accepted payment for the pile of faggots, and eight shillings for the barrel of beer. 1 In January, 1681, when the King dissolved Parliament, as a result of the action of the Commons after the Exclusion Bill had been thrown out by the Lords, Salisbury, at a meeting of the Privy Council, spoke strongly against the dissolution, and, " not prevailing, desired his Majesty's leave to be excused his attendance in Council, which his Majesty granted accord- ingly." 2 After this act of independence we hear no more of his public life. In August, 1682, he went to France with his wife, who had been ordered to " take the waters " for the recovery of her health ; but " at Paris she was taken ill and died, to the great grief of his lordship." The Earl survived her a few months only, and died in May, 1683, aged thirty-five.

1 Letters of Algernon Sidney to Henry Savile, 1742, pp. 155, 156. 8 Luttrell's Diary, I. 64.
 * Ibid., I. 211, 215.

�� �