264

HISTORY OF ENGLAND,

CHAP.

II.

Detec-tion oftlic Whijconspira-cies.

Severityof thegovern-ment.

the details of the butchery were frequently discussed, if notdefinitively arranged. This scheme was known but to few,and was concealed with especial care from the upright andhumane Russell, and from Monmouth, who, though not aman of delicate conscience, would have recoiled with horrorfrom the guilt of parricide. Thus there were two plots, onewithin the other. The object of the great Whig plot was toraise the nation in arms against the government. The lesserplot, commonly called the Rye House Plot, in which only afew desperate men were concerned, had for its object theassassination of the King and of the heir presumptive.

Both plots were soon discovered. Cowardly traitorshastened to save themselves, by divulging all, and more thanall, that had passed in the deliberations of the party. Thatonly a small minority of those who meditated resistance hadadmitted into their minds the thought of assassination is fullyestablished: but, as the two conspiracies ran into each other,it was not difficult for the government to confound them to-gether. The just indignation excited by the Rye House Plotwas extended for a time to the whole Whig body. The Kingwas now at liberty to exact full vengeance for years ofrestraint and humiliation. Shaftesbury, indeed, had escapedthe fate which his manifold perfidy had well deserved.He had seen that the ruin of his party was at hand, had in vainendeavoured to make his peace with the royal brothers, hadfled to Holland, and had died there, under the generousprotection of a government which he had cruelly wronged.Monmouth threw himself at his father’s feet and found mercy,but soon gave new offence, and thought it prudent to go intovoluntary exile. Essex perished by his own hand in theTower. Russell, who appears to have been guilty of nooffence falling within the definition of high treason, and Sid-ney, of whose guilt no legal evidence could be produced, werebeheaded in defiance of law and justice. Russell died with