A Defence of the Late Lord Russel's Innocency, By Way of An Answer.

The Legality of Lord Russell's Trial [Trial]. [Rye House Plot]. Atkyns, Sir Robert [1621-1709]. A Defence of the Late Lord Russel's Innocency, By Way of An Answer or Confutation of a Libellous Pamphlet, Intituled, An Antidote Against Poyson; With Two Letters of the Author of This Book, Upon the Subject of His Lordship's Tryal. Together with an Argument in the Great Case Concerning Elections of Members to Parliament, Between Sr Samuel Barnardiston Bar. Plaintiff, And Sr Will. Soames Sheriff of Suffolk, Defend' in the Court of King's-Bench, In an Action Upon the Case, And Afterwards by Error Sued in the Exchequer-Chamber. London: Printed for Timothy Goodwin, 1689. [iii], 51 pp. Title page preceded by advertisement leaf. Argument in the Great Case preceded by divisional title page. Folio (12" x 7"). Disbound, text secure. Some edgewear and soiling to first and final leaves, worming through upper margins of most leaves with no loss to text. Toning, small faint stains to a few leaves, internally clean. $250. * First edition. This is a reply to a pamphlet by Sir Bartholomew Shower that defended the legal position of the Russell trial. Atkyns was Russell's legal advisor. Russell [1639-1683] was implicated in and ultimately executed due to his supposed involvement in the Rye House Plot, a plan to assassinate King Charles II and his brother (and heir to the throne) James, Duke of York devised by a group of Whigs. Some historians believe this plot was largely fabricated by Charles II as a way to destroy the Whigs, most notably Russell and Algernon Sydney [1623-1683], who were convicted and executed on the basis of flimsy evidence. English Short-Title Catalogue R4958. …