276 



Longleat Papers, No. 4. 



XXXII, — (1675, August 29th. 1 ) Anthony Ashley Cooper 

 Earl of Shaftesbury. Letter from R. Ingram to William 

 Erneley, about an Assault upon the Earl by Lord Digby. A 

 Shaftesbury Election Quarrel. 



" Dounton, Sunday morning 



" Deare Billy. 



"On Friday last I dyned with Mr. John Tregunnell* wheare I mett my 

 L d Digby, S r . Nathanyll Napper,f and severall other Countery Gent. After wee 

 had dyned, came y e Earle of Shasbury, his sonne y e L d Ashly with severall other 

 Gent, in his company. Nowe you must knowe this L d Digby stands for Knight 

 of the shire in y e place of one Coll. Stranguidge ; % and itt seemes my Lord of 

 Shasbury promised my L d Digby his interest for y e Election but att the same 

 tyme used his power for another person whome all y e Countery hates and he is 

 knowne to have been y e greatest villine livinge against y e King's intrest : I have 

 forgotten his name : When these Lords mett, my L d . Digby tooke my Lord 

 Shasbury by y e arme and drewe him aboute 20 paces from y e company : What 

 was said att y e tyme I knowe not, but my L d . Digby had almost throwne him 

 on y e grounde : but, gettinge loose my L d . Digby tould him that from his Cradle 

 he had alwayes practised Tretchery to his Kinge Countery and all men that he 

 ever had to doe withall : and that what he had lately done should cost him his 

 head : Tould the company that within fewe days he had said, " The Kinge of 

 England was nott fitt to governe," with severall other things he should prove 

 agaynst him. My L d Digby drewe on him, but M r Trygunnell seased his sword. 

 1 could write you a sheete on this purpose ; but I have writt the heads of y e 

 matter : soe I shall att this tyme saye no more of itt ; but pray neglect not a 

 minite soe soone as you have read my Letter, but to tell itt either to M r Thos. 

 Killigrewe of the Bed-chamber, or to some other of your acquayntance that will 

 imediately tell y e Kinge, for I fancy he will be pleased at y e passage : but you 

 must neglect noe tyme for Trygunnell and some others will write this post : and 

 I would willing have myne y e first : now I think on't, no one will be soe fitt as 

 Sir Joseph Williamson § : pray comunicate it to him, and write me by the first 

 what he sayes, give hime my most humble service. I am sorry for pooer Pettes. 

 I heare Jack Butler, Jack Howard, Kent & severall other of our friends are 

 killed, but Noll Mckolas your freinde is escaped. You are a whimsicall fellowe 

 to come heather for a night only. I dyned agayne this day with Mr Trygunnell, 



1 The date of this letter is not given, but it is ascertained from another letter 

 upon the same subject, written by Lord Shaftesbury himself to William Bennett, 

 Esq., 28th August, 1675, and lately printed in the Appendix (p. 103) to " The 

 Pyt House Papers." The actual scene of the assault was Fernditch Lodge, in 

 South Wilts, on Friday, 27th August, 1675. 



* John Tregonwell, Esq., of Anderston, near Wimborne Minster, Co, Dorset. 

 + Napier, of More Crichell. 

 t Giles Strangways, Esq. 

 i Secretary of State, 1674-78. 



