so, carry an election
by a choice of polling called knocking down. The handle resembled a
farrier's blood stick, and the fall was joined to the end by a strong
nervous ligature, that in its swing fell just short of the hand, and was
made of LIGNUM VITAE, or rather, as the poet termed it, MORTIS."

One day, whilst the town was in this state of consternation, Tonge sent
for Dr. Burnet, who hastened to visit him in the apartments allotted him
and Oates at Whitehall. The historian says he found Tonge "so lifted up
that he seemed to have lost the little sense he had. Oates came in," he
continues, "and made me a compliment that I was one that was marked out
to be killed. He had before said the same to Stillingfleet of him. But
he had made that honour which he did us too cheap, when he said Tonge
was to be served in the same manner, because he had translated 'The
Jesuits' Morals' into English. He broke out into great fury against the
Jesuits, and said he would have their blood. But I, to divert him from
that strain, asked him what were the arguments that prevailed on him to
change his religion and to go over to the Church of Rome? He upon that
stood up, and laid his hands on his breast, and said, 'God and His holy
angels knew that he had never changed, but that he had gone among them
on purpose to betray them.' This gave me such a character of him, that I
could have no regard to anything he said or swore after that."

The agitation now besetting the public mind had been adroitly fanned
into flame by the evil genius of Lord Shaftesbury. Eachard states that
if he was not the original contriver of this disturbance, "he was at
least the grand refiner and improver of all the materials. And so much
he seemed to acknowledge to a nobleman of his acquaintance, when he
said, 'I will not say who started the game, but I am sure I had the full
hunting of it.'" In the general consternation which spread over the land
he beheld a means that might help the fulfilment of his strong desires.
Chief among these were the exclusion of the Duke of York from the
throne, and the realization of his own inordinate ambition. A deist in
belief, he abhorred catholicism; a worshipper of self, he longed for
power. He had boasted Cromwell had wanted to crown him king, and he
narrated to Burnet that a Dutch astrologer had predicted he would yet
fill a lofty position. He had long schemed and dreamed, and now it
seemed the result of the one and fulfilment of the