Sir Thomas Trenchard of Wolverton, the most important person in the neighbourhood. Mr. Russell, who was a connection of the Trenchards, and was well versed in Spanish, having recently returned from foreign parts, was invited to meet the archduke, and acquitted himself so well that, on leaving Wolverton, Philip took him to court and recommended him warmly to the king. He was at once made a gentleman of the privy chamber to Henry VII., accompanied Henry VIII. on his expedition against France in 1513, and bore a distinguished part in the military operations of that war. He was afterwards made comptroller of the household, and a privy councillor, was made Lord Russell in 1529, obtained a large share of the spoils of the monasteries, passed through a rapid succession of honours, was made lord high admiral, a knight of the garter, and was eventually promoted to an earldom in 1550. He had the good fortune to weather safely all the storms of that tempestuous period, and died in 1555 at an advanced age.—His only son, Francis, was a nobleman in high employment during the reign of Elizabeth, and was so magnificent in his hospitalities that the queen used to say of him that he made all the beggars. Dying in 1585 he was succeeded by his grandson, Edward, a quiet nobleman, fond of retirement. But the historical eminence of the family was supported during his lifetime by his uncle, Sir William Russell, who acted a conspicuous part in the wars in Ireland and Flanders, and was created by James I. Lord Russell of Thornhaugh. The son of this warrior succeeded to the family titles and estates in 1627, as fourth earl of Bedford, and was one of the popular leaders at the commencement of the contest between Charles I. and his parliament. His untimely death in May, 1641, broke off a negotiation between the king and the patriots, which might, Clarendon thinks, have preserved the country from the horrors of civil war. His son and successor, Edward, fifth earl, took a leading part on the side of the parliament, and was intrusted with a high command under the earl of Essex. He grew weary of the war, however; and on the refusal of the commons in 1643 to come to an agreement with the king, he went over to the royal side, but was so coolly received that he soon quitted it, and ultimately retired into private life. This earl married, much against his father's will, Anne Carr, daughter of the infamous favourite Somerset—a match of pure affection, and which proved eminently happy. The old age of this virtuous couple was saddened, and they were almost heartbroken, by the execution of their son, the celebrated Lord William Russell, on a charge of high treason. The earl is said to have promised £100,000 to the king's mistress on condition that she should procure his son's pardon, but in vain. Charles and his brother were equally bent on the destruction of their formidable antagonist. After the Revolution the aged earl was loaded with honours by William and Mary. He was in 1694 created Duke of Bedford, one of the reasons assigned in the preamble of his patent being that he was the father of Lord William Russell, "whose name could never be forgot so long as men preserved any esteem for sanctity of manners, greatness of mind, and a love of their country constant even unto death." Therefore, continues the patent, with sentiment unusual in such documents, "to solace his excellent father for so great a loss, to celebrate the memory of so noble a son, and to excite his worthy grandson, the heir of such mighty hopes, more cheerfully to emulate and follow the example of his illustrious father, this high dignity is entailed upon the earl and his posterity." The duke of Bedford died, 7th September, 1700, in the eighty-seventh year of his age, and in the sixtieth year of his enjoyment of the family honours.—His nephew, Edward Russell, was deep in the councils of the small party of whig leaders who invited the prince of Orange to make a descent upon England. He repaired to the Hague, and strongly advised William to come over at once at the head of a powerful body of troops, and he accompanied the prince on the memorable expedition of 1688. He was rewarded for his important services with the lucrative place of treasurer of the navy, a pension of £3000 a year, and large grants of crown property, and was made admiral of the blue. In 1690 he was appointed one of the council of nine, by whose advice the queen was to be guided during the absence of William in Ireland. After the unfortunate naval battle of Beachy Head he was appointed to the command of the united naval forces of England and Holland, with the rank of admiral of the fleet. But though all these places and honours were heaped upon him, he was still dissatisfied, and complained that he and his party were neglected by the king; and partly from jealousy and greed, partly from his fractious, irritable, and imperious temper, like many others of William's councillors, he entered into a treasonable correspondence with the exiled monarch, and promised if possible to bring over the fleet to his cause. But his treason was totally unsuspected at the time; and though he was neither an honest man nor a patriot, professional and party spirit were strong in him, and the threat of a French invasion in 1692 produced a sudden and entire change in his feelings. He gave battle to the French fleet off the Hague on 19th May, and gained a signal victory. The result of the conflict, which raged during four days over a wide extent of sea and shore, was the complete destruction of sixteen French men-of-war, and the deliverance of the country from all fears of foreign invasion. He refused, however, to follow up his victory by attacking the French coast, and by his arrogant, rude, and passionate conduct, grievously annoyed the king and forfeited his favour. He was charged, and not altogether without reason, with mismanagement in the conduct of the fleet, and was obliged to exchange his naval command in 1693 for a lucrative place in the household. But a few months later he was named first lord of the admiralty, and appointed to the command of the Channel fleet. During the two years he commanded in the Mediterranean he rendered important service to the allies in the war with France, spread terror along the shores of that country, took many of the enemy's vessels, and fully established the maritime superiority of England. His popularity was in consequence immense. On his return home in 1695 he was elected member for Portsmouth, Cambridgeshire, and Middlesex, without opposition, and in 1697 was created Earl of Orford and Viscount Barfleur. He died in 1727 without issue, and his titles became extinct. Lord Orford was a man of undaunted courage, and was possessed of considerable talents both for war and for administration; but Lord Macaulay pronounces him "emphatically a bad man, insolent, malignant, greedy, and faithless." There is nothing worthy of notice in the character or life of the second or third dukes of Bedford; but John, fourth duke, who succeeded to the family honours and estates in 1732, was a nobleman of considerable political eminence. He was a hot-headed though honest and honourable man, but was too much swayed by ill-chosen friends—the Bloomsbury gang, as they were termed—pleasant boon companions, dexterous intriguers, and inveterate jobbers, who employed his great influence to promote their own selfish ends. "He had many good qualities of head and heart," says Lord Macaulay, "and would have been certainly a respectable and possibly a distinguished man, if he had been less under the influence of his friends or more fortunate in choosing them." The duke was appointed secretary of state in 1748, and lord lieutenant of Ireland in 1758. Four years later he was appointed ambassador to France for the purpose of negotiating the treaty of peace which brought such odium on Lord Bute, and exposed the duke to the fierce attacks of Junius. In 1763 he was appointed president of the council in George Grenville's administration, and cordially assisted that minister in browbeating the king. He quitted office with his colleagues when the Rockingham ministry was formed in 1765. He was subsequently invited to join the administration both of Lord Chatham, and of the duke of Grafton, but declined, and died in 1771.—J. T.
RUSSELL, Alexander, M.D., a physician of some eminence, was born and educated at Edinburgh. He, however, obtained his degree from the university of Glasgow. He subsequently went to the East, and settled at Aleppo, where for some years he was physician to the English factory. On arriving in Turkey he had set himself with determination to master the language; and having accomplished this, he rapidly made an extensive practice, being sought alike by Mahometans, Jews, and Christians. He stood high in the favour of the pasha of Aleppo, and exercised his influence in favour of the English factory. In February, 1755, he returned to England, and published a work on "The Natural History of Aleppo," which at once gave him a position in scientific circles. This work is said to have been undertaken at the instigation of Dr. Fothergill. He now settled in London, became a licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians in 1760, and in the same year obtained a physicianship to St. Thomas' hospital. He held this post until the time of his death—"an example of diligence and humanity to the sick, of great medical abilities as a physician, and as a gentleman irreproachable." He died of a putrid fever on 28th November, 1770. In his last illness he was attended by
