RUSHWORTH (John), famous for his Historical
Collections, was descended of a good family in North-
umberland, and born about 1607. For some time he
studied at Oxford, and afterwards became a barrister
of Lincoln's Inn. But his genius leading him more
to state affairs than the common law, he began early
to take down speeches, &c. in parliament. He per-
sonally attended at all occurrences of moment, during
the 11 years interval of parliament; he also went to
observe distant transactions through the whole king-
dom. Upon the opening of the long parliament in
1640, he was chosen assistant to Mr Henry Elsyng,
clerk of the house of commons, who sent by him their
addresses to the king when at York. In 1643 he took
the covenant, and was appointed secretary to Sir Tho-
mas Fairfax, general of the parliament's forces. In
1651 he was named one of the committee to consult
about the reformation of the common law. In 1658
he was chosen a burgess for the town of Berwick upon
Tweed; which place he represented in several parlia-
ments afterwards, until that which met at Oxford in
1679. In 1667 he was appointed secretary to Sir Or-
lando Bridgman, lord keeper of the great seal of Eng-
land. At length he was committed prisoner for debt
to the king's-bench in Southwark, where he spent the
six last years of his life, and died in 1690. His Hi-
torical Collections of private passages in State, weighty
matters in Law, and remarkable proceedings in Par-
liament, were published at different times in folio; and
comprehend from the year 1618 to the year 1648.
All the seven volumes were reprinted together in 1721,
with the trial of the earl of Strafford, which makes the
whole eight volumes. This work has been highly ex-
toll'd by those who were averse to the cause of Cha. I.
and condemned as partial by all who favoured him and
his measures: but it does not appear, nor is it pretend-
ed, that Mr Rushworth has misrepresented facts or
speeches.