The Rev. NICHOLAS SAMBROOK RUSSELL* born at Basingstoke in 1732, was educated at Winchester school; and was thence admitted of Queen's College, Oxford; where he took the degree of B. A. in 1753; and M. A. in 1757. His first ecclesiastical duties were performed in the neighbourhood of his native town, where he continued about seven years; when, having been appointed Domestic Chaplain to the Princess Amelia, daughter of King George the Second, he removed to the Metropolis, and for nearly twenty years was a frequent and energetic preacher at the church of St. Mary le Bone, and at some of the Chapels in that neighbourhood. In 1770 he was presented to the Rectory of Bruntingthorpe in Leicestershire; and in 1777 to that of Sadington in the same County, a Crown living; after which, he regularly and conscientiously resided at Bruntingthorpe; and was much esteemed by his parishioners. His distinguished abilities deservedly gained him * He was brother to Francis Russell, esq. F. R. S. and F. S. A. for many years a distinguished Officer of the Dutchy of Lancaster, and Extra-secretary of the Board of Controul for the Affairs of India. This gentleman was much employed by Mr. Pitt, who highly valued his industry, integrity, and talents. He married Anne, third daughter of the late opulent and respectable Samuel Kirshaw †, D. D. Vicar of Leeds, and Rector of Ripley, in Yorkshire; by whom he had no issue. About the year 1785 he printed a Collection of all the Statutes concerning the English East India Company, a book very useful to gentlemen concerned in the affairs of that Company, in one volume, quarto, with a large index; and in 1793 he published A short History of the East India Company.' It made a small volume in quarto, and was very favourably received by the publick. — He died Sept. 1, 1795, in Park-street, Westminster, after a long and severe illness, which he bore with true Christian fortitude and resignation. -This brief account (copied from Gent. Mag. vol. LXV. p. 794), was written by the Rector of Sadington; whose own death was in a few weeks after recorded in the same volume, p. 1056. + Of whom see hereafter, pp. 751, 757. a high reputation amongst those who had the happiness of his acquaintance, as an excellent and polite scholar. His conversation was lively and agreeable; and, when any particular subject required elucidation, his mode of arguing was perspicuous: and his language, though uttered with rapidity, was accurate and nervous. To a warm benevolence, and an undisguised and open heart, he united a vivacity of temper, which was perhaps encouraged by a life of celibacy, and might have been softened by the mild influence of conjugal society. It was for some years the amusement of his leisure-hours to superintend a small farm, where he practically studied the principles of vegetation, and the various properties of soils. The intelligence he acquired, he freely communicated to others; and thereby gave encouragement and assistance to the great improvements that have, within a short period, been made in the system of agriculture. Nihil est agriculturâ melius; nihil uberius; nihil dulcius; nihil homine libero dignius *.* In the History of Leicestershire, a work so extensive in its nature, and of such laborious investigation, much assistance was in course required, and much was obtained. The able and liberal assistance of Mr. Russell was acknowledged in the Preface to that Work. To him I owed the History of the *Cic. de Offic. 1.i. 42. "Another Friend has expressed an unwillingness that his name should be mentioned. He had employed a large portion of an active life in a study very little understood, the early Constitution of this Kingdom; but, being accidentally drawn from the Metropolis, about ten years ago, to the tranquillity of a Rectory in the County of Leicester, his intention on the subject had remained suspended till I announced my intention of publishing this History of the County; when, with the utmost frankness and alacrity, he extracted for me the quintessence of his labours; which I shall have the pleasure of laying before the publick as Memoirs of the Earls of Leicester. The Rev. Sambrook Nicholas Russell will be easily discovered by every Antiquary; and I cannot deny myself the satisfaction I feel in expressing my obligations to him." Preface to the History of Leicestershire, 1795. Feudal Feudal Earls of Leicester; which his many literary accomplishments, his knowledge of the manners and customs of Antiquity, his exactness of judgement, his classical learning, and his patient industry, peculiarly qualified him to write. How excellently Mr. Russell's important part of that undertaking was performed, those who are the most intimately acquainted with the English Constitution will be the best able to judge. His whole life, indeed, was chiefly spent in the acquisition of general knowledge, and in the pursuit of the studies more immediately belonging to his profession. The following lines were in his own hand-writing: 66 'My Epitaph on a marble slab, in the chancel "Siste paulisper, Viator, Ecce ad pedes tuos jacet, Heu! sordido pulvere obrutus et commixtus; Si cultum quæras; in pueritiâ, in Academiâ Oxoniensi inter Reginenses, humanis et sacris literis feliciter imbutus. Primò propè BASINGSTOKIAM ubi natus fuit, septem circiter annis; in parochiâ Sanctæ Mariæ le le Bone, quinque fermè lustris ; ut esset integer vitæ scelerisque purus, His executor, the Rev. James Powell, Vicar of Bitteswell, attentively complied with what appears to have been his evident intention; and it is hoped that the memory of a worthy man will be sufficiently protected from any suspicion of vanity, in writing his own Epitaph, by the frequency of the practice, the known truth of the facts recorded in the inscription, and especially by the modesty, as well as the elegance, of its conclusion. On a slab on the floor the date of his death is thus recorded: "H. S. E. SAMBROOK NICHOLAS RUSSELL *, M. A. hujusce Ecclesiæ Rector. Obiit XXIX die Novembris, anno Domini MDCCXCV, Mr. Russell's Library was sold by auction, by Messrs. Leigh and Sotheby, in January 1798; when I had the satisfaction of purchasing an interleaved copy of Domesday Book, enriched by Mr. Russell with many learned notes; and, what is still more valuable, a copy of Spelman's Glossary, enlarged to nearly double the original size by the profound researches of a long life, in a great degree devoted to that particular branch of legal and archæological research. Extracts Extracts from the Correspondence of Mr. RUSSELL. To the Rev. AULAY MACAULAY, Claybrook. "DEAR SIR, Bruntingthorpe, Feb. 4, 1791. "I have returned the Index Locorum' of the Leicestershire Domesday, with some alterations; and beg the favour of you to transmit it to Mr. Nichols as soon as you can. It might save Mr. Nichols some trouble, could I be thought qualified to arrange the two articles of Sadington and Bruntingthorpe. If he can trust to me the execution of this small part, I beg of him to send me all his notes upon those places, which I will endeavour to methodise with the additions mentioned in his queries, and any thing else that I judge useful, and is within its knowledge. Likewise I should like to see what materials he has concerning the Town and Anglo-Norman Earls of Leicester. Perhaps upon both those subjects I might be able to propose some additions, and some alterations. I have some copies of records concerning the Earls and Earldom of Leicester, which Mr. Nichols should be welcome to, if he should judge them to be for his purpose; and in the Duchy of Lancaster are numerous records concerning Earls of Leicester, their lands, Knights' fees, Inquisitions post mortem, &c. "One thing more I wish to be informed of. What time can be allowed for digesting any parts which his friends are intrusted with? Is the press already at work, and languishing for more matter? I could wish very much to see you. Cum hirundine prima, I hope we shall meet and chatter. My friend Mr. Kirshaw died, at his lodgings in London, on the 27th of last month. In the beginning of December he went to London for medical advice. On Sunday se'nnight he dined at my Brother's, and was jocular, and thought himself convalescent. On Tuesday afternoon he was seized with a shivering, and expired at six o'clock. Dying without will, his estate of 700l. a year comes to his sisters and mother. "Have you read Burke, and some of the answers thereto ? — Above all, have you read Courtnay? Suppose you were to send for some of these for the perusal of the Society;—at least, will you take the trouble of ordering the new Translation of the Proverbs, the Preacher, and, I think, Job? I forget the Author's name. But you must have seen the advertisements. "I am, dear Sir, your sincere friend, SAMBROOK RUSSELL." Bruntingthorpe, Feb. 19, 1791. Being called to attend the tax-meeting yesterday, I was not able to peruse the proof-sheets till last night. To stop the press, is a serious affair. But, I must say, I think much alteration for the better, both as to matter and form, may be made in these "DEAR SIR, two |