Outrages

Outrages is Chapter XIV of my biography of Thomas Wharton, 5th Baron, 1st Earl, and 1st Marquess of Wharton (Tom Wharton to his friends, his present biographer, and the English political world of the Revolution period). The story covers the events between November 1681 and February 1683-between the trial of the Earl of Shaftesbury and the Rye House Plot. It covers the most forgettable episode in Wharton's personal life-one that may be charitably described as disgraceful; and it deals with the tortured, serio-comic romance between Wharton's wife Anne and his brother Goodwin. Politically, the story traces some of the stages in the decline of the Whig party before the disasters of 1683.

I am sure that the scandalous episodes will be understandable to any literate adult; and I hope the political episodes will be understandable as well. In any event, they include some crucial developments in English history. For the benefit of specialists I have printed my lists of abbreviations and short titles; the lists pertain to the whole book, not merely to this chapter.