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Council at Whitehall, and hear from the lips of Yelverton (then Solicitor General) vague accusations of speeches of high contempt uttered in the seat of justice, and uncomely and undutiful carriage in the presence of his Majesty, the Council, and the Judges.' It must likewise be remembered, that he had a powerful enemy in Sir Francis Bacon, who had recently been raised to the dignity of Chancellor, and now joyfully seized the opportunity of at once recriminating against his old antagonist, and showing his zeal in the cause of his royal master.

Coke, however, most ably exculpated himself from the several charges brought against him, in support of which no evidence whatever was tendered: but his removal having been resolved upon, he was brought a second time to the council-board, when Winwood (one of the Secretaries of State) announced the royal determination :

1. That he should be sequestered from the counciltable, until his Majesty's pleasure should be farther known;

2. That he should forbear to ride his summercircuit as Justice of the Assize; and

3. That during this vacation, while he had time to live privately and dispose himself at home, he should review his books of Reports; wherein, as his Majesty was informed, were many extravagant and exorbitant opinions, set down and published for positive and good law and having corrected what in his discretion he found meet in these Reports,* bring

* It does not appear, however, that he "found meet" to correct any part of them: but in respect to the other injunctions, he acknowledged them to proceed rather from his Majesty's

the same privately to himself, that he might consider thereof as in his princely judgement should be found expedient. Soon afterward, he was cited before the Chancellor (Ellesmere), who imperiously forbade him Westminster Hall, and also ordered him to answer several exceptions against his Reports. In November, of the same year, the King dismissed him from his office of Lord Chief Justice. Upon this occasion, Bacon was heavily censured; not only for having accelerated his fall, but also for having insulted him after it by reproaches unworthy the gentleman, the philosopher, and the scholar, in a remonstrance, softened by the title of An Admonitory Letter.' †

exceeding mercy than his justice;' with mean and abject servility thanking the Lords of the Privy Council, for their goodness toward him!'

* Among other things, James disliked the title of those books, wherein Coke stiled himself Lord Chief Justice of England; whereas he could challenge no more, as it was alleged, than Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench.'

+ The whole of this Letter, in which the pique of a rival is but too discernible, is printed in the Supplement to the Cabala." An extract has already been given above; and a second, as illustrative of Coke's character, though from the pen of an enemy, is here subjoined: "Your too much love of the world is too much seen, when having the living of 10,000l., you relieve few or none. The hand, that hath taken so much, can it give so little? Herein you show no bowels of compassion; as if you thought all too little for yourself, or that God had given you all that you have, only to that end you should still gather more, and never be satisfied, but try how much you could gather to account for all at the great and general audit-day. We desire you to amend this, and let your poor tenants in Norfolk find some comfort, where nothing of your estate is spent toward their relief, but all brought up hither to the impoverishing of your country." He then adds, that "in the case of Overbury he used too many delays, till the delinquent's hands were loose and his own bound; and that he was too open in his proceedings,

The pretexts for Coke's removal were so frivolous, that he suffered no disgrace from it in the eyes of the people; and if he had shown upon this occasion the noble fortitude, which the public had a right to expect from his talents and his integrity, he might have ranked in the list of suffering patriots, whose virtues could not be endured in the palaces of despotic princes. But unfortunately either from a love of power, or more probably with a view of triumphing once more over the Chancellor, whom he had foiled at their outset, he was persuaded to take a mean step in order to recover the royal favour.

While he was Chief Justice, he had not only refused to give his daughter Frances in marriage to Sir John Villiers, the brother of the Duke of Buckingham, but had even treated the proposal with contempt. He now, however, submissively implored the rejected suitor to honour him with this alliance, and through Secretary Winwood, who had pronounced his sentence of disgrace, solicited the favourite (with many humiliating apologies for his former conduct) to promote the match. It took place accordingly, but not without considerable difficulty: for the mother, resenting his attempt to dispose of her daughter without her consent, carried off the young lady, and lodged her

and so taught them how to defend themselves." "But that," continues he, "which we commend you for, are those excellent parts of nature and knowledge in the law, which you are endued withal. But these are only good in their good use. Wherefore, we thank you heartily for standing stoutly in the commonwealth's behalf; hoping it proceedeth not from a disposition to oppose greatness,' as your enemies say, but to do justice and deliver truth indifferently without respect of persons."

at the house of one of her relations.* Upon this, Sir Edward immediately applied, through Buckingham, for a warrant from the Privy Council to reclaim her but before he received an answer, discovering where she was, he went with his sons, and took her by force. The treaty now proceeded without obstruction; and, as a preliminary to it's conclusion, Sir Edward by Buckingham's interest was reseated at the council-table. Soon afterward, the marriage was solemnised with great pomp at Hampton Court. It proved, however, an unhappy connexion; Sir John Villiers neglecting his wife, and she indulging in return a criminal passion for Sir Robert Howard. Sir Edward, blinded by ambition, had offered to Buckingham, that he should make his own terms upon the occasion;' and these were 10,000l. in money at two payments, beside an annual rent-charge of 2000 marks during the father's life, and 9001. per ann. during that of Lady Hatton if she survived her husband, with the manor of Stoke in Buckinghamshire (valued at the latter sum) after both their deaths! By this settlement, Coke's income was inconveniently diminished, and the quarrel between him and his lady brought to an open rupture. Many letters (still extant) which passed between them about the time of their daughter's marriage, show not only their bitter animosity, but likewise that several persons of distinction made themselves parties in the quarrel; when at length, in July 1621, the King himself taking upon him to adjust their differences, a reconciliation was effected,

* Sir Edmund Withipole, near Oatlands,

Sir Edward could not, indeed, be re-instated in his office, as James had bestowed it upon Sir Henry Montagu; but he was employed in several affairs of importance and particularly in 1619 he was commissioned, with some others, to meet the deputies of the States General at a conference concerning the dispute existing between the Dutch and the English East-India Companies.

In 1621, his Majesty called a Parliament, of which Coke was chosen a member. He now distinguished himself by a noble exertion of his talents and influence, in support of the privileges of parliament against the usurped power of the Crown. Against many of the court-measures he declaimed with great warmth; observing, that the Papists were at the root of all the calamities of England, and that no royal proclamation could contravene the tenor of Acts of Parliament. The privileges of parliament, he asserted, were a part of the constitution, subsisting independently of the prerogative: they were, in fact, the rights of the subject; and no proclamation could be of any force against one of it's Acts.' He recommended, that the statute passed under Edward III. for holding a parliament every year, to give the people an opportunity of urging their grievances, should be enforced.' He, likewise, vindicated the right of freedom of speech in that assembly, and vigorously recommended a Committee to inquire into the state of the nation.

In consequence of this spirited behaviour, the Commons began to take the measures of government into consideration upon which the King, with his usual jealousy concerning his prerogative, issued a proclamation forbidding all persons to intermeddle

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