"after fome grumbling, the butler had order to deny him. So fordid was the one that ad"vanced himself to be called Sir Philip Sidney's 26 friend, and fo friendless was the other after " he had dejected himself from what he was." Lord Bacon," adds Wilfon," was of a middling ftature: his countenance had in." "dented with age before he was old; his pre❝fence grave and comely; of a high-flying and "lively wit; ftriving in fome things to be ra-" "ther admired than underftood, yet fo quick and eafy where he would exprefs himfelf, "and his memory fo ftrong and active, that he appeared the mafter of a large and plenteous "ftorehouse of knowledge, being (as it were) "Nature's midwife, ftripping her callow brood, "and cloathing them in new attire." SIR EDWARD COKE, LORD CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE COURT OF KING'S BENCH, on receiving from Lord Bacon, (who was not fuppofed to be a very profound lawyer,) as a prefent, his celebrated Treatife" De Inftaura"tione Scientiarum," wrote on a blank leaf, maLignantly enough, this diftich: 4, Inflau hiftaurare paras veterum documenta fophorum, You with a vain and ardent zeal explore "Five forts of perfons," fays Fuller, "this great man used to foredefign to mifery and poverty: chymifts, monopolizers, concealers, promoters, and rythming poets. For three ' things he faid he would give God folemn “thanks :----that he never gave his body to ઃઃ દ ઠંડ phyfic, nor his heart to cruelty, nor his hand to corruption. In three things he much ap"plauded his own fuccefs: in his fair fortune "with his wife, in his happy ftudy of the law, 66 and in his free coming by all his preferment, nec prece nec pretio; neither begging nor bribing for preferment. He conftantly had prayers faid in his own houfe, and charitably re"lieved the poor with his conftant alms. The "foundation of Sutton's Hofpital (the Charter"Houfe, when indeed but a foundation) had "been ruined before it was raised, and crushed by fome courtiers in the hatching thereof, had not his great care preferved the fame." 66 When Sir Edward had loft all his public employments, and fome Peer was inclined to queftion the rights of the Cathedral of Norwich, he hindered hindered it, by telling him plainly, "that if he "proceeded, he would put on his cap and c gown, and follow the caufe through Westminfter-hall." He took for the motto to his rings, when he was made Serjeant: "This great Lawyer," fays Wilfon," was a "man of excellent parts, but not without his "frailties. For as he was a storehouse and maga "zine of the common law for the present times, "and laid fuch a foundation for the future, that "pofterity may for ever build upon, fo his "paffions and pride were fo predominant, that, "boyling over, he lost by them much of his own "fullness, which extinguished not only the valu. ❝ation, but the respect due to his merit. "A breach," continues Wilfon, " happened "between the Lord Chief Justice Coke and the "Lord Chancellor Ellefmere, which made a paf"fage to both their declines. Sir Edward Coke "had heard and determined a caufe at common law, and fome report that there was juggling "in the bufinefs. The witness that knew and "should have related the truth was wrought "take to excufe his non-appearance. A prag-" matical fellow of the partie undertook it, went "with the witnefs to a tavern, called for a gal lon pot full of fack, bid him drink, and "fo leaving him, went into the Court. This "witness is called for the prop of the caufe: the "undertaker anfwers upon oath, that he left "the witness in fuch a condition, that if he "continues only but a quarter of an hour, he is a dead man. This evidencing the man's "incapability to come, deaded the matter so, "that it loft the caufe. The plaintiffs that had "the injury bring the bufinefs about in Chan"cery. The defendants (having had judgment at common law) refufe to obey the orders of "the Court; whereupon the Lord Chancellor, for contempt of the Court, commits them to "prifon. They petition against him in the Star chamber; the Lord Chief Justice Coke joyns "with them in the difference, threatening the "Lord Chancellor with a Præmunire. The "Chancellor makes the King acquainted with "the bufinefs, who fends to Sir Francis Bacon "his Attorney-General, Sir Henry Montague, &c., commanding them to fearch what precedents there have been of late years, wherein fuch as have complained in chancery were relieved according to equity and confcience after judgment at common law. They made a re❝ port 5 હે 66 port favourable to the interference of the "Court of Chancery in fuch cafes. This," adds Wilfon," fatisfied the King, juftified the "Lord Chancellor, and the Chief Juftice re❝ceived the foil, which was a bitter potion to "his fpirit, but not ftrong enough to work as "his enemies defired. Therefore, to trouble "him the more, he is brought on his knees at "the Council-table, and three other ingredients "added to the dofe, of a more active operation. "First, He is charged, that when he was the King's Attorney-General, he concealed a fta"tute of twelve thousand pounds due to the "King from the late Lord Chancellor Hatton, "wherein he deceived the truft reposed in him. ઃઃ "Secondly, That he uttered words of very "high contempt as he fat on the feat of Juftice, faying, The Common Law of England would "be overthrown, and the light of it obfcured, "reflecting upon the King. "And thirdly, His uncivil and indifcreet carriage before his Majefty, being affifted by "his Privy Council and Judges, in the cafe of " Commendams*. In that bufinefs Lord Coke behaved very nobly and spiritedly at first, but afterwards made an improper fubmiffion. "The |