hindered it, by telling him plainly, "that if he "proceeded, he would put on his cap and

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gown, and follow the cause through Weft"minster-hall."

He took for the motto to his rings, when he was made Serjeant :

Lex eft tutiffima caffis..

The Law is the furest helmet.

"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 prefent times, ❝ and laid fuch a foundation for the future, that pofterity may for ever build upon, so his "paffions and pride were fo predominant, that, • boyling over, he loft by them much of his own "fullness, which extinguished not only the valu❝ation, but the refpect due to his merit.

"A breach," continues Wilfon, " happened "between the Lord Chief Justice Coke and the "Lord Chancellor Ellesmere, 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 business. The witness that knew and fhould have related the truth was wrought

upon to be absent if any man would under❝ take

A prag

"take to excufe his non-appearance. "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 cause: the "undertaker anfwers upon oath, that he left "the witnefs 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 fo, "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) refuse 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 Juftice Coke joyns "with them in the difference, threatening the "Lord Chancellor with a Præmunire. The "Chancellor makes the King acquainted with "the business, who fends to Sir Francis Bacon "his Attorney-General, Sir Henry Montague, "&c. commanding them to fearch what prece"dents there have been of late years, wherein "fuch as have complained in chancery were re"lieved according to equity and confcience after

66 port favourable to the interference of the "Court of Chancery in fuch cases. 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 dose, 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 thoufand pounds due to the

King from the late Lord Chancellor Hatton, "wherein he deceived the truft repofed in him.

"Secondly, That he uttered words of very "high contempt as he fat on the feat of Justice, 66 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 case of " Commendams*.

*In that bufinefs Lord Coke behaved very nobly and fpiritedly at firft, but afterwards made an improper fubmiffion.

<< The

"The last he confeffed, and humbly craved "his Majesty's pardon. The other two he pal"liated with fome colourable excufes, which

"

were not fo well fet off but they left such a " tincture behind them, that he was commanded to retire to private life. And to expiate the King's anger, he was enjoined in that leisurely "retirement to review his Books of Reports, " which the King was informed had many ex"travagant opinions publifhed for practice and СС good law, which must be corrected, and "brought to his Majefty to be perused. And "at his departure from the Council-table, the "Lord Treasurer, the Earl of Salisbury, gave "him a wipe, for fuffering his coachman to ride "bare-headed before him in the streets; which "fault he ftrove to cover, by telling his Lordfhip that his coachman did it for his own "ease."

To the kindness of a learned and ingenious. Gentleman, who has had the fingular merit of allying Philology to Philofophy, and of giving the certitude of science to Etymology itself, Mr. HORNE TOOKE*, the Compiler is obliged for

*The learned and elegant Mr. Webb fays of The Diverfions of Purley, "It is a moft valuable book, and the more "fo, as it promifes what is much wanted, a new theory of language. I, bone, quò ingenium tuum te vocat.”

"

VOL. I.

"Differtation on the Chinefe Language.”

the

the following curious Letter of Sir Edward Coke to the University of Cambridge, when that learned Body was empowered by James the First to fend Reprefentatives to Parliament. The Letter is copied from the Archives of the University.

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"Having found by experience in former Parliaments (and especially when I was Speaker) "how neceffary it was for our University to have "Burgeffes of Parliament: firft, for that the "Colledges and Houfes of Learning being "founded partly by the King's progenitors, and "partly by the Nobles and other godly and de"yout men, have local ftatutes and ordynances "prescribed to them by their founders, as well "for the difpofing and preferving of their pof"feffions, as for the good government and virદ tuous education of Students and Schollers "within the fame: fecondly, for that to the "dewe obfervation of thofe ftatutes and ordy "nances they are bounden by oath and lastly,

42

for that yt is not poffible for any one generall "lawe to fitt every particular Colledge, efpecially "when their private ftatutes and ordynances be "not knowne: And finding, especially nowe of

late time, that many Bills are preferred in "Parliament, and fome have paffed, which con"cern our University; I thought good, out of "the great duety and fervice I owe to our Uni"verfity, (being one of the famous eyes of the "Common

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