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"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 "friend, and fo friendlefs was the other after " he had dejected himself from what he was.”

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"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; - striving in fome things to be ra"ther admired than understood, yet fo quick and eafy where he would exprefs himself,

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"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 CHIFF 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, málignantly enough, this distich :

Inftau

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Inftaurare paras veterum documenta fophorum,
Inftaura leges juftitiamque priùs.

You with a vain and ardent zeal explore
The old philofopher's abftrufer lore.
Juftice and law your notice better claim,
Knowledge of them insure you fairer fame.

"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

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phyfic, nor his heart to cruelty, nor his hand "to corruption. In three things he much applauded his own fuccefs: in his fair fortune "with his wife, in his happy study of the law, "and in his free coming by all his preferment,

nec prece nec pretio; neither begging nor brib"ing for preferment. He conftantly had pray66 ers faid in his own houfe, and charitably re"lieved the poor with his conftant alms. The "foundation of Sutton's Hofpital (the Charter"House, when indeed but a foundation) had "been ruined before it was raifed, and crushed

by fome courtiers in the hatching thereof, "had not his great care preferved the fame."

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

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gown, and follow the caufe through West"minfter-hall."

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

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Lex eft tutiffima caffis.

The Law is the fureft helmet.

"This great Lawyer," fays Wilfon," was a

man of excellent parts, but not without his "frailties. For as he was a ftorehouse 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, fo his "paffions and pride were fo predominant, that, ર 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.

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"A breach," continues Wilfon, " happened "between the Lord Chief Juftice Coke and the "Lord Chancellor Ellesmere, which made a paf

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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 witnefs that knew and "fhould have related the truth was wrought

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upon to be abfent if any man would under

"take

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"take to excufe his non-appearance. A prag"matical fellow of the partie undertook it, went "with the witness 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 answers 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 σε incapability to come, deaded the matter fo, "that it loft the caufe. The plaintiffs that had

the injury bring the bufinefs about in Chancery. 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 Pramunire. 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 prece"dents there have been of late years, wherein "fuch as have complained in chancery were re"lieved according to equity and conscience after

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"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 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 thoufand pounds due to the "King from the late Lord Chancellor Hatton, "wherein he deceived the trust repofed in him.

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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 obscured, "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 first, but afterwards made an improper fubmiffion.

"The

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