that so great a riot now in the King's absence, and by a person of that quality, was fit severely to be punished; the rather for that he called no constable or other officer unto him, as he confessed, but took upon him, being the party grieved, to be vindex doloris proprii, contrary to all government; and for that the King's Attorney being present maintained the law to be to the contrary, so as there was no fit means to admit him to his justification but by a legal prosecution; order was given by the Board that the Attorney General should prefer an information into the Court of Star Chamber against Sir Edward Coke for the force and riot used by him upon the house of Sir Edmond Withipole, to be in that court heard and sentenced as justice shall appertain."

This order was given on Tuesday afternoon the 15th of July, and it was the practical conclusion of the Council for the present upon the allegations in Lady Hatton's petition. But this course would take time, and how was the young lady to be disposed of in the interval?

To prevent all new occasion of tumult or breach of peace, it was thought fit that their daughter should be disposed into some convenient place agreeable to her worth and quality until further order were taken. For which purpose choice was made, by consent of Sir Edward Coke and his lady, of the house of the Lord Knivett near Staines; and in the mean time, until the Lord Knivett should return his answer, she was disposed to the house of his Majesty's Attorney General. And we likewise enjoined Sir Edward Coke and his lady in the behalf of her friends to forbear all occasion of violence or disturbance whatsoever, as well touching the person of their daughter as any other matter or point concerning that business."

This was the end of that day's work: which I have been the more particular in relating, because it was all done, if not under Bacon's direction, at any rate with his full concurrence and approbation,— as avowed by himself afterwards when to have concurred in it was a matter of impatient reproach with the King and of deep offence with Buckingham. At the time, no doubt, he thought he was doing acceptable service. But before the act of Council recording it could be made ready for despatch, a change had come over the aspect of the case. For the King, with whom there had not been time to communicate on the particular question while it was under deliberation, and whose wishes concerning the match appear to have been known only to Winwood, could see nothing wrong in what Coke had done. In his eyes "the thefteous stealing away of the daughter from her own father" was the great offence; and what followed was but "redress of the former violence." This being so, the prosecu

1 See the King's letter to Bacon, printed a little further on.

tion in the Star Chamber could not proceed; the interference of the Council in the second removal of the daughter from her father was by implication censured; and whoever wished to please the King knew that he must take part with those who favoured the match.

How it happened that the King's wishes were known to Winwood and not to Bacon, is not explained. It could not have been an object either with the King or with Buckingham to let the most important member of the Council continue in the belief that he was serving them as they would wish, when he was really crossing their ends. It must surely have been Winwood himself who, having the secret (which he may easily have got from Lake, with whom he was in continual and confidential correspondence), kept it to himself for purposes of his own. That he had for some time had the means of enlightening his fellow councillors, appears from the circumstances under which the revelation was ultimately made. We do not know the exact date: but it must have been between the 15th and the 19th of July that the following scene, as reported by Chamberlain2 (who may have had it from Winwood himself), took place.

After mentioning the order to prefer a bill against Coke in the Star Chamber (which was made on the 15th of July) he goes on to say

"He and his friends complain of hard measure from some of the greatest at that board, and that he was too much trampled upon with ill language. And our friend [i.e. Winwood] passed not scot free for the warrant; which the greatest [ Jer3 there said was subject to a præmunire; and withal told the Lady Compton that they wished well to her and her sons, and would be ready to serve the Earl of Buckingham with all true affection, whereas others did it out of faction and ambition; which words glancing directly at our good friend, he was driven to make his apology; and to show how it was put upon him from time to time by the Queen and the other parties; and for conclusion showed a letter of approbation of all his courses from the King; making the whole table judge what faction and ambition appeared in this carriage. Ad quod non fuit responsum."

This altered the whole matter. It could not be the business of the King's Council in a case of this kind to work in opposition to his declared purposes. It became their duty not only to suspend,

If Buckingham gave Bacon credit for knowing that Lady Compton applied for the warrant with his concurrence, he might suppose that the King's wishes were already known to him. But Winwood must have known that they were not and he cannot have thought that they wished Bacon to remain in ignorance.

2 19 July, 1617. S. P. vol. xcii. no. 96.

3 The beginning of this word, which comes at the end of a line, is worn off: but the er, which begins the next, is quite legible.

but if possible to reverse their action. Accordingly the Attorney General applied himself to bring about a reconciliation between the parents. The young lady (who had been left under his charge) was on the 18th of July, upon what Chamberlain calls "a palliated agreement between Sir Edward Coke and his Lady," ""sent home to Hatton house, with orders that the Lady Compton and her son should have access to win her and wear her." And the following sentence was added by way of postscript to the letter from the Council to the King.

"But now since, this matter seemeth to have had a fairer conclusion; for that we find that the writings are perfected, and not only so, but the parties, Sir Edward Coke and his Lady, reconciled, and the daughter with both their good likings sent to live with her father and mother in Sir Edward Coke's house. Which good end hath been much furthered by the charitable endeavour of his Majesty's Attorney General. And the information, and all other proceedings in the business, is suspended and left wholly to his Majesty's pleasure."

3.

The date of this letter from the Council is not certainly known.1 But I take it to have been sent on the 19th of July. For Winwood, writing on that day to Lake, says " By the letters you receive from the Lords you will see what trouble Sir Edward Coke and his Lady have given the Lords."2 Now the letter in question cannot have been written before the 18th, if Chamberlain's date is correct; and it is not likely that another letter on the same subject was sent at that time. But however that may be, it was written after Bacon had heard from Winwood what the King's views were, and before he had heard anything from the King himself. His own opinion he supposed the King to know from his letter to Buckingham, but to that he had received no answer. Indeed there had hardly been time as yet. But when a fortnight had passed without bringing one, he wrote directly to the King. His opinion of the impolicy of the match had not been altered by anything which had passed; he was not prepared either to disavow or correct it; and he still wished the King to hear the reasons on which it was grounded ;-those reasons especially which concerned the state. What they were is fully explained in the next letter.

The date in the margin of the Council Register (July 11) is an impossible date, as Mr. Gardiner has observed.

2 S. P. vol. xcii. no. 94.

TO THE KING.1

It may please your most excellent Majesty,

I think it agreeable to my duty, and the great obligation wherein I am tied to your Majesty, to be freer than other men in giving your Majesty faithful counsel while things are in passing, and more bond than other men in doing your commandments when your resolution is settled and made known

to me.

I shall therefore most humbly crave pardon from your Majesty if in plainness and no less humbleness I deliver to your Majesty my honest and disinteressed opinion in the business of the match of Sir John Villiers, which I take to be magnum in parvo, preserving always the laws and duties of a firm friend to my Lord of Buckingham, whom I will never cease to love, and to whom I have written already, but have not heard yet from him.

But first I have three suits to make to your Majesty, hoping well you will grant them all.

The first is, that if there be any merit in drawing on that match, your Majesty would bestow the thanks, not upon the zeal of Sir Edward Coke to please your Majesty, nor upon the eloquent persuasions or pragmaticals of Mr. Secretary Winwood; but upon them who carrying your commandments and directions with strength and justice, (in the matter of the governor of Diepe, in the matter of Sir Robert Rich, and in the matter of protecting the lady, according to your commandment); have so humbled Sir Edward Coke, as he seeks now that with submission, which (as your Majesty knows), before he rejected with scorn. For this is the true orator that hath persuaded this business, as I doubt not but your Majesty in your excellent wisdom doth easily discover.

My second suit is, that your Majesty would not think me so pusillanimous, as that I, who when I was but Mr. Bacon, had ever through your Majesty's favour good reason at Sir Edward Coke's hands when he was at the greatest, should now that your Majesty (by your great goodness) hath placed me so near your chair, (being as I hope by God's grace and your instructions

1 Gibson Papers, vol. viii. f. 71. Copy by Meautys. See also f. 68 which is the draft,-also in his hand.

made a servant according to your heart and hand,) fear him or take umbrage of him in respect of mine own particular.

My third suit is, that if your Majesty be resolved the match shall go on, after you have heard my reasons to the contrary, I may receive therein your particular will and commandments from yourself; that I may conform myself thereunto: imagining with myself (though I will not wager upon women's minds) that I can prevail more with the mother than any other man. For if I should be requested in it from my Lord of Buckingham, the answer of a true friend ought to be, that I had rather go against his mind than against his good but your Majesty I must obey; and besides I shall conceive that your Majesty out of your great wisdom and depth doth see those things which I see not.

:

Now therefore, not to hold your Majesty with many words, which do but drown matter: Let me most humbly desire your Majesty to take into your royal consideration, that your state is at this time not only in good quiet and obedience, but in good affection and disposition. Your Majesty's prerogative and authority having risen some just degrees above the horizon more than heretofore, which hath dispersed vapours. Your Judges are in good temper. Your Justices of peace, which is the body of the gentlemen of England, grow to be loving and obsequious, and to be weary of the humour of ruffling. All mutinous spirits grow to be a little poor, and to draw in their horns, and not the less for your Majesty's disauthorising the man I now speak of.

Now then I reasonably doubt that if there be but an opinion of his coming in with the strength of such an alliance, it will give a turn and relapse in men's minds unto the former state of things, hardly to be holpen; to the great weakening of your Majesty's service.

Again, your Majesty may have perceived that as far as it was fit for me in modesty to advise, I was ever for a Parliament; which seemeth to me to be cardo rerum or summa summarum for the present occasions: but this my advice was ever conditional, that your Majesty should go to a Parliament with a council united and not distracted; and that, your Majesty will give me leave never to expect, if that man come in; not for any difference of mine own, for I can be omnibus omnia for your Majesty's service, but because he is by nature insociable, and by habit popular, and too old now to take a new ply, and men begin