CHAPTER IV.

1624.

Coke manages a conference on behalf of the CommonsImpeachment of the Earl of Middlesex-Coke's speech on the occasion-Prefers his charges-The trial-the King defends his Lord Treasurer-He is condemned - His character -Death of James I-The character of the first StuartAnd his Parliaments-Review of his treatment of themThe first Parliament of Charles I-The subsidies granted by Parliaments in that reign-Amount of a subsidy-A tenth or a sixteenth-How paid-Royal expenses-Salaries of the officers of the Crown, and other King's servants-Royal grants-Review of the King's treatment of Coke-Domestic life of Coke during this period.

A fresh scene now occurs in the life of Coke. He who had long been familiar with state prosecutions when Attorney-General, was now to appear in a similar capacity on behalf of the Commons of England.

On the 15th of April, 1614, Sir Edward Coke managed, on behalf of the Commons, their conference in the painted chamber, with the House of Lords, on the subject of the impeachment of Lionel Cranfield, Earl of Middlesex. This nobleman was charged with bribery, and other mal-practices, in the execution of his office. Coke, who was now in his seventyfourth year, seemed as able to lead on a legal charge, as he was twenty years previously. His speech was reported the following day by the Lord Keeper Williams, to the House of Lords, and, in spite of the learned bishop's dry style of reporting, was evidently a very elaborate and eloquent production. Good Bishop Williams had no talents for a reporter : he was pious, learned, and industrious, and the last Prelate who held the office of Lord Keeper of the great seals. His life, by his friend Bishop Hackett, displays a talent for verbiage far exceeding anything that even the Lord Keeper himself possessed: it is an unrivalled specimen of the dry biography of that age.

Coke felt, on that occasion, the necessity of explaining to the Peers why, in that age of impeachments, the House of Commons alone seemed so zealous in the crusade against public offenders. He showed therefore, said his reporter,

the

"That the knights, citizens, and burgesses, assembled in Parliament, are always elected, the knights by the counties, the citizens by the cities, and the burgesses, by the boroughs of the kingdom. That the Lords do enjoy their places by blood and descent; some by creation Lords Ecclesiastical by succession; but the members of the House of Commons by free election. They appear for many, and bind multitudes, and have therefore no proxies; since all the people are present in Parliament by their representatives; and therefore, by the wisdom of the state, and by the order of Parliament, the Commons are appointed the Inquisitors General of the grievances of the kingdom, and that, for three causes :

1. Because they have the best notice from all parts thereof.

2. They are most sensible it is not your Lordships, but the weaker Commons,-that go to the Wall.

3. As in a natural body,-not the disease, but the neglect of care, killeth-so the long delay of grievances; and this would happen if they were not found out by the Commons.

The length of this apologetical preamble would almost lead one to conclude that Coke

himself had not much confidence in the strength of his own case.

After telling them it was against the Earl of Middlesex, the Lord Treasurer, he appeared, he thus proceeded :

"The House of Commons have appointed me to present three enormities to their Lordships, --much against my inclination, other members of their House being far more sufficient, as well in regard of my great years, -as of other accidents: yet I will do it truly, plainly, and shortly.

"There are two great offences charged; one of which shall be represented by me, the other by my colleague, Sir Edwin Sandys. That which he should speak to, would consist of two charges.

"The first, gross and sordid bribery; the second, for procuring the orders of the Court of Wards to be altered, for that this was done by his principal procurement, to the deceit of the King, oppression of the subject, and enriching of his own servants. He would begin with the bribery.

"Here I crave favour if he should seem tedious in some particulars; for circumstances to things, are like shadows to pictures-to set them out in fuller representation."

Coke then proceeded, in his usual energetic style, to press against Lord Middlesex the cases of bribery in the office of Lord Treasurer; in which he followed the manœuvres of his Lordship to avoid detection, with his accustomed ability.

He then proceeded to the charges against him, as master of the Court of Wards. These charges, however, were not of a very grave nature. The worst appeared to be, that the Earl had more duties to fulfil, in his various offices, than any one person could well manage.

"The Lord Treasurer's place," said Coke, requires a whole man, and so doth the Mastership of the Court of Wards. His Lordship therefore was fain, being unable to wield these two great places, to invent a new device, a stamp even with his own name,' Middlesex.' Now, this hand moves and guides the seal of the court; and, therefore being turned by the hand of a young secretary, may produce strange consequences.

"Never did any King suffer a subject to use a stamp.

"Old Lord Burleigh had a stamp, because of his gout, but never suffered it to be used but in his own presence.