a mansion which had been left her by her first husband, Sir Christopher Hatton, Queen Elizabeth's Chancellor. It was built on the garden and orchard ground,-formerly belonging to Ely House, a palace of the see of London, which was unwillingly extorted from Bishop Cox, for this purpose, by Queen Elizabeth,-whose letter, beginning "Proud Prelate," and threatening to "unfrock" him, if he remained obstinate in his refusal to alienate the land, is well known. This house stood on the site of the modern Hatton Street or Garden; and, for a considerable period, Lady Hatton had for her next door neighbour in Holborn, Gondomar, the Spanish ambassador, who appeared to be rather annoyed, upon one or two occasions, at the independent manner she adopted towards him. Howell mentions one of these squabbles in a letter to Sir James Crofts, March 24, 1622.

"Gondomar has ingratiated himself with divers persons of quality, ladies especially; yet he could do no good upon the Lady Hatton, whom he desired lately, that in regard he was her next neighbour, (at Ely House) he might have the benefit of her back gate, to go abroad into the fields; but she put him off with a compliment; whereupon, in a private audience lately

VOL. II.

M

with the King, among other passages of merriment, he told him that my Lady Hatton was a strange lady; for she would not suffer her husband, Sir Edward Coke, to come in at her fore doors; nor him to go out at her back door, and so related the whole business."

CHAPTER IV.

1625-1627.

The first Parliament of Charles I-Coke a member-The Parliament adjourned to Oxford-The meeting in St. Mary's Hall-Coke's speech on the question of granting the King a supply-The King's message to the House, noticing an unguarded speech of one of Coke's sons-Coke's speech on the debate on the King's message-Moves for a Committee in the case of Fleming-The King dissolves the Parliament -Coke made Sheriff of Buckinghamshire-Returned for Norfolk-The King sends a message noticing the circumstance, and claiming that he should not be allowed to sit― Coke's objections to take the oath required of Sheriffs—The House appoints a committee to investigate the case-Coke prevented sitting-The Parliament again dissolved-After two years the Parliament again assembled-Coke speaks on the question of grievances -And on the court sending obnoxious members abroad-Coke himself once commissioned for Ireland-His speech on the committal to the Tower of some of the members of Parliament-Memoir of Selden Noy Prynne - Dudley Digge Littleton-Sir John Banks-Sir Robert Heath.

Edward

THE first Parliament of Charles I assembled

on the eighteenth of June, 1625, amid the universal gloom inspired by the ravages of the plague.

As soon as the House of Commons proceeded to business, Sir Edward Coke, who in this Parliament again represented his native county,' moved that there might be no committee of grievances, or courts of justice; since there could be no grievances as yet to redress, it being the first year of the King's reign, and also because the plague was in London.†

On the fourth of July, he reported the King's answer to the address of the Commons, with regard to a recess in Parliament at that sickly

season.

A few days afterwards, in consequence of the plague still raging, the King adjourned the Parliament to Oxford.

On the first of August the Parliament met in that city, and three days afterwards the King addressed both Houses from his throne, in the hall of Christchurch.

On the fifth of August, the Commons being engaged in debating the question of a supply

* Willis Not. Parl. vol. 2, 202.

+ Parl. Hist. vol. 6, p. 351.

to his Majesty, Coke addressed the House with some energy; but, like most of his speeches, we have only an outline of its contents, which is given on the authority of an old manuscript.*

"No King," he remarked, " can subsist, in an honourable estate, without three abilities; first, to be able to maintain himself against sudden invasions; secondly, to aid his allies and confederates; and thirdly, to reward his well deserving servants.

But he urged that "there was a leak in the government, of which leak, such as these were the causes;-frauds in the customs; treating about the Spanish match; new invented offices with large fees; old unprofitable offices, which the King might justly take away with law, love of his people, and his own honour.

"There were the presidentships of York, and Wales; a multiplicity of offices in one man. Every man ought to live on his own office.

Again, the King's household is out of order. New tables kept there,-might make the leakage the greater, and many voluntary annuities or pensions, which ought to be stopped till the King is out of debt.

Parl. Hist. vol. 6, p. 363.