cated," of Roger Coke. In this work, which was published in the year of King Charles' restoration, 1660, the author enters zealously into the charges, which had been adduced against his great relative, and mentions all those which were then considered to be the gravest of these paltry accusations.

Roger Coke spoke the language of an affectionate relative, at a period when the passions of politicians were entirely cooled after the excitement of seasons of anarchy and bloodshed, and years of erroneous experimental republicanism. Men could now begin to see even the errors of their own party, and could now suspect that their bitterest opponents were not entirely destitute of political virtues. Coke's was a fate far less fortunate; he lived in the days of England's wretchedness, when the spirit of faction knew not how to reform and to conciliate at the same time, and when those in power could not instruct; for they suffered the monarch to be energetic without dignity, and subservient without sincerity; to commit himself with his subjects for paltry ends, and then allowed him to retire from the parliament house without the satisfaction of even such a miserable triumph.

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Having thus," says Roger Coke, p. 266, "treated of all the causes of society, of the laws of my native country, it will not ill become me surely to add a word or two in vindication of Sir Edward

Coke, (my most honoured ancestor) since he is not able to speak for himself.

"His care of the church sufficiently appeareth, by his endeavouring the passing of a law that every patron should be sworn, as well as the incumbent, against simony, and also that that patron who should simoniacally promote any clerk, should not only forfeit that avoidance, but the advowson to the King, as also when upon pretence of concealment, the dean and chapter's lands of Norwich were begged of the King, he did not only proffer the chapter to have defended their cause in person, though then very aged, but stated it, and gave it them in writing to be kept for the future, in case any after pretence might be made, which was preserved by the dean and chapter among their archives, until the general deluge of our late dissension swallowed up this among their other things; and so grateful an acknowledgment did the society make, that upon his next coming into Norfolk, they de-* sidered that he would lay his bones in that cathedral, whose right he had so defended.

"So devout a son he was of the church of England in the observance of the rites and ceremonies thereof, that I am confident that in near forty years before his death, if sickness or public employment, or something extraordinary did not divert him, scarce one day passed wherein he was not twice a devout assistant in the offering up of

the public service of the church; nor was he less severe to himself in his person, than just to his public employments, being never so much as suspected of any notorious or scandalous vice. These virtues and his learned labours (wherein he has as well deserved of his country as any man before him) shall erect him a monument of fame to posterity, when the malice and ignorance of his enemies shall be forgotten."

David Lloyd, who wrote his "Statesmen and Favourites of England," not thirty years after Coke's decease, gives us in that work, p. 593, the words of the testimonial presented to him by the dean and chapter of Norwich, under their common seal, in grateful remembrance of his zealous defence of the interests of that church, to which, says Lloyd, he was "a grand benefactor." This paper tells us that " Sir Edward Coke often, and in many difficult cases assisted our church, and again lately against the enemies of our temples; who, under an obscure title (which they called concealments), would have devoured our lordships, manors, and hereditaments of his own accord, and without other reward, ably defended us.

"He constantly," continues Lloyd, p. 596, "had prayers said in his own house, and charitably relieved the poor with his constant alms. The foundation of Sutton's Hospital (when indeed but a foundation) had been ruined before it

was raised, and crushed by some courtiers in the hatching thereof, had not his great care preserved the same. The free school of Thetford was supported by his assistance, and he founded a school at Goodwicke in Norfolk."

Bloomfield, however, shews this last assertion to be a mistake; for, when speaking of Goodwick, he says, "In this town is the old seat of Sir Edward Coke.* Mr. Glover founded a school here, depositing money in the hands of Sir Edward Coke for that purpose, who bought a piece of copyhold land and a house, which had but one single room, valued at five shillings per annum, and Mr. Wood, the late rector, has built another room to it, for the master to dwell in."t

Lloyd further tells us that Coke "fore-designed" to poverty and misery, five classes of persons, monopolizers, concealers, promoters of law-suits, alchymists, and rhyming poets; that he used very complacently to give solemn thanks to God for three things, that he never gave his body to physic, his heart to cruelty, nor his hand to corruption. For three things also, he was wont to commend himself, in obtaining so fair a fortune with his first wife, in his successful study of the laws, and in the independent manner in

* History of Norfolk, vol. 5, p. 1012.

+ Ibid, vol. 5, p. 1041.

which he obtained all his public employments, nec prece, nec pretio, without either prayers or pence.

Of his personal appearance, the same biographer tells us "The jewel of his mind was put into a fair case, a beautiful body with comely countenance; a case which he did wipe, and keep clean; delighting in good cloathes, well worn, being wont to say, that the outward neatness of our bodies, might be a monitor of purity to our souls."

Of the personal friends of Coke I have little account; they were probably few in number, his habits were too studious, his application too unvaried to allow him much time for the relaxations and friendly intercourse of life. That he lived in a very plain manner is also very certain.

And his grandson, Roger Coke, tells us that he rose at three o'clock in the morning, and retired to rest at nine; he had probably no taste for the dissipations, he practised none of the vices of life. If he indulged in any amusement, it was in the game of bowls.*

Lord Bacon tells us that he was wont to say, when a great man came to dinner with him, and gave him no knowledge of his coming, "Sir, since you sent me no notice of your coming, you must dine with me, but if I

* Lloyd's Worthies, vol. 2, p. 297.