continual fear of her life, being credibly informed that the same servant of his that put a quarrel upon hers, hath used to wear a stiletto in his pocket, contrary to your Majesty's commandment, which said servant he still continueth and keepeth in his service.

That in consideration hereof, your Majesty would be pleased to settle an estate upon her daughter Villars, according to his promise made to your Majesty, and also to relieve and supply the necessity of her own present wants, and also to secure her from the fear and danger of those that seek after her (I fear) life."*

The progress of the treaty of marriage did not interrupt the quarrel of Coke with Lady Hatton, for there is also given in the General Dictionary, on the authority of the original in the possession of Mr. West, extracts from a long representation from the same talented and high spirited lady to the King, in answer to a representation of Sir Edward Coke, that she had denied him access to Hatton House, and that when she was at Newmarket with the King, she had conveyed away all his goods and plate; to which she replied:

*Gen. Dict. vol. iv, p. 887.

'My memory serves me not, but sure I am that it was when I had notice that there were certain bills preferred against him in the Star Chamber, that contained some foul misdemeanour he had committed in his circuits, and that I was credibly informed by some of the late Lord Chancellor's house, that instead of the Premunire Sir Edward Coke pretended to bring upon the Lord Chancellor, the said Lord Chancellor was confident to make good against Sir Edward Coke in the like kind; therefore, let him not blame me if I meant to keep something for myself, who brought it all to him; wherein, if I did offend, I most humbly crave pardon of your Majesty, against whom the offence was committed."

Lady Hatton never appears to have forgotten her high birth, and noble connexions; she clearly evinced this by a constant refusal to assume the name of Coke, an omission which naturally annoyed her husband, and which she thus proceeded to excuse. The whole letter plainly evinces that the feud was not conducted in the mildest or most dignified manner by either party.

"Sir William Cornwallis was the man who came from Sir Edward Coke, by whom I returned

this answer, 'that if Sir Edward Coke would bury my first husband according to his own directions, and also pay such small legacies as he gave to divers of his friends, in all coming not to above 7 or £900 at the most, that was left unperformed -he having all Sir William Hatton's goods and lands to a large proportion-then would I willingly stile myself by his name. But he never yielded to the one, so I consented not to the other. The likę, answer I made to my Lord of Exeter, and my Lord of Burghley, when they spoke to me of any such business.

"And whereas he accuseth me of calling him, 'base and treacherous fellow,' the words I cannot deny, but when the cause is known, I hope a little passion may be excused. It was when he had assigned away all my living by my first husband, and sold his daughter, who was left to my trust and care by Sir William Hatton, and afterward he deceived the children he had by me of their inheritance.

"His sixth accusation of me is the number of attempts I made the last summer against your Majesty's command concerning this late marriage of my son Villars and my daughter. I must confess I ignorantly did many, for which I humbly crave pardon for all such offences as were by me committed, after your Majesty's

pleasure known, and I give myself the happiness to believe that your Majesty hath fully forgiven all those whatsoever. Were it not to make this writing too tedious for your Majesty's reading, I could much lessen mine offence by the uncivil proceeding of Sir Edward Coke and Mr. Secretary Winwood; but the one being dead, I will forbear, and the other out of the acknowledgment of that duty I owe unto a husband, will let slip as many of his inhumane proceedings as I can, except such wherein he calleth me by a writing of Mr. Solicitor to the Marquis of Buckingham, wherein I find how desirous he is to rub anything to make ill blood betwixt my son Villars and myself, in that I should be obstinate against this marriage, wherein I crave your Majesty's patience to hear my willingness and unwillingness thereto.

"First, for my willingness. I call to witness my Lord Houghton, whom I sent twice to move the matter to my Lady Compton, so as by me she would take it. This was after he had so proudly broke off with my Lord of Buckingham, when he rated your Majesty's favour at scarce the value of a thousand pounds. After that my brother and sister of Burghley offered in the gallery chamber at Whitehall their service unto my Lady Compton, to further this marriage, so

as from me she would take it. Thirdly, myself coming from Kingston in a coach with my Lady Compton, I then offered her, that if she would leave Sir Edward Coke, I would proceed with her in this marriage.

"But let me entreat that a favourable construction may be made of this, that I be not adjudged an alien from Sir Edward Coke's will and pleasure, which I am ready to obey. For the cause which made me thus averse from him, was when he had signed away my living himself, yet would not by any means give consent to me to obey your Majesty, for neither myself nor any of my friends could ever obtain his allowance thereto. But if I did sign it, he would (as he said) be revenged double and treble of me. And when he was told that I should but sign what he signed before, his answer was, that what he had done was worth nothing, for if he once came upon his wing again, he would blow all that

due respect, to have

away. So long I staid in obtained Sir Edward Coke's leave, till my brother Burghley and myself had committed two contempts against the Court of Chancery, and. that warrants were ready to commit us both. Neither durst I have done anything at all, had your Majesty's letters not given me the assurance

VOL. II.

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