through Westminster-hall." He had many benefices in his own patronage, which he is faid to have given freely to men of merit; declaring, in his law language, that "he would have law livings pafs by livery and feifin, and not by bargain and fale."

About 1600 were published in folio, the first parts of the "Reports of Sir Edward Coke, Knight, her majefty's attorney-general, of divers refolutions and judgments given with great deliberation by the reverend judges and fages of the law, of cafes and matters in law, which were never refolved or adjudged before; and the reasons and causes of the faid refolutions and judgments during the most happy reign of the most illuftrious and renowned queen Elizabeth, the fountain of all juftice, and the life of the law." The fecond, third, and fo on to the eleventh part of the Reports, were all publifhed by himself in the reign of James I. The twelfth part of his Reports hath a certificate printed before it, dated Feb. 2, 1655, and fubfcribed E. Bulftrod; fignifying, that he conceives it to be the genuine work of Sir Edward Coke. To the title of the thirteenth part is," Select Cafes in Law, reported by Sir Edward Coke;" and thefe are afferted to be his in a preface figned with the initials J. G. In 1614 there was published, "A Speech and Charge at Norwich Affizes," intended to pafs for Sir Edward Coke's; but he clearly disclaims it, in the preface to the seventh part of his Reports. He did indeed make a fpeech at that time, and in fome measure to this purpose; but these notes of it were gathered and published without his knowlege, in a very incorrect and miferable manner, and publifhed with a defign to prejudice and expofe him. In 1614 was publifhed in folio, "A Book of Entries, containing perfect and ap. proved precedents of courts, declarations, informations, plaints, indictments, bars, duplications, rejoinders, pleadings, proceffes, continuances, effoigns, iffues, defaults, departure in defpight of the court, demurrers, trials, judgments, executions, and all other matters and proceedings, in effectal, concerning the practical part of the laws of England, in actions, real, perfonal, mixed, and in appeals : being very neceffary to be known, and of excellent ufe for the modern practice of the law, many of them containing matters in law, and points of great learning; collected and published for the common good and benefit of all the ftudious and learned profeffors of the laws of England."

His "Inftitutes," divided into four parts, being the first tranflation and comment upon the "Tenures of Sir Thomas Littleton," one of the judges of the Common Pleas in the reign of Edward IV. was published in his life-time, in 1628; but that edition was very incorrect. There was a fecond publifhed in 1629, faid to be revised by the author, and in which this work is much amended; yet feveral mistakes remained even in that. The fecond part of the "Inftitutes" gives us Magna Charta, and other select statutes, in the languages in which they were first enacted, and much more correct

He adds to these a com

than they were to be had any where else. mentary full of excellent learning, wherein he fhews how the common law ftood before thofe ftatutes were made, how far they are introductory of new laws, and how far declaratory of the old; what were the causes of making them, to what ends they were made, and in what degree, at the time of his writing, they were either altered or repealed. The third part of the " Inftitutes" contains the criminal law, or pleas of the crown; where, among other things, he fhews, in regard to pardons and reftitutions, how far the king may proceed by his prerogative, and where the affiftance of parliament is neceffary. The fourth part of the "Inftitutes" comprehends the jurifdiction of all the courts in this kingdom, from the high court of parliament down to the court-baron. This part not being published till after his decease, there are many inaccuracies, and fome greater faults in it, which were animadverted upon, and amended, in a book written by William Prynne, Efq. and published in 1669.

We have befides of his, t. A Treatife of Bail and Mainprize, 1637, 4to. 2. Reading on the State of Fines 27 Ed. I. French, 1662, 4to. 3. Complete Copyholder, 1640, 4to. There was added, in another edition of this book, in 1650, 4to. "Calthorpe's Reading between a Lord of a Manor and aCopyholder his Tenant, &c." and in the editions in 12m0, 1668 and 1673, there is a fupplement.

COKE, or COOKE (JOHN), fecretary of ftate in king Charles the Firft's reign, was a younger brother of Sir Francis Cooke, and born at Trusley, in Derbyshire, of an ancient family there, allied to the best in that country. He was probably educated at Westminster school and on the 22d of April, 1580, admitted scholar of Trinity college, in Cambridge. After having taken his degree of bachelor of arts, he was chofen fellow of the fame college, about the 4th of April, 1584. He continued long in the univerfity; and being taken notice of for his learning, was chofen public profeffor of rhetoric; in which employment he fo diftinguifhed himself by his ingenious and critical lectures, that rhetoric feemed not to be fo much an art to him, as his nature. Then he travelled beyond the feas for some time, in the company of a perfon of quality, and returned rich in languages, remarks, and experience; having avoided all the dangers incident to him on account of his religion by this prudent declaration, that he came to learn, and not to fearch. Afterwards he fetired into the country, in the condition of a private gentleman, till after he was fifty years of age; when, upon fome reputation he had for industry and diligence, he was called to fome painful employment in the office of the navy, which he difcharged well, and was made fecretary thereof. Afterwards, partly through his own merit, and partly through the intereft of Fulk Greville, lord Brook, to whom he was related, he was made mafter of the requests; and at, VOL. IV. laft

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laft fecretary of state, about the year 1620, in the room of Sir Albert Moreton, deceased: he was alfo knighted. In the firft and third parliaments of king Charles I. he was one of the representatives for the university of Cambridge, and made feveral fpeeches in parlia ment. He kept himself strictly to the law of the land, and governed himself with great prudence; but, notwithstanding his great caution, on the 8th of November, 1641, a meffenger of the Houfe of Commons was fent to fetch him up out of Derbyshire, to answer fome complaints made against him, about fome commitments in the year 1628. He is alfo accufed, though unjustly, of having put into the king's hands a paper from the Scots, inftead of the genuine articles of pacification at York; and to have fo far complied with the change of the times, as to have brought propofitions from the parliament to the king, as actively as formerly he had carried meffages from the king to the parliament. However, after having con tinued fecretary of state about twenty years, he was removed to make room for Sir Henry Vane; and died the 8th of September, 1644.

He had a brother named GEORGE, educated at Pembroke-hall, in Cambridge, who was rector of Bigrave, in Hertfordshire, and afterwards fucceffively bishop of Bristol and Hereford: a meek, grave, and quiet man, like himfelf; much beloved of those who were fubjected to his jurifdiction. He was involved in the fame condemnation with the rest of his brethren the bishops, for fubfcribing the protest in parliament in prefervation of their privileges. He died in low circumstances, on the 10th of December, 1646, and was buried in Hereford cathedral, where there is a long, obfcure, and almost unintelligible epitaph, to his memory.

COLBERT (JOHN BAPTIST), marquis of Segnelai, one of the greatest statesmen that France ever had, was born at Paris, in 1619, and defcended from a family that lived at Rheims in Champagne, no way confiderable for it's fplendour and antiquity. His grandfather is faid to have been a wine-merchant, and his father at first followed the fame occupation; but afterwards traded in cloth, and at laft in filk. Our Colbert was inftructed in the arts of merchan dize, and afterwards became clerk to a notary. In 1648 his relation, John Baptift Colbert, lord of St. Pouange, preferred him to the fervice of Michael le Tellier, fecretary of State, whofe fifter he had married; and here he discovered fuch diligence and exactnefs in executing all the commiffions that were entrusted to his care, that he quickly grew distinguished.

One day his mafter fent him to cardinal Mazarine, who was then at Sedan, with a letter written by the queen mother, and ordered him to bring it back, after that minifter had seen it. Colbert carried the letter, and would not return without it, though the cardinal treated him roughly, ufed feveral arts to deceive him, and obliged him

to

to wait for it several days. Some time after, the cardinal returning to court, and wanting one to write his agenda or memoranda, defired Le Tellier to furnith him with a fit perfon for that employment; and Colbert being presented to him, the cardinal had fome remem brance of him, and desired to know where he had seen him. Colbert was afraid of putting him in mind of Sedan, left the remembrance of his importunity, in demanding the queen's letter, fhould renew the cardinal's anger; but his eminency was fo far from hating him for his faithfulness to his late mafter, that he received him on condition that he should serve him with the like zeal and fidelity.

Colbert applied himself wholly to the advancement of his master's interefts, and gave him fo many marks of his diligence and skill, that afterwards he made him his intendant. He accommodated himself fo dexterously to the inclinations of that minister, by retrenching his fuperfluous expences, that he was entrusted with the management of that gainful trade of felling benefices and governments. It was by Colbert's counfel, that the cardinal obliged the governors of frontier places to maintain their garrisons with the contributions they exacted; with which advice his eminency was extremely pleased. He was fent to Rome, to negociate the reconciliation of cardinal de Rets, for which the pope had fhewed fome concern; and to perfuade his holiness to confent to "the difinca. merating of Caftro, according to the treaty concluded with his predeceffor, Urban VIII.

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Upon the whole, Mazarine had fo high an opinion of Colbert's abilities, and withal fuch a regard for his faithful fervices, that at his death, which happened in 1661, he earnestly recommended him to Lewis XIV. as the properest person to regulate the finances, which at that time flood in much need of reformation. Lewis accepted the recommendation, and made Colbert intendant of the finances. applied himself to their regulation, and fucceeded; though it procured him many enemies, and fome affronts. France is alfo obliged to this minister for establishing at that time her trade with the East and West Indies: a great design, and from which she has reaped innumerable advantages.

In 1664 he became fuperintendant of the buildings; and from that time applied himself fo earneftly to the enlarging and adorning of the royal edifices, that they are at prefent mafter-pieces of architecHe increased the beauty and convenience of the capital city; and he did it with great magnificence and grandeur.

ture.

The public was obliged to this fame minifter for the establishment of the academy for painting and fculpture in 1664. The king's painters and fculptors, with other skilful profeffors of thofe arts, being profecuted at law by the mafter-painters at Paris, joined together, and began to form a fociety, under the name of the Royal Academy for Sculpture and Painting. Their defign was to keep

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public excercifes, for the fake of improving thofe fine arts, and advancing them to the highest degree of perfection. They put themfelves under the protection of Mazarine, and chofe chancellor Seguier their vice protector; and after Mazarine's death chofe Seguier their protector, and Colbert their vice-protector. It was at his folicitation that they were finally established by a patent, containing new privileges, in 1664. Colbert, being made protector after the death of Seguier, thought fit that an hiftoriographer should be appointed, whose business it fhould be to collect all curious and useful obfervations, that should be made at their conferences. This was accordingly done, and his majesty was pleased to settle on him a falary of three hundred livres.

To Colbert alfo the lovers of naval knowledge are obliged for the erection of the Academy of Sciences; for the making of which the more useful, he caufed to be erected, in 1667, the Royal Observatory at Paris, which was firft inhabited by Caffini.

But thefe are not the only obligations France has to that mini-, fter: the owes to him all the advantages fhe receives by the union of the two feas; a prodigious work, begun in 1666, and finithed in 1680. Colbert was alfo very intent upon matters of a more private nature, fuch as regarded the order, decency, and well-being of fociety. He undertook to reform the courts of justice, and to put a ftop to the ufurpation of noble titles; which it feems was then very common in France. In the former of those attempts he failed, in the latter he fucceeded.

In 1669 he was made fecretary of state, and entrusted with the management of affairs relating to the fea; and his performances in this province were anfwerable to the confidence his majesty reposed in him. In 1672 he was made minifter of ftate: for how bufied foever he was in the regulation of public affairs, yet he never neglected his own or his family's intereft and grandeur, or miffed any opportunity of advancing either. He had been married many years, and had fons and daughters grown up; all of which, as occafion ferved, he took care to marry to great perfons.

Business was certainly Colbert's natural turn; and he not only loved it, but was very impatient to be interrupted in it. A lady of great quality was one day urging him, when he was in the height of his power, to do her fome piece of fervice; and perceiving him inattentive and inflexible, threw herfelf at his feet, in the prefence of above a hundred perfons, crying, "I beg your greatnefs, in the name of God, to grant me this favour." Upon which Colbert, kneeling down over against her, replied, in the fame mournful tone, "I conjure you, madam, in the name of God, not to disturb me.” This great minifter died of the ftone, Sept. 6, 1683, in his 65th year; leaving behind him fix fons and three daughters. He was of a middle ftature, rather lean than fat. rather lean than fat. His mien was low and de

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jected,