Westminster, who, well versed in matters of state, (a) soon saw the position in which all parties were placed. He recommended (b) that Villiers should, without a moment's delay, be sent upon some foreign embassy; and, his guilt being less enormous or less apparent than of the other offenders, he was thus protected by the power of his brother. Villiers being safe, Williams advised compliance with the humour of the people, and suggested that in this state tempest (c) Sir Giles Mompesson and Sir F. Michell "should be thrown overboard as wares that might be

(a) He was chaplain to Chancellor Egerton, and declined to accept the same appointment under Bacon.

(b) "I will now spread affirmative proposals before your honor, which I have studied and considered. Delay not one day before you give your brother Sir Edward a commission for some embassage to some of the princes of Germany, or the north lands, and despatch him over the seas before he be missed."-Hacket, p 50.

(c) In a memorial which he had prepared for Buckingham (see Hacket, p. 50) found after his death in his own hand-writing, he says, "Trust me and your other servants, that have some credit with the most active members, to keep you clear from the strife of tongues; but if you assist to break up this parliament, being now in the pursuit of justice, only to save some cormorants, who have devoured that which must be regorged, you will pluck up a sluice which will overwhelm yourself. Those empty fellows, Sir Giles Mompesson and Sir Francis Michell, let them be made victims to the public wrath. It strikes even with that advice which was given to Cæsar in Sallust, when the people expected that some should be examples of public justice, Lucius Posthumius, Marcus Favonius mihi videntur quasi magnæ navis supervacua onera esse; si quid adversi coortum est, de illis petissimum jactura sit, quia pretii minimi sunt. Let Lord Posthumius and M. Favonius be thrown overboard in the storm, for there are no wares in the ship that may better be spared. And your lordship must needs partake of the applause; for though it is known that these vermin haunted your chamber, and is much whispered that they set up trade with some little license from your honor, yet when none shall appear more forward than yourself to crush them, the discourse will come about, that these devices which take ill, were stolen from you by misrepresentation, when you were but new blossomed in court, whose deformities being discovered, you love not your own mistakings, but are the most forward to recall them."

spared," quoting a wise heathen as a precedent, well knowing that his breviary contained no such doctrine: advice which was gratefully received by the marquis, who declared that, for the future, he would attend to no other counsellor. (a)

It may, at first sight, appear remarkable, that, in matters of such moment, Buckingham should apply for counsel to Williams rather than to Bacon, by whose advice he professed to be always guided: it is, however, certain that he not only communicated privately with Williams, but that he carried him to the King, whom they found closeted with the prince, in much distress and perplexity, (b) when the dean read to his royal master (c) a document prepared at the suggestion of Buckingham, or the fruit of his own politic brain.

It is to be hoped that the fiend ambition did not so far

(a) “Advice which the marquis received with much thankfulness as he could express, and requited his adviser with this compliment, that he would use no other counsellor hereafter to pluck him out of his plunges; for he had delivered him from fear and folly, and had restored him both to a light heart and a safe conscience."-Hacket, p. 50.

(b) "To the King they go forthwith with these notes of honest settlement, whom they found accompanied in his chamber with the prince, and in serious discourse together."-Hacket, p. 51.

(c) Hacket, p. 51.—“ Buckingham craves leave that the dean might be heard upon those particulars which he had brought in writing, which the King marked with patience and pleasure; and whatsoever seemed contentious or doubtful to the King's piercing wit, the dean improved it to the greater liking by the solidity of his answers, whereupon the King resolved to keep close to every syllable of those directions; and before the month of March expired, thirty-seven monopolies, with other sharking prouleries, were decried in one proclamation, which returned a thousand praises and ten thousand good prayers upon the sovereign. Out of this bud the dean's advancement very shortly spread out into a blown flower; for the King, upon this trial of his wisdom, either called him to him, or called for his judgment in writing in all that he deliberated to act or permit in this session of parliament, in his most private and closest consultations."

possess him, as to recommend the greater sacrifice of Bacon, should Monpesson and Michell be deemed insufficient to allay the storm; but if ambition did influence this politic prelate, if the vision of the seals (a) floated before him, and induced him to plot against the "gracious Duncan," he could not but foresee that the result of the inquiries would only convince the parliament that Mompesson and Michell were mere puppets moved for the profit and advantage of others, and that Buckingham, or one as highly placed, might be demanded.

On the 15th of March, 1620, Sir Robert Phillips re- Charge of ported from the committee appointed to inquire into the March 15, Bribery, abuses of courts of justice, of which he was chairman, that 1620, two petitions had been presented for corruption against the Lord Chancellor, by two suitors in the court of Chancery, the one named Aubrey, the other Egerton.

Aubrey's petition stated, "That having a suit pending before the Lord Chancellor, and being worn out by delays, he had been advised by his counsel to present £100 to the Chancellor, that his cause might, by more than ordinary means, be expedited, and that, in consequence of this advice he had delivered the £100 to Sir George Hastings and to Mr. Jenkins, of Gray's Inn, by whom it was presented to his lordship; (b) but, notwithstanding this offering, the Chancellor had decided against him."

(a) Hacket, p. 51.-" The more the King sounded his judgment, the deeper it appeared, so that his worth was valued at no less than to be taken nearer, as counsellor upon all occasions."

(b) See note GGG, March 15-17, from which the following is extracted: Awbrey complaineth, that, wearied in his cause in Chancery, he was advised by his counsel, to expedite his business, to present the Lord Chancellor with 100l. He got at use 100l. goeth with Sir George Hastings and Mr. Jenkyns to York House: there they two went, and returned to him, with thanks from my lord, and hopes of better success in his cause than formerly.

Æt. 61.

Egerton's complaint was, that " to procure my lord's favour, he had been persuaded by Sir George Hastings and Sir Richard Young, to make some present to the Chancellor; and that he accordingly delivered to Sir George and to Sir Richard £400, which was delivered by them to the Chancellor as a gratuity, for that my lord, when Attorney General, had befriended him; and that, before this advice, Egerton had himself, either before or after the Chancellor was entrusted with the great seal, presented to his lordship a piece of plate worth fifty guineas; but that, notwithstanding these presents, the Lord Chancellor, assisted by Lord Chief Justice Hobart, had decided against him. (a)

If Bacon, instead of treating the charge with contempt, (b)

(a) To the first article of the charge, viz. in the cause between Sir Rowland Egerton and Edward Egerton, the Lord Chancellor received five hundred pounds on the part of Sir Rowland Egerton, before he decreed the cause I do confess and declare, that upon a reference from his majesty of all suits and controversies between Sir Rowland Egerton and Mr. Edward Egerton, both parties submitted themselves to my award, by recognizance reciprocal in ten thousand marks a-piece. Thereupon, after divers hearings, I made my award, with advice and consent of my Lord Hobart. The award was perfected and published to the parties, which was in February ; then, some days after, the five hundred pounds mentioned in the charge was delivered unto me. Afterwards Mr. Edward Egerton fled off from the award; then, in Midsummer term following, a suit was begun in Chancery by Sir Rowland, to have the award confirmed; and upon that suit was the decree made, which is mentioned in the article.

(b) Extrait d'un lettre de Monsieur le Chevalier Digby à M. de Fermat. -Et comme vous y parley de notre Chancelier Bacon, cela me fit souvenir d'un autre beau mot qu'il dit en ma presence une fois a feu Monsieur le Duc de Buckingham. C'étoit au commencement de ses malheurs, quand l'assemblée des états, que nous appelons le parlement, entreprit de la miner, ce qu'elle fit en suite ce jour la il eu eût la première alarme: j'étois avec le du ayant disné avec lui; le chancelier survint et l'entretint de l'accusation qu'un de ceux de la chambre basse avoit presentée contre lui, et il supplia le duc l'employer son crédit auprès du roi pour le maintenir toujours dans son esprit: le duc repondit qu'il étoit si bien avec le roi

and indulging in imaginations of the friendship of Buckingham and of the King, thinking, as they were, only of their own safety, had trusted to his own powerful mind, and met the accusation instantly and with vigour, he might at once, strong as the tide was against all authority, (a) have stemmed the torrent, and satisfied the intelligent, that the fault was not in the Chancellor, but the Chancery.

Might he not have reminded the house that, although he knew the temporary power of custom against opinion, he in resistance of the established practice, had exerted himself to prevent any interference, even by Buckingham or the

leur maître, qu'il n'étoit pas besoin de lui rendre de bons offices auprès de sa majesté, ce qu'il disoit, non pas pour le refuser, car il aimoit beaucoup, mais pour lui faire plus d'honneur: le chancelier lui repondit de très-bonne grace, qu'en il croyoit être parfaitement bien " dans l'esprit de son maître, mais aussi qu'il avoit toujours remarqué que pour si grand que soit un feu, et pour si fortement qu'il brûle de lui-même, il ne laissera pourtant pas de brûler mieux et d'être plus beau et plus clair si on le souffle comme il faut."

“My Lord Chancellor hath many bills put up against him, who is said to have made a very peremptory speech in the committee, wherein was this passage: that he wondered how the Lower House would or durst go about to question his personal honour," &c.-From the British Museum.

(a) In the year 1824, when there was a senseless yell against Lord Eldon, a commission was appointed to inquire into the defects of the court of Chancery. That it abounded with defects was indisputable. Before this committee I was examined; and aware of the tendency of the many to personify and make their complaints against magistrates, I did all in my power to resist it. The following is an extract from part of my examination. -I hope that in thus speaking of the Lord Chancellor's court, I may not be supposed to be speaking of the Lord Chancellor; or to attribute to him these defects, any more than I thought the defects of the commissioners' court should be ascribed to the commissioners. I cannot but think it most unjust to confound the court with the judge. There is a spirit of improvement now moving upon this country, which onght not, as it appears to me, to be impeded by personality. Permanent defects in a court may perhaps generally be traced to the constitution of the court: that is, not to the judge, but to society.