posite to them has no windows, but is hung all with pictures at length, as of King James, his Lordship, and several illustrious persons of his time. At the end you enter is no window; but there is a very large picture thus: in the middle, on a rock in the Sea, stands King James in armour, with his regall ornaments; on his right hand stands (but whether or no on a rock, I have forgot) Henry 4th of France, in armour; and on his left hand, the King of Spaine in like armour. These figures are, at least, as big as the life; they are done only with umbre and shell gold; all the heightening and illuminated part being burnisht gold, and the shadowed umbre. The roofe of this Gallerie is semi-cylindrique, and painted by the same hand, and same manner, with heads and busts of Greek and Roman Emperors and Heroes." This mansion of the Bacons was reduced to its present ruinous state, when the present house of the Lords Grimston was built between the years 1778 and 1785.* Sir Nicholas Bacon was twice married: by his first wife, Jane, daughter of William Fernley, Esq. of West Creting, in Suffolk, he had issue three sons and three daughters: by his second wife, Aune, one of the learned daughters of Sir Anthony Cooke, of Giddy Hall, Essex, he had two sons, Anthony and Francis, Anthony was an accomplished scholar; and, at the age of twenty-one, he began to travel for further improvement, previously to which Sir Nicholas conveyed to him the manor of Gorhambury, and this estate continued in his possession till his death, when it des cended to his brother Francis, afterwards Lord Verulam. The fate of the Earl of Essex, with whom Anthony had been intimately associated, is supposed to have affected him very deeply, as H 3 his * In an orchard connected with the old mansion was a small Banquetting or Summer House, the walls of which were curiously painted al fresco, with representations of the Liberal Arts, having appropriate mottoes under them; and above them, the heads of the most illustrious of those who had excelled in each art, whether ancient or modern. The mottoes are preserved in Weever, p. 584; and also in the Biographia Britannica, Vol. I. p. 446, last Edit. where they are given with translations his own decease occurred within less than a year. All his time, after his return from the Continent, was appropriated to his studies, except what was employed in the service of his patron. It was owing to this reserved life of his, observe his biographers, "that his father's fine seat fell to decay; and that the water, which had been laid to it from springs at a considerable distance, was cut off in such a manner, that it could not afterwards be recovered, but at so great an expense, that the Lord Viscount St. Alban's chose rather to build a little neat house near the great pond, saying merrily, that " Since the water could not be brought to his house, he would bring his house to the water."+ That he did not entirely neglect Gorhambury, is, however, evident, from the extracts already given from Aubrey's Manuscripts. The splendid talents of the Lord Chancellor were insufficient to secure him from the charge of corruption in the distribution of justice; and in the spring of the year 1621, he was accused by the House of Commons "of many exorbitant offences of bribery," &c. The charges being referred by the Lords to a select committee, and established to a certain extent, both by the examination of witnesses, and by his own confession of neglect,' it was adjudged "that he shall undergo fine and ransom of forty thousand pounds; that he shall be imprisoned in the Tower during the King's pleasure; and that he shall for ever be incapable of any office or employment in the State or Commonwealth; and that he shall never sit in Parliament, or come within the verge of the Court." After this disgrace and fall, he applied himself, with increased ardour, to his pursuits in natural philosophy, and history; to the former of which sciences he may be said to have fallen a victim.ţ On his decease, in 1626, Gorhambury became the property of Sir Thomas Meautys, Knt. who was related to him, and had been his private Secretary: he was also Clerk of the Privy Council in Biographia Britannica, Vol. I. P. 505. the Ibid. This anecdote refers to Verulam-House, already described in a previous note. See the anecdote from Aubrey, p. 94. Note. the reigns of James the First, and Charles the First. His cousin, Sir Thomas Meautys, succeeded to this estate; and he having married Anne, daughter of Sir Nathaniel Bacon, of Culford Hall, Suffolk, half brother to the Lord Chancellor, conveyed it to her for life, with remainder to his heirs. After his decease, his widow married Sir Harbottle Grimston, Bart. second son and successor to Sir Harbottle Grimston, of Bradfield, in Essex, who purchased the reversion of the manors of Gorhambury and Kingsbury, of Hercules Meautys, nephew and heir-at-law to Sir Thomas Meautys The Grimstons are descended from Sylvester, afterwards surnamed de Grimston, a valiant Norman, who accompanied the Conqueror to England, and bore his standard at the battle of Hastings. In the following year, William appointed him his Chamberlain; and he did homage for Grimston, Hoxton, Tonsted, and other lands, which he held of the Lord Roos, as of the Honour of Roos, in Holdernesse, Yorkshire:* from him the Grimstons of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Herts, are all descended. It does not appear that this family was much engaged in state affairs till the time of Henry the Seventh: in the reign of Edward the Sixth, Edward Grimston, Esq. was made Comptroller of Calais; and he was afterwards continued in that office by Queen Mary. On the tak ing of Calais by the Duke of Guise, in the year 1558, he was made prisoner, and confined in the Bastile, where the ministry of that day suffered him to languish, lest he should return to England, and make public the repeated remonstrances which he had addressed to them, on the ill-conditioned state of the garrison to withstand a siege. At length, after two years confinement, he escaped by stratagem to his native country, and was honorably acquitted of any misconduct con nected with the loss of Calais. He was afterwards knighted by Queen Elizabeth, and represented the borough of Ipswich in several Parliaments. He lived to the great age of ninety-eight, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Edward, whose grandson, the second Sir Harbottle Grimston, was the person who purchased Gorham, bury of the heir of Sir Thomas Meautys. H 4 * Lodge's Peerage of Ireland, Vol. V. p. 188. This This Sir Harbottle was created a Baronet in the tenth of James the First; he had been educated in the Inns of Court, and was famed for his knowledge of the common law, and of the customs and usages of Parliament. He was twice married: his first wife was Mary, a daughter of Sir George Croke, Knt. who was made a Justice of the Common Pleas in 1623, 4; and afterwards became so celebrated for his decision in the famous case of Ship-money. Sir Harbottle was himself one of the first to contest the presumed legality of that measure; and his father, with equal patriotism, suffered a long imprisonment, because he would not submit to the payment of the loan attempted to be enforced by the minions of the ill-fated Charles. "In the beginning of the Long Parliament," says Burnet, he was a great assertor of the laws, and inveighed severely against all that had been concerned in the former illegal oppression. His principle was, that allegiance and protection were mutual obligations, and that the one went for the other: he thought that the law was the measure of both; and that when a legal protection was denied to one that paid a legal allegiance, the subject had a right to defend himself.' He was afterwards one of the Commissioners appointed to treat with the King in the Isle of Wight, and pressed the acceptance of the King's concessions so strongly, that he was soon afterwards excluded the House by force, with other members, by Cromwell; against whom he had previously brought a charge of saying, that he was sure of the army; but there was another body that had more need of purging, namely, the House of Commons, and he thought the army only could do that.'+ Cromwell denied the charge with the most vehement protestations, and even tears; yet the lapse of a few days proved that Sir Harbottle had advanced nothing but the truth. The unconstitutional measures pursued by those in power, afterwards occasioned him to withdraw from public affairs. His personal liberty had, indeed, suffered; and, to obtain his release, he was obliged to engage, "not to act, or do any thing, to the disservice Hist. of his Own Time, Vol. I. p. 385. + Ibid. p. 45. service of the Parliament or army." The death of Cromwell, and the imbecility of his successor, Richard, again left him at liberty to aid in the distracted councils of his country. The plans then pursuing by Monk to effect the restoration of Monarchy, appear to have received his concurrence; and after the re-admission of the excluded Members into the House of Commons, he was chosen Speaker. In the November following (1660) he was made a Privy Counseller by Charles the Second, and appointed Master of the Rolls, which office he retained till his death, in January, 1683, 4. Chauncy observes, that "he had a nimble fancy, a quick apprehension, a rare memory, an eloquent tongue, and a sound judgment;" —and that “he was a person of free access, sociable in company, sincere to his friend, hospitable in his house, charitable to the poor, * Sir Harbottle had been representative for Colchester in Essex; and when the expelled members were on the eve of being restored, the following letter was sent to him by the Corporation of that town: "Honorable Sir; As we cannot but with thankfulness acknowledge the mercy of God to the nation in general, so more particularly to this town, that, after the many changes and alterations we have been tossed in, that now there is (as we have been credibly informed, and do believe) a free admission of the Members of the late Parliament, so long interrupted by force: we cannot but with much earnestness, in the behalf of ourselves, and the free burgesses of the town, make our humble request, that you will be pleased to return to that trust, to which you were so freely and unanimously elected in the year 1640; which we do the rather request out of the former experience, that not only this town, but the nation in general, hath had of your faithfulness and ability, and the many miseries and calamities we have groaned under since your absence and as we formerly had the honour of sending so eminent and worthy a member, so we shall hope, by the blessing of God upon your endeavours, that not only ourselves, but the whole nation,' shall have cause to bless God for your return, and in due time reap the be nefit of your councils and labour in that great affliction. Sir we shall not further trouble you at present, than to assure you, we are, as by many former favors bound to be, your faithful and humble servants, "Thomas Peeke, Mayor. |