were constant in their religion, and serious in their assiduous devotions in the sett and fixed forms of the church prayers, whereunto the whole family were commendably assembled. In the first year of our now gracious soveraigne, my lord of Lincolne (of the clergy) being removed, Sir Thomas Coventrie was designed at Salisbury for the seale, by the king's most excellent judgment, as the onely person of the times capable of so high a place, with the assistance of the duke of Buckingham, and one that was a noble preferrer of men of meritt; and to the further augmentation of his house, hee was shortly thereupon created baron of Alisbury †, in which dignity and place he continued without interruption, until death summoned him to a great pitch of glorie, in au age plentiful in years, abundant in wealth, felicious in offspring, and, that which is more honorable, a noble fame; not that hee passed on unaccused, for envy is a constant follower and persecutor of all greatness, and [distraction] an utter enemy of desert. "The chiefe charge against him was that of Bonham Norton's, wherein the best and most impartial judgments consent, that his accuser and client was much to blame in the error of his accompt, betweene a judge of equitie and a quondam advocate, and in a case He was made lord keeper of the great seal of England by king Charles I. on the 1st of November, 1625. + On the 10th of April, 1628, he was made a baron by the title of Baron Coventry of Aylesborough, in the county of Worcester. In an elegant preamble to the patent, the following weighty reasons are stated for his advancement: 66 "Rex, &c. omnibus, &c.-Officio et curæ regali nihil magis ar“bitramur convenire, quam virtutum præmia viris illustribus rite "disponere, ac illos honoribus attollere qui de rege et republicâ op"time meruerunt: perspicimus enim coronam nostram regiam "quamplurimum honorari et locupletari, cum viros cordatos con "silio, prudentiâ, virtutibus illustres, ac presertim in administran"dâ justitiâ strenuos et insignes, ad honoris et dignitatis gradus vocamus et erigimus. Nos igitur in personâ prædilecti et perquam "fidelis consiliarii nostri Thomæ Coventry Militis, custodis magni "sigilli nostri Angliæ, gratissima et dignissima servitia, quæ idem "consiliarius noster tam præcharissimo patri nostro Jacobo Regi "beatæ memoriæ, per multos annos, quam nobis ab ipsis regni "nostri primis auspiciis, fidelissime et prudentissimè præstitit et "impendit, indiesque impendere non desistit: nec non circum"spectionem, prudentiam, strenuitatem, dexteritatem, et fidelita"tem ipsius Thomæ Coventry Militis erga nos et coronam nostram, "animo benigno et regali intimè recolentis pro gratiæ nostræ erga præfatum consiliarium pignore: nec non virtutum et bene meri"torum ejusdem encomio posteris suis relinquendum, ipsum in pro"cerum hujus regni nostri Angliæ numerum ascribendum decrevimus.-Sciatis itaque, &c." 66 where the accuser had before received ample satisfaction by the advantage and rigour of the law. More than this, I find not much of regard charged on his sinceritie, besides those of vulgar mindes and private interests, where men are ever aforehand in Battery of themselves in opinion of that cause which goes not on their side, and that which hath any relation to their friends. The character of his outward man was this; hee was of a middle stature, somewhat broad and round faced, of hayre black, and upright in his comportment and gesture; of complexion sanguine, and of a comely aspect and presence. Hee was of a very fine and grave elocution, in a kind of graceful lisping, soe that where nature might seeme to cast something of imperfection in his speech, on due examination, she added a grace to the perfection of his delivery; for his words rather flowed from him in a kind of native pleasingness, than by any artificial help or assistance. Hee was of a very liberal accesse and affable, and as hee was of a very quick apprehension, soe was he of an exceeding judicious and expeditious dispatch in all affairs either of state or of the tribunal; of hearing, patient, attentive, and that which is not usually incident to persons of dignitie and place, seldome in any distempered mood or motion of choler; and it was none of his meanest commendations, that he was a helper or coadjutor, rather than a daunter, of counsel at the barr, and understood better what they would have said in the case, than what sometymes they did say for their clyents; soe that there appeared in his constitution, a kind of natural and unaffected inclination to creep into the good opinion of all men, rather than any affected greatness to discountenance any, but never rashly to discon tent many. Through the whole course of his life, his fortune was so obsequious, that it seemes she always waited upon him with a convoy; for in all the stepps of his rise, he had ever an even and smooth passage, without any rubb or mate in the check. For his erudition and acquisitions of art (though all knew he was learned in the sciences, and most profound in his profession) yet such was the happiness of his constellation, that be rather leaned to his native strength, than depended on any artificial relyance. Without doubt hee was of a most solid and immoveable temper, and voyd of all pride and ostentation; neither was he ever in any umbrage or disfavour with his prince; an argument both of his wisdome and sinceritie; neither in any fraction with his equalls, worthie of exception: for that of my lord of Suffolke's business, was We have examined the reporters of the time in order to give some account of the case here alluded to, but can only find a short reference to it in Lev. 179, Middleton. Shelley, where it is said, that an agreement subsequent to a decree shall stay the execution of it; and that it was so decreed in Lord Coventry's time, in Bonham Norton's case. This probably is the suit, which gave rise to the charge against Lord Coventry, noticed by his biographer. an art of his that shewed the world, in how little esteeme be held greatness that would justle and stand in competition with justice: and it is remaining among the best of his memorials, that he always stood impregnable, and not to be overcome by might. Amongst all and the many felicities of his life, that of his short sickness, and the willing embracement of death with open armes, were of the most remarkable observation, for it is finis qui coronat opus, and changes a mortalitie into that of immortall glorie, for his sickness was not contynued with any lingering or loathsome languishing, nor so precipitate that it bereaved him of the abilitie of disposing of his estate, to the contentment of his posteritie, or hindered the composing of his thoughts to another and better worlde. If then in the briefe collection of the state of this noble man's fortune, it may fall into suspicion that I had some relation to his person, or in some one respect or other was obliged to him, I assume the liberty to tender this testimonic to the world, that I never had referrence, at any tyme, to his service (onely in such addresses as fell to my lot as a suppliant). I had ever the honor of a free accesse, with libertie to speak as I could, and as occasion and the cause required, but that which best may satisfye the suspicious, that I have not given myselfe the least scope of partialitie, or flattery, either in favour or affection, it is that I believe noe subject ever suffered in that degree in losse of estate, as I myselfe have endured, and onely by a rule of his owne, in suspending my suyte in the starr chamber, (the cause depending before in chancerie) untill it had there a final determination, whereby I was debarred from detecting as villainous a practice as this age hath heard of, unless I would have waved my chancery suyte without further expectation to be releeved in equitie, which (as I then apprehended) were some conditions of some hard measure, though by good reasons I was afterwards persuaded, it stood not with the honor of both courts, that two suytes for one and the self same title, should be on foot together; yet was it then informed by his noble successor (and then of my councell) that the cause depending in the starr chamber, was not for the title questioned in chancerie, but for privie combination and practice, committed in a triall at law, some yeares before, at an assise at Sarum; to which his lordship replied, that true it was the tytle was not directly questioned in the starr chamber bill, yet did it conduce thereanto, and so reported by the chiefe baron Walter, that in case the defendant came to be censured by that court, it utterly destroyed both the former verdict, and the tytle in law. And thus much for myne owne apologie; and soe to proceed: where I must not leave out of the number of his vertues, that he was ever more led by a very noble conduct in the choyce of his servants, which I am bold to say were gentlemen of civilitie, readye to perform all the good offices of urbanitie, in presenting the meanest suytor to their lord, which (as I have taken it as an observation of myne owne was infused (if I be not deceived) by his own instruction and disci plination. The faculty of his dispatch in court is best presented in this: that VOL. II. N°. 14. L at his first accession to the seale, hee found two hundred causes on the paper ready for hearing, all which (with such as fell in his way) he determined within the yeare, soe that the clients of the court did not languish in expectation of the issue of their causes. Where it falls into observation, that this high place is rarely well served, but by men of law, and persons of deepest judgment, in the statute and common lawes of the land, whereby they may distinguish of cases, whether they lye proper in that court, to be releeved in equitic, without intrenching on the jurisdiction of the kingdome, which is the old inheritance of the subject, And thus have I briefly traversed the life and fortunes of this noble lord, I shall now close it up in the judgment of some notable personages and counsellors of state, which with one consent, and within a few days of his decease, concluded thus: That the king had lost a most noble servant of state, irreproveable in his place, and in his life and conversation, of a very noble report, and that the kingdom suffered in the losse with the king, in this, that the roome of the chancellor, hath not been supplyed with his life, within the memory of our fathers: and (if report be not injurious to truth) his majesty, in recommending the scale to this noble gentleman, enjoyned him to tread in the stepps of his predecessor, Memoria justorum remunebit in æternum, Now to this little modell of his praise and vertue, I know somewhat of course may be expected to bee said of his vices, for man is composed of humane flesh and frailtie, and the best of men are all subject unto error. Justus septies in die labitur. And who is he that feeleth not in himself the force of his owne corrupt nature, and the contagion of our first father's transgression, streaming through the veines of their infected posteritie? Surely modest men may say, that this noble man had not the priviledge of canonization, to bee sainted in earth, and that nothing of blackness could be laid to his eye, during the whole course of his life: but when wee consider his estate, now it is translated to another world, post fatum quiescit, and that envy which is soe emphatically fabled in avarum et invidum, becomes checked by the respect of prophanation, and feare of trampling on the sacred ashes of the dead, yet I am not ignorant what murmurs have passed on his integritie tacitly, charging it in implicit tearmes of playing the game dexterously and closely, and that if our faults could be all pencilled in our foreheads, this deceased lorde might then beare in front, sufficient arguments of his humane frailtie. However, thus much I say, that could he have beene painted to the life (and I believe it) wee should not find in him much of blemish, and that the maine objection vulgarly inferred on the amassing of his wealth,, could not well be done in justice, might be answered to the full in this, that his patrimonic considered, and that it was the gainefulness of the places he passed through, together with the greate fortune of his owne and his sons intermarriages, all concurring and talling into a frugall family, might soone wipe away all imputations of the most malignant, and perswade even [distraction] itselfe to suffer him to rest in peace, and (as wee may charitably belceve) in glorie, as his posteritie surviving, remaines in his honor and fortunes • He died at Durham House, in the Strand, on the 14th of Jan. 1639-40, and was buried at Croom D'Abitot, in Worcestershire, near his father, on the 1st of March following, after holding the seals sixteen years. Lord Clarendon, in his history of the rebellion, has drawn his character with so much force, that we shall conclude with an extract from it. "He discharged all the offices he went "through with great abilities and singular reputation of integrity, "and he enjoyed his place of Lord Keeper, with an universal repu"tation (and sure justice was never better administered) for the space of about sixteen years, even to his death, some months before " he was sixty years of age. Which was another important circum"stance of his felicity, that great office being so slippery, that no "man had died in it before, for near the space of forty years: nor "had his successors, for some time after him, much better fortune. 66 66 "He was a man of wonderful gravity and wisdome, and understood "not only the whole science and mystery of the law, at least equally "with any man who had ever sate in the place, but had a clear conception of the whole policy of the government both of church and state, which by the unskilfulness of some well meaning men, 'justled each other too much. He knew the temper, disposition, "and genius of the kingdom most exactly; saw their spirits grow "every day more sturdy, inquisitive, and impatient; and therefore "naturally abhorred all innovations; which he foresaw would pro"duce ruinous effects. Yet many who stood at a distance, thought " he was not active and stout enough in opposing those innovations. "For though, by his place, he presided in all public councils, and was most sharp sighted in the consequence of things, yet he was "seldom known to speak in matters of state, which, he well knew, were for the most part concluded before they were brought that public agitation: never in foreign affairs, which "the vigour of his judgment could well have comprehended: nor indeed freely in any thing, but what immediately and plainly "concerned the justice of the kingdom; and in that, as much as "he could, he procured references to the judges. Though in his "nature he had not only a firm gravity, but a severity, and even 66 4 to 66 66 some morosity, yet it was so happily tempered, and his courtesy "and affability towards all men so transcendant, and so much with"out affectation, that it marvellously recommended him to men of all degrees, and he was looked upon as an excellent courtier, without "receding from the native simplicity of his own manners. 66 "He had, in the plain way of speaking and delivery, without ❝ much ornament of elocution, a strange power of making himself "believed (the only justifiable design of eloquence); so that "though he used very frankly to deny, and would never suffer any * man to depart from him with an opinion that he was inclined to gratify, when in truth he was not; holding that dissimulation to be the worst of lying: yet the manner of it was so gentle and 66 |