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and annoy his adversary. It was customary at that time for the civilians to practise in Westminster Hall as well as at Doctors' Commons, and whenever Dr. Cowell used to appear in the common law courts, Sir Edward was accustomed to address him by the name of Dr. Cow-heel. Not content, however, with the vengeance which his tongue and his pen inflicted, Coke resolved to make a formal complaint against him to the king. Knowing his Majesty's weak side, he assured him that "Dr. Cowell had disputed too nicely upon the mysteries of this our monarchy; yea, in some points very derogatory to the supreme power of the crown," and had asserted" that the king's prerogative was, in some cases, limited." It must be acknowledged that the latter charge did not become the mouth of Coke, who had resolved, with several of his brothers, "That the king hath no prerogative but that which the law of the land allows him." (See 12 Rep. 76.) Nor have the obnoxious passages in the Interpreter a very antiprerogative character. They are as follows. "1. That the king is solutus a legibus, and not bound by his coronation oath. 2. That it is not ex necessitate that the king should call a parliament to make laws, but that he may do that by his absolute power; for voluntas regis with him is vox populi. 3. That it is a favour to admit the consent of his subjects in giving subsidies. 4. That he draws

his arguments from the Imperial Laws of the Roman Emperors, which are of no force in England."

The king, who imagined it a sort of blasphemy in a subject to meddle with the prerogative, issued his proclamation against the buying and selling, or reading the Interpreter, and took this occasion to indulge in some remarks upon the royal authority, which far surpass in absurdity any thing contained in Dr. Cowell's obnoxious volume. The commencement of the proclamation ran as follows. "This latter age and time of the world, wherein we are fallen, is so much given to verbal profession, as well of religion as of all commendable moral virtunes, but wanting the actions and deeds agreeable to so specious a profession, as it hath bred such an insatiable curiosity in many men's spirits, and such an itching in the tongues and minds of most men, as nothing is left unsearched to the bottom, both in talking and writing. For from the very highest mysteries in the Godhead, and the most inscrutable councils in the Trinity, to the very lowest pit of hell and the confused actions of the devils there, there is nothing now unsearched into by the curiosity of men's brains. Then not being contented with the knowledge of so much of the will of God as it hath pleased him to reveal, but they will needs sit with him in his most private closet, and be

come privy of his most inscrutable counsels: and therefore it is no wonder that men in these our days do not spare to wade in all the deepest mysteries that belong to the persons and state of kings. and princes, that are Gods upon earth, since we see (as we have already said) that they spare not God himself."

It appears that this proclamation was drawn from the king by the proceedings which parliament was about to take against Dr. Cowell, but which were abandoned on the interference of his majesty. It is even said that at one period James had declared at the council table his approbation of the doctor's book.

LORD CHANCELLOR NORTHINGTON,

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"A more singular character than the late. Lord Chancellor Northington has not, perhaps, been unfolded to modern observation. He possessed considerable abilities, was an upright judge, and gave satisfaction in the high office he enjoyed: in private life he was the very reverse of every thing which would seem to produce dignity in a public station. In his youth he was a professed debauchee, and the sentiments and language of that character were retained by him to the latest moment of his existence. On his return home from the administration of justice, he would not hesitate to swear at his servants, and be indecent S

VOL. II.

with his company.-Indeed, the state coach was not always considered sacred to chaste and decent speech, and the uneasiness of that rumbling machine, when his lordship's feet have been tender from the gout, has called forth very strong exclamations in the presence of the mace and seals. Some of his friends have been so free as to declare they have actually seen an oath on his lips when he presided on the woolsack, though it was never known to escape further. One occasion, however, was marked with language too expressive to pass unnoticed.

"The speaker, Onslow, who attends with the most scrupulous regard, both in public and private, to the dignity of his character, was complaining, on his arrival later than usual at the House of Commons, on some day of important business, that he had been stopped in Parliament Street, owing to the obstinacy of a carman, and was told that the Lord Chancellor had experienced a considerable delay from the same cause. 'Well,' (said the speaker) did not his lordship show him the mace, and strike him dumb with terror ?” 'No,' (it was replied) he did not; but he swore, by God, that if he had been in his private coach, he would have got out and beat the damned rascal to a jelly."" (Strictures on the Lives and Characters of Eminent Lawyers, &c. 1790, p. 17.)

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THE LAST DAYS OF JUDGE JEFFERIES.

"The Lord Jefferies' fate, as well as that of his master, King James, came on apace:-for the Prince of Orange being landed, advanced towards London without opposition, and the King, having taken the seal from the Chancellor, left him in the lurch, and withdrew privately, on the 10th of December, in the dead of the night, down the Thames, in order to go for France. The Great Seal was afterwards found by a fisherman in the Thames, and the Chancellor, now without protection, having rendered himself obnoxious to most people, and being perfectly hated by the nation, on Monday, between three and four in the morning, withdrew, and having in disguise got down safe to Wapping, put himself on board a collier, which was pretended to be bound for Newcastle, but, indeed, was designed for Hamburgh: but some persons having notice thereof, by means of the mate, they went to a justice for a warrant to apprehend him; but he thought fit to put them off; whereupon they applied themselves forthwith to the Lords of the Council, who granted them a warrant, and they went immediately to search the ship: but he, on Tuesday night, not thinking himself safe on board the collier in which he was to pass, lay in another ship hard by, so that those who came that day to search for him,

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