Before the Cardinal left his Palace he gave his Servants a ftrict Charge of all the Jewels, Plate, and other Things of Value, which his Mafter was now to have.

The Cardinal ordered

to retire to

Efher.

At this Time Sir William Gafcoigne, his Treasurer, relates to him the Rumour that was Abroad, concerning his Commitment to the Tower. The Relation of this Report he not only took unkindly, but repri manded Sir William feverely for his Credulity, faying, As my Honour, Riches, &c. I received from the King;

from CARDINAL WOLSEY's Time.

Lord Keeper, who was fome time after created Earl of Nottingham, and made Lord High Chancellor. During all the Time he prefided in this Court he made a very great Figure, and died poffeffed of this high Office; of whom this is related, "He behaved in the most tick⚫lish Times with fo regular and even a Conduct, that he was fcarce ever taxed, either as a ⚫ Statefman or Chancellor, with Partiality, and was fo excellent ⚫ and eloquent an Orator, that ⚫ fome have ftiled him the Englijh Cicero, &c.' Part of the Infcription on his Monument tells us, 'He was a Perfonof extraordi

nary natural Endowments, and for manly and unaffected Eloquence, univerfal Learning, in* corrupted Justice, indefatigable Diligence, moft exemplary Pie

⚫ty, large and diffufive Charity,

not unequal to any that have gone before him, and an eminent Example to Posterity; in whom were all the Virtues that make a great and good Man confpicuous, without the Ble'mish of any Vice.' Then it enumerates the Pofts he had held, and concludes thus: Nine Years

he ferved the King in the Sta• tion of Chancellor with great • Wisdom, Honour, Uprightness,

and Ability, treating all Men with Meeknefs and Affability, ' and always most ready and ⚫ willing to forgive Injuries, even ' when he had moft Power to revenge them, valuing Greatnefs as only miniftring to him a greater Opportunity of doing good.' Add to this, from Mr. Dryden's Abfalom and Achitophel.

Our Lifts of Nobles next let AMRI* Grace,
Whofe Merit claims the Abethdin's High Place
Who, with a Loyalty that did excel,
Brought all the Endowments of Achitophel.
Sincere was AMRI, and not only knew,
But Ifrael's Sanction into Practice drew.
VOL. IV.

*The Chancellor.

Our

King; fo, if it is his Pleasure, I freely return them. He then took Boat at the private Stairs of his Palace, having with him most of his Servants, with fome Furniture and Provifions, and directed his Course towards Putney. Upon this Occafion the Thames was crouded with Spectators on both Sides, and a vast Number of Boats appeared on the River in hopes of feeing the Cardinal carried to the Tower, and it is almost incredible what Joy the common People expreffed. "The giddy Mob, fays "the

MEMOIRS of the LORD CHANCELLORS, &C.

Our Laws, that did a boundless Ocean feem,
Were coafted all, and fathom'd all by him.
No Rabin fpeaks like him their myftick Senfe
So just, and with fuch Charms of Eloquence;
To whom the double Bleffing does belong,
With Moses' Infpiration, AARON's Tongue.

From this great Man the prefent Right Hon. Daniel, Earl of Winchelfea and Nottingham, is defcended.

t

--

Dec. the 13th, the 1682. King was pleafed to put the Seal into the Hands of Sir Francis North, Knt. with the Title of Lord Keeper, and foon after he was created Baron Guilford, and held the Seal till his "Death, Sept. 26, 1683. He was a fingular great and good Man, ever active in the Service of his Country, in which his Conduct and Behaviour were not to be blamed,and his Character in general without Exception; notwithstanding fome, either thro' Ignorance or Party Rage, might think otherwife. In a Word, he was the best of Brothers, and ⚫ the belt of Friends.' (See Dedication to his Life, lately published by Montague North, Efq;) From

this great Man is defcended the prefent Right Hon. Francis North Lord Guilford, &c.

Octob. the 28th, King James the IId committed 1685. the Cuftody thereof to that very extraordinary Nobleman George Lord Jeffrey's, (whose History is very well known) who held it to the Time of the Revolution, when he was committed to the Tower, where he foon after died. Howe ver, this is faid of him, That he had a very piercing Eye, was a good Chancellor, and few or none of his Decrees were • reverfed.'

"the Writer of the Church History, being always "well pleased when they fee Authority under Op"preffion: For, let Minifters be never fo juft, in "the Administration of publick Affairs, there is "constantly a Party labouring under Disappointments, "who make it their Business to influence the Common People against the Power that governs.

The Cardinal, being landed at Putney, immediately mounted his Mule, his Servants and Attendants being on Horseback; but he was fcarce got to the Foot of the

from CARDINAL WOLSEY'S Time.

(except those who tranfacted in the
Time of the Ufurpation) a Doubt
arofe, Whether their Authority ex-
tended, in their judicial Capacity,
as far as that of the Lord Chan-
cellor, or Lord Keeper? To fix
this Point an Act paffed, 1 Will.
and Mary, wherein it was de-
clared, That the Lords Com
'miffioners, for the keeping of

On bis Way receives a comfortable Meffage from the King.

the Hill, on the other Side Putney, when he was overtaken by Sir John Norris, one of the Gentlemen of the King's Bed-chamber, who difmounted his Horfe, faluted his Eminence in his Majefty's Name, and addreffed himself upon his Knees as follows, "That he was fent Exprefs to affure him, that he was as much in the King's Favour as ever: That "this Difgrace was only to ferve a Turn, and please "fome fort of People; bidding him be of good Cou

MEMOIRS of the LORD CHANCELLORS, &c.

⚫ fome Votes: And by him began the Practice of buying of · Men, in which hitherto the King had kept to ftricter Rules. I took the Liberty once to complain to the King of this "Method. He faid, He hated it

6 as much as any Man could do: < But he faw it was not possible, * confidering the Corruption of the

Age, to avoid it, unless he would endanger the whole." However, fuch was the Fate that attended Sir John, that he was expelled the Houfe for Corruption, tho' he continued Mafter of the Rolls till his Death. Thefe Commiffioners held the Seal until March, when it was 1693. committed to the Care of the great Sir John Somers, Knt. with the Title of Lord Keeper, who was afterwards created Lord Somers, and declared Lord Chancellor of whom the very ingenious Mr. Addifon, in a Paper called the Freeholders, gives us this Character. That unwearied Diligence, which followed him · through all the Stages of his Life, gave him fuch a thorough Infight into the Laws of the Land, that he paffed for one

·

of the greatest Masters of his Profeffion, at his first Appear'ance in it. Though he made a regular Progrefs through the ⚫ feveral Honours of the Long Robe, he was always looked upon as one who deferved a fuperior Station to that he was poffeffed of, till he arrived at the highest Dignity to which thofe Studies could advance him. He enjoyed, in the higheft Perfection, two Talents, which do not often meet in the fame Perfon, the greateft Strength of good Senfe, and the most exquifite Tafte of Politeness; without the first Learning is but an Incum'brance, and without the last is ungrateful. My Lord Somers was Mafter of these two Qualifications in fo eminent a Degree, that all the Parts of Knowledge appeared in him with fuch an additional Strength and Beauty, as they want in the Poffeffion of others. If he delivered his Opinion of a Piece of Poetry, a Statue, or a Picture, there was fomething fo juft and delicate in his Obfervations, as naturally

6

pro

rage, for, as his Majefty was able, fo he was will"ing, to make good all his Loffes." The Cardinal, being furprized at this joyful News, directly got off his Mule, and, falling alfo upon his Knees in the Highway, gave Thanks firft to God, and next to the King, in Words that were scarce to be expreffed in the Manner they were uttered; then, taking off his Hat, made fresh Proteftations of Gratitude to his Sovereign: After which, both arifing, they mounted and rode towards Efher. As they converfed

from CARDINAL WOLSEY's Time.

produced Pleasure and Affent in those who heard him. His Solidity and Elegance, improved by the Reading of the fineft Authors, both of the learned and modern Languages, difcovered themselves • in all his Productions. His Oratory was mafculine and perfuafive, free from every thing • trivial and affected: His Stile ⚫ in Writing was chafte and pure,

but at the fame time full of Spirit and Politeness, and fit to convey the most intricate • Business to the Understanding of the Reader, with the utmost Clearnefs and Perfpicuity. And here it is to be lamented, that • this extraordinary Perfon, out of his natural Averfion to vain Glory, wrote feveral Pieces, as well as performed several Actions, which he did not affume the Honour of; though · at the fame time fo many • Works of this Nature have appeared, which every one has afcribed to him, that I believe no Author of the greatest Eminence would deny my 'Lord Somers to have been the

⚫ beft Writer of the Age in which • he lived. This noble Lord, for the great Extent of his Knowledge and Capacity, has 'been often compared with the • Lord Verulam, who had allo ⚫ been Chancellor of England."

But the Conduct of these two "extraordinary Perfons, under the fame Circumftances, was vastly different. They were 'both impeached by a House ⚫ of Commons: One of them, as he had given juft Occafion for it, funk under it, and was • reduced to fuch an abject Sub

miffion, as very much diminifhed the Luftre of fo exalted · a Character. But my Lord • Somers was too well fatisfied in his Integrity, to fear the Impotence of an Attempt upon his Reputation; and, tho' ⚫his Accufers would gladly have dropped their Impeachment, he was inftant with them for the Profecution of it, and ⚫ would not let that Matter rest till it was brought to an Iffue: For the fame Virtue and • Greatness of Mind, which gave him a Difregard of Fame,

• 'made