1617 COKE AND HIS WIFE. 85 out success, to get his wife's property into his hands, and to exIclude her from all share in the estates of her former husband. The lady, on her part, testified her resentment, by refusing to bear the name of Coke, and by appealing to her powerful relatives for assistance. By their help the quarrel was hushed up for a time, and for some years no public scandal resulted from the strife. The Hatton estate. years.1 as ever. Eliza At first it seemed as if the disgrace of the Chief Justice was likely to have a favourable effect upon his domestic relations. When his wife learned that danger was approaching, she drew closer to him than she had done for many But it was not long before the breach was as wide One of the charges against Coke related to certain lands which had belonged to the late Lord Chancellor Hatton, who had died, owing to the Crown a debt of 42,000l. beth, who had to provide for the expenses of government out of a miserably inadequate revenue, knew better than to lose sight of such a sum. She therefore took possession of his estates, and leased them out till the debt was paid from the accruing rents. This lease, which had been at one time in Lady Hatton's hands, was, by some arrangement, the purpose of which we are unable to trace, transferred, in 1608, to four persons, of whom Coke was one.2 As the annual profits of the land were in excess of the rent payable to the Crown, Coke, in his anxiety to retain the lease as long as possible, contrived to induce the heir to enter into a bond not to redeem his property by paying down the remainder of the debt. In 1616, however, the outstanding portion of the debt was actually paid on his behalf, and Coke not only lost his hold on the estate,3 but was threatened by the Crown lawyers with penalties for his attempt to fill his own pockets at the expense of the Exchequer. 3 It seems that, in some way or another, Lady Hatton's in 'Chamberlain to Carleton, June 22, 1616, S. P. Dom. lxxxvii. 67. 2 Patent Rolls, 5 Jac. 1, part 29. 3 Grant to Rich and Hatton. Grant to Rous and Shute, July 20, 1616, S. P. Sign Manuals, vi. 68, 69. 4 Act of Council, Biog. Brit. Article Coke, note R. Coke's his wife. terests were affected, and that her signature was required to the release which her husband was called upon to quarrel with execute. Her temper was not proof against the discovery that the estate must be surrendered. She accused her husband of doing her grievous wrong, and made up her mind to live with him no longer. One day she slipped away from the house in which he was, carrying with her all the plate and valuables upon which she could lay her hands. The quarrel became the standing jest of all the newsmongers in London. But their amusement was increased when they heard that Lady Hatton had appealed to the Privy Council against her husband's tyranny. He had threatened, she said, to indemnify himself out of the estates which had been bequeathed to her by her first husband. Coke, on his part, stoutly denied that he had said anything of the kind. For some weeks the Privy Councillors were racking their brains over the dispute. At last, some sort of superficial reconciliation was effected. One of the questions at issue was the ownership of Hatton House. The Council decided that it belonged to the lady, but added a sensible recommendation, that she should allow her husband to live in it as well as herself.2 The reconciliation did not last long. Not many hours after the award of the Council was pronounced, the quarrel broke 1 Lansdowne MSS. 160, fol. 238. Sherburn to Carleton, May 25. Winwood to Lake, June 2, S. P. Dom. xcii. 43, 57. Mr. Bruce, in his preface to his Calendar of Domestic State Papers for 1634, has printed a paper in which Lady Hatton recounts her wrongs. But I confess that I hesitate to accept as evidence the statements of a lady whose memory is so bad that she assigns a date to her marriage which is some months after the birth of her first child. In the same volume will be found an account of the fortunes of Coke's eldest daughter by his second marriage. 2 Council Register, June 11. It is amusing to notice Lady Hatton's oblique allusion to her husband in her will. "Having seriously considered," she says, "how I have abounded with temporal felicity while I was the happy wife of Sir W. Hatton, my first most faithful and dear deceased husband . . . with whose breath all my transitory happiness expired, and then, for want of spiritual consideration, the storms of a tempestuous life overtaking me had for so many years so far eclipsed the comfort of this life, that my very being was a burden to me," &c., Harl. MSS. 7193, fol. 16. 1616 LADY HATTON AND LADY COMPTON. 1616. Sir John 87 out again on a fresh subject of difference. By her marriage with Coke, Lady Hatton was the mother of two daughters. In the autumn of 1616, the younger of the two, Frances Coke, was growing up into early womanhood, and was attracting all eyes by the beauty which she inherited from her mother. Amongst those who were fascinated by her budding loveliness was Sir John Villiers, the elder brother of the favourite. His attachment was certainly not cooled by the knowledge that after the death of her parents she would be possessed of an estate valued at 1,300l. a-year,1 and that it was unlikely that, even in their lifetime, they would send their daughter forth as a penniless bride. Sir John was anxious to make this rich prize his own with as little delay as possible. But he had none of his brother's brilliancy. He was weak in mind and in body, and, if he had any sense at all, it was shown in his perception that he was far more likely to succeed through Court influence than by any attempt which he might personally make to win the affections of the lady. He accordingly placed his cause in his mother's hands. Lady Compton and her Buckingham's mother was now married a third time to Sir Thomas Compton, a man whom she hated and despised, and to whom, as all the world knew, she had only been attracted by the prospect of sharing his wealth. children. Her whole heart was now set upon the congenial occupation of making provision for her family. She had succeeded so well in her speculation on the good looks of her second son, that she had no fear of failure in her present enterprise. It is true that there were few ladies who were likely to find any personal attractions in Sir John; but the prudent mother never doubted that by a judicious use of George's influence such a difficulty might easily be overcome. Her intervention in her son's courtship. With Lady Hatton, at least, even this potent argument was unlikely to produce conviction. The two scheming women were too much alike to agree, and a bitter quarrel had recently broken out between them.2 'Indenture between Coke and Burghley, Close Rolls, 41 Eliz. Part 25. 2 Chamberlain to Carleton, July 6, 1616, S. P. Dom. lxxxviii. 6. Coke refuses Put Lady Compton thought that something might be done with Coke. He had just been suspended from his office, and in order to avert the deprivation which was hanging over his head at the time when the marriage was first mooted, he might be willing to sacrifice not only his daughter, but his money. In spite of the temptation, Coke refused to give way. He did not indeed object to dispose of his daughter's to accept her hand to suit his own interests; but Lady Compton wanted more than this. He was told that he must give a portion of 10,000l. with the bride, if the King was to forgive his misdeeds. He refused to give more than twothirds of that sum, and Lady Compton would not abate a penny of her terms. Coke magniloquently told her that he would not buy the King's favour too dear. The negotiation was broken off, and he was called upon to resign his seat on the Bench. terms, As the months slipped away, Coke felt the loss of his occupation more and more. His love of money was great. 1617. but afterwards relents. His rugged temper and impatience of opposition were greater still. But greatest of all was his professional pride. If Parliament had been sitting, he would doubtless have thrown himself into opposition as vigorously as he did at a later period of his life. But there was no such chance before him. He had to sit quietly at home, whilst others administered those laws which he had grown to consider as his peculiar property. It was a hard trial, and he soon began to repent of his obstinacy, and to bethink himself whether it would not be worth while to sacrifice-not his daughter, for on that point he had never felt any difficulty, but the few thousand pounds which appeared to have caused the disaster. At last he made up his mind, and told Lady Compton that he was ready to comply with her wishes. Bacon's ob It was not long before the compact reached the ears of Bacon. For the hardships of poor Frances Coke, jections. indeed, he cared as little as his rival. It was not an age in which such sorrows ever found much sympathy. 1 Chamberlain to Carleton, Nov. 9, 1616; March 15, 1617, S. P. Dom. lxxxix. 17; xc. 122. 1617 BACON OPPOSES COKE. £9 He looked, or fancied that he looked, upon the whole matter simply as a political question. That his own personal and professional rivalry with Coke, reaching as it did through so long a series of years, had no influence on his judgment, it would be hazardous in the extreme to affirm; but he had, at least, persuaded himself that no memory of Coke's scornful insolence rankled in his bosom. He believed that he merely saw a man whose connexion with the Government was most injurious to the King's service, attempting to force his way back into office by taking advantage of Buckingham's affection for his brothers. Unable to speak either with the favourite or the King, to warn them of the consequence of their error, his vexation vented itself upon Winwood, who had now made himself a thorough partisan of Coke, and whose wild recklessness of consequences in the affair of Raleigh's voyage was not likely to commend itself favourably to Bacon. His quarrel wood. Even by his best friends Winwood's manner was allowed to be anything but conciliatory, and he was not likely to take much trouble to avoid a quarrel. In a few days the with Win- Lord Keeper and the Secretary had come to an open rupture. When men meet in such a temper, a little matter will kindle the hidden spark into a flame. Winwood, coming into a room where Bacon was, found a dog upon his chair. He was not in the best of tempers, and he struck the animal. "Every gentleman," was Bacon's remark, "loves a dog." A few days afterwards Bacon fancied that Winwood pressed too close to him at the Council-table, and bade him keep his distance. When, some months later, the Queen, who had taken Winwood's part in the quarrel, asked Bacon what was the cause of the difference between them, he turned the matter off by answering, "Madam, I can say no more than that he is proud, and I am proud."2 Coke fancied himself sure of his game. He acquainted the King with his intentions,3 and James, who was glad enough to Goodman, Court of James, i. 283. Chamberlain to Carleton, July 5, 1617, S. P. Dom. xcii. 88. 2 Chamberlain to Carleton, Oct. 11, S. P. Dom, xciii. 124. Coke to Buckingham, July 15. Campbell's Chief Justices, i. 298. |