$6 Christ, Thomas, by the Title of St. Cecile beyond

Tiber, of the Holy See of Rome, Cardinal Priest, “ Archbishop of York, Chancellor of England; and

kept in a certain Bag of white Leather, sealed fix " Times with white Wax and the Seal of the fame “ Cardinal, was delivered by the Cardinal in Person, “ in Obedience to the Lord the King's Orders, to “ the illustrious Princes, Thomas Duke of Norfolk, “ Treasurer of England, and Charles Duke of Suffolk, “ Earl Marshal of England, at the House of the said " Cardinal at Westminster, and in an upper Appart“ ment near the said Cardinal's walking Place, about " six of the Clock in the Evening of the saine Day, 66 in the Presence of William Fitz Williams, Knignt,

TreaMEMOIRS of the LORD CHANCELLORS, &c. ty came into Use ; for, upon the Walden, in Essex, leaving a great Seal being taken from Sir Thomas Eftate to his Daughter, after

wards married to Thomas Duke May the zoth, his Ma- of Norfolk, from whom is line1533, jesty committed the Cu- ally descended the present Earl stody of it to Sir Thomas Audley, of Suffolk. and commanded him to be call- May the 30th, the Lord ed Lord Keeper ; and, Sept. the Wriothesley, who had been 1545: 6th, a new Seal was made and created Earl of Southampton, was delivered to him ; soon after conftituted Lord high Chancellor, which he was made Lord Chan- who held the Sea] to the 6th of cellor, and created a Peer ; who March, I Edw. VI. when it þeing taken ill, Thomas Lord was taken from him, on his Wriothesly was, by special Com- fealing a special Commission for mission, (as appears in Rymer, hearing Causes in Chancery, Tom. XIV. fo. 446.) appointed to without Warrant from the Counkeep and exercise the Great Seal cil. From this Nobleman his during his Illness. Lord Audley Grace John Duke of Bedford, by was Chancellor of England above the Mother's Side, is descended; 12 Years, and was a Man of con- whose Brother, the late Duke, summate Parts and uncommon was baptized Wriothesley, in orPrudence, and, by his wary Ma- der to perpetuate the Memory of nagement, weathered King Hen- this noble Lord. ry's boisterous Humour ; died, June the 29th, it was crowned with much Honour, committed

to William 1547. April the zoth, 1545, and was Paulet, Lord St. John, with the buried in the Church of Saffron Title of Lord Keeper, who held

it

More,

66

$c Treasurer of the Lord the King's Houshold ; John « Taylor Priest, Master of the Rolls; and Stephen Gar“ diner, Priest, of the said Lord the King's Privy “ Council ; in whose Presence, the said Dukes put 6 the Seal so inclosed into another Bag of Crimson

Velvet, adorn'd with the Arms and Ensigns of

England ; and which they had sealed with red “ Wax by the said Stephen Gardiner ; and thus sealed " they put it into a certain Box bound with Iron şs and locked, the Key whereof the said Stephen kept

in MEMOIRS of the LORD CHANCELLORS, &c. it no longer than from the 29th of June, succeeded Sir Richard: of June to the 30th of Nov. But our Author tells us, that he following, 3 Edw. VI. he was could find nothing memorable

, created Earl of Wiltshire, and the concerning him, only that he next Year constituted Lord Trea- was the first Clergyman who furer of England. In the 5th had the Custody of the Great Year of the same Reign he was Seal fince Cardinal Wolfey. honoured with the Title of Mar- Stephen Gardiner, Biquis of Winchester, and fat as shop of Winchester, on the 1553. High Steward upon the Trial of zit of Sept. (whose Character the Duke of Somerset. He was we have already given in the Lord Treasurer 21 Years, and foregoing Part of this work) died 14 Eliz. in the 97th Year succeeded Goodrick. of his Age, having lived to see Nicholas Heath, Arch103 of his own Generation. On bishop of York, on the 1555: being asked, How he did to bear ist of Jan. followed Gardiner ; up in the dangerous Times he pailed his Grace was a wise and learned through, wherein great Alterations Man, and of great Integrity, bewere made both in Church and ing more devoted to pursue the State ? he replied, By being a Dictates of his own Conscience, Willow, and not an Oak. His than to persecute others. Grace, the present Duke of Bol- Sir Nicholas Bacon, on ton, is lineally descended from the 4th of April, was

1559. this great and worthy Peer. made Keeper of the Great Seal,

Nov. the zoth, in the i Eliz, who was doubtful whe1547. fame Year, succeeded Sir ther he could act with the same Richard Rich, with the Title of Authority as if he was ChancelLord Chancellor, from whom lor. To obviate this Doubt an the present Right Hon. Edward Act passed, 5 Eliz. declaring, Rich, Earlof Warwick and Hole "That the Authority of the land, is defcnded.

Keeper of the Great Seal was Richard Goodrick, Bi- ! the same with that of the 1551. shop of Ely, on the 19th Chancellor.” So that the Ju,

as

« in his own Custody, and delivered the Box to the it before-named Mr. John Taylor to be carried to the

Lord the King: Which John Taylor did afterwards,

on Wednesday the 20th Day of OEtóber, in the “aforesaid Year, prefent the Seal, locked in a Box

above set forth, to his Majesty, in one of the inner Apartments, near the Oratory of the said Lord “ the King; in the Castle of Windsor, about the Noon " of the same Day. The Lord the King then and 66

, do there immediately had the Box opened; and the

" Great from CARDINAL Wolsey's Time. dicial Authority of both thos: clor, and held the Seal about Offices, if they were before di- eight Years ; from whom we are ftinct, were here united in one. informed the late famous William His Lordship was educated in Bromley, Esq: Member for the UBennet's College, Cambridge ; niversity of Oxford, who made fo and, having applied himself to considerable a Figure in the World, the Study of the Common Law; was lincally descended. he proved, says the Author of

April the 29th, the the lives of the Lord Chancellors, Seal was delivered to Sir. 1587. • Not only a good Lawyer, buća Christopher Hatton, with the • Man of great Wifdom and Un- Title of Lord Chancellor, who

derstanding in all Sorts of Af- held it till his Death. He had • fairs ; he had an admirable a large Share of Abilities, which 6 Memory to recollect all the with his extraordinary Prudence • Circumstances of any Business made him shine greatly: He was • before him, and as great Pa- fo exactly just, yet affable, that • tience to consider them ; his he was chosen to keep the • usual Saying was, Let us fiay Queen's Conscience as Chancel.

a little, and we shall have dorie lor, and to express her Sense as the fooner. Grandeur he never Speaker. His Dispatch was

. affected, as appeared from the quick yet weighty, and his Or• Answer he made Queen Eli- ders many, yet confiftent, being i zabeth, when the paid him a very seldom reversed, and his • Visit at a near House he had in Advice in Council much prevail. • Hertfordshire, who faid, Your ed. From this great Man the • House seems too little for your prefent Right Hon. the Lord Vif• Lordship

- No, Madam, your count Harron is descended. Highness has made me too big for May the 29th, the Seal my House.

evas delivered to Sir Ichn 1591. April the 25th, Thomas Puekering, with the 'Title of Lord 1579: , held General, was made Lord Chan- Time of his Deatá : But how he Voz: IV NH

behance

66 Matt

“ Great Seal, inclosed and sealed in the said Bags, “ taken out, and caused some Briefs and a Procla“ mation, against the Exportation of Corn out of the

Kingdom, to be sealed in his Presence, the faid “ Meliieurs John Taylor and Stephen Gardiner, as like“ wise Henry Norris, Thomas Henneage, and others of “ the Lord the King's secret Chamber ; Radolph

Paxfall, Clerk of the Crown of England; John Croke,

Comptroller of the Hanaper ; John Judd, Deputy ; “ and Thomas Hall, Clerk of the faid Hanaper, being “ then present.

MEMOIRS of the LORD CHANCELLORS, &C. behaved during the four Yearsbeth: When King James, by he had the Great Seal no way Bill signed the 5th of April, appears upon Record.

1603, appointed the Great Seal No sooner did this of England so to continue, un: 1596.

Gentleman make his Ex- til, on the 29th of June next it, but the Lord Treasurer, Bur- following, the Seal being broken, leigh, and others received and the King delivered another Seals kept the Seal for some little with the Image, Arms, and Title Time, without any particular Ti- of himself, to the faid Sir Thatle. His Lordship’s Character is, mas; and on the 24th of July • That he was a Person of great made Sir Thomas (then created

Learning, fingular Judgnient, Peer, by the Title of Lord Elief

admirable Moderation, and mere,) Lord High Chancellor, • comely Gravity, who became wio carried himself with much • the chiefeit Siatesman of the Caution and Prudence in this

Age wherein he lived ; unto great Post, and made several good .“ whole Prudence in Council Regulations, for the Benefit of 1 much is attributed, , for the the Suitors, many of which are

Blessings enjoyed by that prof- in use at this Day. During this perous and happy Govern- Lora's Chancellorship there were

ment, throughout the long two Indictments for Premunire • Reign of Queen Elizabeth of preferred against him in the

happy Memory;", and from King's Bench, on Account of Dewhom are descended the present crees made by him in Chancery afRight. Hon. James Cecil, Earl ter Judgment in the Common Lawn of Salisbury, and Brownlow Cecil, (See the Articles exhibited against Earl of Exeter

Cardinal Wolley.] the one by May the 6th, it was Richard Granville, and the or 1596.

delivered to Sir Thomas ther by William Allen, which Egerton, Master of the Rolls, were by the Grand Jury, canwith the Title of Lord Keeper, sitting of very substantial Persons, till the Death of Queen Elize- returned Ignoramus, though they

“ Matters being thus transacted, the fame Lord the

King caused the Great Seal aforesaid to be returned « into the same white Bag, and to be sealed with his “ own fealing Ring on white Wax, and with the Seals c of the said Masters John Taylor and Stephen Gardi

ner, which, when he faw done, his Majesty kept " the Great Seal in his own Custody till Monday the

2 gth Day of the fame Month of Otober ; on which “ Day, about three in the Afternoon, the aforesaid " Lord the King being at his Mannor of Plaisance;

16 other

Nn 2

s

from CARDINAL WOLSEY's Time. were twice sent out; and Sir his Grace the present Duke of Francis Bacon, in a Letter to Brid; evater is descended. King James the Ift, says, “ If March the 7th, it was

1616. they were set on that preferred given to Sir Francis Ba• them, they were the worst con, with the Title of Lord • Marksmen that ever were that Kecper, who was soon after cre< set them on, for there could ated Viscount Verulam, and, on

not have been chosen two such the 14th of Jan. 1617, was « Causes for the Honour and made Lord High Chancellor. - Advantage of the Chancery, He was indeed allowed to be one • for the Justness of the Decrees, of the greatest Men of the Age ; • and the Foulness and Scandal his generous and affable Dispo• of the Fact and Person in those sition procured him the Esteem • that impeached the Decrees.' and Admiration of all People: This Attack on the Chancery Sir He inftilled the wholesome PreFrancis imputes principally to cept of Prudence and Honour inthe Lord Chief Justice Coke. to the Nobility ; found PrinAfter this King James, upon ciples, Arts, and Sciences, he

; a folemn Hearing, on the Ob- communicated to the Learned ; jection against the High Court noble. Maxims of Government of Chancery's Interposing in to Princes, and excellent Rules of Suits after Judgment in the Com- Life to the People : But notmon Law, was pleased to give withstanding this Character, this Judgment, That the Statutes of most learned Nobleman was, the 27 Edw. III. cap. 1. and of 4 3d of May, 1621, removed for Hen. IV. cap. 23. did not extend Corruption, &c. Wilson the Hi. to the Court of Chancery : And itorian speaks thus of l.is Lord. since that, the Decrees made by ship ; 'That he was a fit Jewel this Court, in order to reftrain the to have beautified and adornRigour of the Common Law af. • ed a flourishing Kingdom, if ter Judgment have not been que- his Flaws had not disgraced ftioned, but on the contrary much o the Luttre that should have fet encouraged. From Lord Ellesmere him off.'

o ' • One Fault he had,

says