e made for his promotion, and yett it was
enough knowne, that the disgrace proceeded only from the pri[v]ate
displeasure of the Duke of Buckingham[1]: The L'd Coventry injoyed
this place with a universall reputation (and sure justice was never
better administred) for the space of aboute sixteen yeeres, even to
his death, some months before he was sixty yeeres of age, which was
another importante circumstance of his felicity: that greate office
beinge so slippery, that no man had dyed in it before, for neere the
space of forty yeeres, nor had his successors for some tyme after him
much better fortune: and he himselfe had use of all his strenght and
skill (as he was an excellent wrastler) to praeserve himselfe from
fallinge, in two shockes, the one given him by the Earle of Portlande,
L'd High Treasurer of Englande, the other by the Marq's of Hambleton,
who had the greatest power over the affections of the Kinge, of any
man of that tyme.

He was a man of wounderfull gravity and wisdome, and understood not
only the whole science and mistery of the Law, at least aequally with
any man who had ever sate in that place, but had a cleere conception
of the whole policy of the government both of Church and State, which
by the unskilfulnesse of some well meaninge men, justled each the
other to much. He knew the temper, and disposition and genius of the
kingdome most exactly, saw ther spiritts grow every day more sturdy,
and inquisitive, and impatient, and therfore naturally abhorred all
innovations, which he foresaw would produce ruinous effects: yett many
who stoode at a distance thought that he was not active and stoute
enough in the opposinge those innovations, for though by his place he
praesided in all publique councells, and was most sharpe sighted in the
consequence of things, yett he was seldome knowne to speake in matters
of state, which he well knew were for the most parte concluded, before
they were brought to that publique agitation, never in forrainge
affayres, which the vigour of his judgement could well comprehende,
nor indeede freely in any thinge, but what immediately and playnely
concerned the justice of the kingdome, and in that as much as he
could, he procured references to the Judges. Though in his nature he
had not only a firme gravity, but a severity, and even some morosity
(which his children and domestiques had evidence enough of) [yet][2]
it was so happily tempred, that his courtesy and affability towards