Lp. to pardon her boldness, but she was like a cow that
had lost her calf, and so justified [herself] and pacified my
Lord's anger, and got his warrant and my Lo. Treasurer's warrant
and others of the Council to fetch her daughter from the father and
bring them both to the Council."

It was a chance that the late Chief-Justice and his wife, with their
armed parties, did not meet on the road, in which case "there were like
to be strange tragedies." At length the Council compelled both sides to
keep the peace, and the young lady was taken for the present out of the
hands of her raging parents. Bacon had assumed that the affair was the
result of an intrigue between Winwood and Coke, and that the Court would
take part against Coke, a man so deep in disgrace and so outrageously
violent. Supposing that he had the ear of Buckingham, he wrote
earnestly, persuading him to put an end to the business; and in the
meantime the Council ordered Coke to be brought before the Star Chamber
"for riot and force," to "be heard and sentenced as justice shall
appertain." They had not the slightest doubt that they were doing what
would please the King. A few days after they met, and then they learned
the truth.

"Coke and his friends," writes Chamberlain, "complain of hard
measure from some of the greatest at that board, and that he was
too much trampled upon with ill language. And our friend [_i.e._
Winwood] passed out scot free for the warrant, which the greatest
[_word illegible_] there said was subject to a _praemunire_; and
withal told the Lady Compton that they wished well to her and her
sons, and would be ready to serve the Earl of Buckingham with all
true affection, whereas others did it out of faction and
ambition--which words glancing directly at our good friend
(Winwood), he was driven to make his apology, and to show how it
was put upon him from time to time by the Queen and other parties;
and, for conclusion, showed a letter of approbation of all his
courses from the King, making the whole table judge what faction
and ambition appeared in this carriage. _Ad quod non fuit
responsum._"

None indeed, but blank faces, and thoughts of what might come next. The
Council, and Bacon foremost, had made a desperate mistake. "It is
evident," as Mr. Spedding says, "that he had not divined Buckingham's
feelings on the subject." He was now to learn