his rival Coke. Bacon, the illustrious philosopher, whose
eye was only blest in observing nature, and whose mind was only great in
recording his own meditations, now sat down to contrive the most subtle
suggestions he could put together to prevent this match; but Lord Bacon
not only failed in persuading the king to refuse what his majesty much
wished, but finally produced the very mischief he sought to avert--a
rupture with Buckingham himself, and a copious scolding letter from the
king, but a very admirable one;[344] and where the lord-keeper trembled
to find himself called "Mr. Bacon."

There were, however, other personages than his majesty and his favourite
more deeply concerned in this business, and who had not hitherto been
once consulted--the mother and the daughter! Coke, who, in every-day
concerns, issued his commands as he would his law-writs, and at times
boldly asserted the rights of the subject, had no other paternal notion
of the duties of a wife and a child than their obedience!

Lady Hatton, haughty to insolence, had been often forbidden both the
courts of their majesties, where Lady Compton, the mother of Buckingham,
was the object of her ladyship's persevering contempt. She retained her
personal influence by the numerous estates which she enjoyed in right of
her former husband. When Coke fell into disgrace, his lady abandoned
him! and, to avoid her husband, frequently moved her residences in town
and country. I trace her with malicious activity disfurnishing his house
in Holborn, and at Stoke[345] seizing on all the plate and moveables,
and, in fact, leaving the fallen statesman and the late lord
chief-justice empty houses and no comforter! The wars between Lady
Hatton and her husband were carried on before the council-board, where
her ladyship appeared, accompanied by an imposing train of noble
friends. With her accustomed haughty airs, and in an imperial style,
Lady Hatton declaimed against her tyrannical husband, so that the
letter-writer adds, "divers said that Burbage could not have acted
better." Burbage's famous character was that of Richard the Third. It is
extraordinary that Coke, able to defend any cause, bore himself so
simply. It is supposed that he had laid his domestic concerns too open
to animadversion in the neglect of his daughter; or that he was aware
that he was standing before no friendly bar, at that moment being out of
favour; whatever was the cause, our noble virago obtained a sig