160 Records of the Rising in the West, A.D. 1655. 
More recently he had presided at the celebrated trial of Don Pan- 
taleone Sa, the brother of the Portugese ambassador. Well-known 
on the western circuit, his presence must have been most acceptable, 
a thorough guarantee against any hurried justice and shuffled 
verdicts. There was some talk after those days, which has been re- 
peated, that he would not engage in the trials because he disliked the 
whole proceedings. But on looking closely we find this was not the 
case. Whether he approved or not, he was present at Salisbury, at 
the consultation about the indictment, and afterwards there and at 
Exeter during most of the important trials. His objection to 
preside, on account of his having been one of the chief objects of 
the Cavalier attack, has ever been considered an overwhelming 
reason against his doing so. Was it incumbent on him to serve 
there as a Judge at all? Ithink not. He might have declined, 
but he preferred to be present to see that justice was fairly admin- 
istered. The Government were glad for they knew the respect he 
enjoyed throughout the west country. 
Robert Nicholas, a Baron of the Exchequer was a rough-and- 
ready Wiltshireman. He came from the same stock as Sir Edward 
Nicholas, Charles the First’s Secretary,! and Dr. Matthew Nicholas, 
sometime Dean of St. Paul’s. Both these last were from Win- 
terbourne Earls, but Robert was described as of All Cannings on 
his admission to the Inner Temple, July 25th, 1614. Probably then 
he was about 20 years of age.? In the disputes of Kings and com- 
mons he warmly used his hard head and tongue on the parliamentary 
side. “T'was a very fiery tongue on occasion, witness his language to 
the Archbishop Laud, and in the Lord Goring debate. But his 
friendship was as strong, aye, stronger, than his temper, and the 
Commons loved the man. They made him a Serjeant-at-Law, 
October, 1648. They wished him to act as one the King’s Judges. 
He with no little discretion evaded, without giving offence, afterwards 
they made him a judge of the Upper Bench, June Ist, 1649. We 
1 A.D. 1655, Secretary to King Charles IJ., and with him at this time. Notices 
of the Nicholas family will be fonnd in vol. vi., p. 186, and (with pedigree,) in 
vol. xi., p. 36, of this Magazine. 
2In 1640 he was (with Col. Ed. Baynton,) one of the members for Devizes. 
