66 MISCELLANEOUS LETTERS. 



answer, which hath a mixture of the sudden ; and of my 

 self I will not, nor cannot say any thing, but that my voice 

 served me well for two hours and a half; and that those 

 that understood nothing could tell me that I lost not one 

 auditor that was present in the beginning, but staid till the 

 latter end. If I should say more, there were too many wit 

 nesses, for I never saw the court more full, that might dis 

 prove me. 



My Lord Coke was pleased to say, that it was a famous 

 argument ; but withal, he asked me a politic and tempting 

 question : for, taking occasion by a notable precedent I had 

 cited, where, upon the like writ brought, all the judges in 

 England assembled, and that privately, lest they should 

 seem to dispute the King s commandment, and, upon con 

 ference, with one mind agreed, that the writ must be obeyed. 

 Upon this hold, my lord asked me, whether I would have 

 all the rest of the judges called to it. I was not caught; 

 but knowing well that the judges of the Common Pleas 

 were most of all others interested in respect of the protho- 

 notaries, I answered, civilly, that I could advise of it ; but 

 that I did not distrust the court; and, besides, I thought 

 the case so clear, as it needed not. 



Sir, I do perceive, that I have not only stopped, but almost 

 turned the stream ; and I see how things cool by this, that 

 the judges that were wont to call so hotly upon the busi 

 ness, when they had heard, of themselves, took a fortnight 

 day to advise what they will do, by which time the term 

 will be near at an end ; and I know they little expected to 

 have the matter so beaten down with book-law, upon which 

 my argument wholly went ; so that every mean student was 

 satisfied. Yet, because the times are as they are, I could 

 wish, in all humbleness, that your majesty would remember 

 and renew your former commandment which you gave my 

 Lord Chief Justice in Michaelmas term, which was, that 

 after he had heard your attorney, which is now done, he 

 should forbear further proceeding till he had spoke with 

 your majesty. 



It concerneth your majesty threefold. First, in this par 

 ticular of Murray ; next, in the consequence of fourteen 

 several patents, part in Queen Elizabeth s time, some in 

 your majesty s time, which depend upon the like question; 

 but chiefly because this writ is a mean provided by the 

 ancient law of England, to bring any case that may con 

 cern your majesty, in profit or power, from the ordinary 

 benches, to be tried and judged before your Chancellor of 



