SIR EDWARD COKE. cxliif 



day of June, 1607, he was appointed Solicitor, to the great 

 satisfaction of his profession, (c) the prospect of worldly 

 emolument, and the hope of professional tranquillity, by a 

 removal from conflict with the coarse mind and acrid 

 humour of Sir Edward Coke, rude to his equals and inso 

 lent to the unfortunate. 



Who can forget his treatment of Bacon who, when 

 reviled, reviled not again, (d) but in due season thus expos 

 tulated with him : 



Mr. Attorney, I thought best once for all, to let you 

 know in plainness what I find of you, and what you shall 

 find of me. You take to yourself a liberty to disgrace and 

 disable my law, my experience, my discretion. What it 

 pleaseth you I pray think of me; I am one that knows 

 both mine own wants and other men s : and it may be, 

 perchance, that mine mend, others stand at a stay. And 

 surely, I may not endure in public place to be wronged, 

 without repelling the same to my best advantage to right 

 myself. You are great, and therefore have the more enviers, 



deceived if your lordship find not the King well inclined, and my Lord 

 Salisbury forward and affectionate.&quot; 



(c) In his letter to Lord Salisbury, he says, &quot; I have been voiced to this 

 office.&quot; 



(d) &quot; A true Remembrance of the Abuse I received of Mr. Attorney 



General publicly in the Exchequer the first day of term ; for the 

 truth whereof I refer myself to all that were present. 



&quot; I moved to have a reseizure of the lands of George More, a relapsed 

 recusant, a fugitive, and a practising traitor; and shewed better matter for 

 the Queen against the discharge by plea, which is ever with a * salvo jure. 

 And this I did in as gentle and reasonable terms as might be. 



&quot; Mr. Attorney kindled at it, and said, Mr. Bacon, if you have any 

 tooth against me, pluck it out ; for it will do you more hurt than all the 

 teeth in your head will do you good. I answered coldly in these very 

 words ; * Mr. Attorney, I respect you : I fear you not ; and the less you 

 speak of your own greatness, the more 1 will think of it. 



&quot; He replied, I think scorn to stand upon terms of greatness towards 



