CCCVlll LIFE OF BACON. 



and in every department of the state, were immediately 

 nominated, (a) 



From the mass of evils under consideration, the house 

 first directed its attention to the three great patents, of 

 inns, of alehouses, and of gold and silver thread. The 

 chief actors were Sir Giles Mompesson, a man of property, 

 and a member of the house, and Sir Francis Michell, his 

 tool, a poor justice, who received annually 100 for 

 issuing warrants to enforce his tyranny. The rage for 

 punishment was not confined to Mompesson and Michell. 

 Sir Henry Yelverton, the Attorney General, who had in 

 curred the displeasure of Buckingham, was prosecuted 

 and severely punished, for some irregularity respecting a 

 patent for a charter for the city of London, (b) 



It appeared before a committee of the house, that the 

 profits from these patents were shared by all classes of 

 society who were connected with Buckingham. Amongst 

 the patentees were the Lord Harrington and the Countess 

 of Bedford. Christopher Villiers, and Sir Edward Villiers, 

 half-brother of the lord marquis, received 1800 annually 

 between them; and from one single patent the King s 

 annual profit was 10,000. (b) 



(a) Journals, p. 522, A.D. 1620. 



(b} Journals of Commons. The following is extracted from the diary of 

 Judge Whitelock (see his excellent character in Biog. Brit, by Chalmers). 

 The diary is entitled &quot; Liber Famelicus,&quot; written by James Whitelock, 

 commencing on the 18th April, 1609, and continued to 1631, in which is 

 a diary of events during this period. 



&quot; Upon Saturday; the 5th of April, I visited Sir Henry Yelverton, 

 the new attorney, who related unto me the manner of his coming to the 

 place; and shutting his clyents and other resort from him, shewed his 

 ancient love and good opinion of me in an oure s discourse very neer. 

 That concerning his place was thus : That the King having delivered the 

 great seal to Sir Fr. Bacon, sayd openly before the lords, that now he had 

 settled that, he had no cause to think further upon the rest of his business, 

 for they knew he was resolved his solicitor should be attorney. Not long 



