ILLUSTRATIONS. 145 



oned in the tower during the king's pleasure, rendered incapable of holding any 

 office, place, or employment, and of sitting in parliament, or coming within the 

 verge of the court. The king afterwards set him at liberty, and gave him a pen- 

 sion. He lived obscurely in his chambers at Gray's Inn, where his lonely and 

 desolate condition so wrought upon his melancholy temper, that he pined away, 

 and, after all his influence, he was reduced to so low an ebb as to be denied beer 

 to quench his thirst ; for, having a sickly stomach, and not liking the beer of the 

 house, he sent now and then to lord Brook, who lived in the neighbourhood, for a 

 bottle of his beer, and after some grumbling the butler had orders to deny nim. 



He died on the 9th of April, 1626, in the sixty-sixth year of his age a met 

 ancholy example of great powers of mind connected with profligacy of heart. 



Sir Edward Coke was tainted with the scholastic learning of the times, and 

 was scurrilous and malignant in the extreme. As attorney general he conducted 

 the piosecution for high treason against the illustrious sir Walter Raleigh, iu the 

 most barbarous manner. As a specimen of his manner I have made the follow- 

 ing extracts : 



" Here is mischief, mischief in summo gradu, exorbitant mischief. My speech 

 shall touch these three points mutation, supportation, and defence." 



44 There is treason iu the heart, in the head, in the mouth, in consummation j 

 comparing that in the corde to the root of a tree ; in ore to the bud ; in nianu to 

 the blossom j and that which is in consummatione to the fruit." 



rn the course of the trial several altercations took place between him and the 

 prisoner ; in one of which he thus addressed Raleigh : 



" Thou hast a Spanish heart, and thyself art a spider of hell." 



At one time one of the court gently checked him, on which he sat down in a 

 great rage, arid would not proceed until after several urgent entreaties. At the 

 repeating of some things Raleigh interrupted him and said he did him wrong, 

 upon which the following curious dialogue took place, in which Raleigh handled 

 him with great, but just, severity. 



" Attorney. Thou art the most vile and execrable traitor that ever lived. 



Raleigh. You speak indiscreetly, barbarously, and uncivilly. 



Attorney. I want words sufficient to express thy viperous treason. 



Rakigh. I think you want words indeed j for you have spoken one thing half, 

 a dozen times. 



Attorney. Thou art an odious fellow ; thy name is hateful to all the realm ef 

 England for thy pride. 



Raleigh. It will go near to prove a measuring cast between yoa and me, mr. 

 Attorney." 



Raleigh was condemned, and was imprisoned fourteen years in the tower, 

 vuere he devoted i^rrself to stndy and writing. He was afterward* liberated. 



