1616.] THE FAVOURITE AND THE KING. i8i 



fall of the lord chief justice Coke, who had run 

 himself so far into his majesty's displeasure, that he 

 is removed from both his place in council, and upon 

 the bench. In the latter, Sir Henry Montagu hath 

 succeeded him, and Sir Lionel Cranfield ^^ is sworn 

 master of requests extraordinary. My papers," he 

 continued, " being gone to Newmarket, whither I am 

 presently to follow, I cannot well tell whether I did 

 let you understand by my last, that Sir Thomas 

 Edmondes was now upon his return into England, 

 If I did omit it, you shall know by these that he is to 

 be made comptroller of the household ; the lord 

 Wotton" being by surrender of the Lord Knollys®^ to 

 be treasurer ; after which honour done him, he is to 

 resume his charge in France, until the affairs of that 

 kingdom shall be established." * 



One of the most prominent incidents in connection 

 with this royal sojourn at Newmarket was the fall and 

 disgrace of Chief Justice Coke. The great lawyer, as 

 above mentioned, was arbitrarily deprived of his offices 

 and emoluments by James I., owing to his having 

 incautiously uttered some words hinting that the king 

 caused the death of Prince Henry by poison. Soon 

 after he was deprived of his offices. Coke retired to the 

 residence of Mrs. Anne Sadler, his eldest daughter, in 

 Hertfordshire, whence he made several journeys to 

 Newmarket during the sojourn of the Court there, in 

 the fall of this year. It was the centre of bribery 

 and corruption, and the ex-judge well knew how to 

 play his cards at Newmarket. To propitiate Bucking- 



* Carleton's Letters, edit. 1780, p. 75. 



