100 Records of the Rising in the West, A.D. 1655. 



More recently he had presided at the celebrated trial of Don Pan- 

 taleone Sa, the brother of the Portugese ambassador. Well-known 

 on the western circuit, his presence must have been most acceptable, 

 a thorough guarantee against any hurried justice and shuffled 

 verdicts. There was some talk after those days, which has been re- 

 peated, that he would not engage in the trials because he disliked the 

 whole proceedings. But on looking closely we find this was not the 

 case. Whether he approved or not, he was present at Salisbury, at 

 the consultation about the indictment, and afterwards there and at 

 Exeter during most of the important trials. His objection to 

 preside, on account of his having been one of the chief objects of 

 the Cavalier attack, has ever been considered an overwhelming 

 reason against his doing so. Was it incumbent on him to serve 

 there as a J udge at all ? I think not. He might have declined, 

 but he preferred to be present to see that justice was fairly admin- 

 istered. The Government were glad for they knew the respect he 

 enjoyed throughout the west country. 



Robert Nicholas, a Baron of the Exchequer was a rough-and- 

 ready Wiltshireman. He came from the same stock as Sir Edward 

 Nicholas, Charles the First's Secretary, 1 and Dr. Matthew Nicholas, 

 sometime Dean of St. Paul's. Both these last were from Win- 

 terbourne Earls, but Robert was described as of All Cannings on 

 his admission to the Inner Temple, July 25th, 1614. Probably then 

 he was about 20 years of age. 3 In the disputes of Kings and com- 

 mons he warmly used his hard head and tongue on the parliamentary 

 side. 'Twas a very fiery tongue on occasion, witness his language to 

 the Archbishop Laud, and in the Lord Goring debate. But his 

 friendship was as strong, aye, stronger, than his temper, and the 

 Commons loved the man. They made him a Serjeant-at-Law, 

 October, 1648. They wished him to act as one the King's Judges. 

 He with no little discretion evaded, without giving offence, afterwards 

 they made him a judge of the Upper Bench, June 1st, 1649. We 



1 A.D. 1655, Secretary to King Charles II., and with him at this time. Notices 

 of the Nicholas family will be fonnd in vol. vi., p. 136, and (with pedigree,) in 

 vol. xi., p. 36, of this Magazine. 



2 In 1640 he was (with Col. Ed. Baynton,) one of the members for Devizes. 



