.. "I spake a word, that
he that did draw or milk treasure from Ireland, did not, _emulgere_,
milk money, but blood." This, and other "little things" like it, while
he was sitting as a judge to try, if the word may be used, a personal
enemy of Buckingham, however bad the case might be against Suffolk,
sound strange indeed to us; and not less so when, in reporting the
sentence and the various opinions of the Council about it, he, for once,
praises Coke for the extravagance of his severity: "Sir Edward Coke did
his part--I have not heard him do better--and began with a fine of
L100,000; but the judges first, and most of the rest, reduced it to
L30,000. I do not dislike that thing passed moderately; and all things
considered, it is not amiss, and might easily have been worse."
In all this, which would have been perfectly natural from an
Attorney-General of the time, Bacon saw but his duty, even as a judge
between the Crown and the subject. It was what was expected of those
whom the King chose to employ, and whom Buckingham chose to favour.
Pages:
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201