Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 11.djvu/242

 vol. lxxxvii. ; S. P. D. xcii. 476). Between Coke and his wife there had been dissensions, chiefly concerning her property, before this incident. While his fate was uncertain she had interceded for him, and refused to 'sever her interests from his ; ' but she left him after his fall ' divided herself from him,' says Chamberlain, ' and disfurnished his houses in Holborn and at Stoke of whatever was in them, and carried all the moveables and plate she could come by God knows where, and retiring herself into obscure places, both in town and country.' There was a brief reconciliation in 1621 (S. P. D. cxxii. 275 ; on their property quarrels see ib. cclxxx. 405, 406).

Gradually Coke came back to public life, and he had reason to expect that his highest ambition would yet be gratified. Among lawyers there was a hope that he would be the next lord chancellor (ib. xc. 432). He was occasionally consulted by the king on private matters, and in September 1617 he was recalled to the council. The rumour ran that he was to be raised to the peerage ; and the statement is made by so many different letter-writers that evidently some very marked recognition of his services was looked for (ib. lxxxviii. 392, lxxxix. 413, 414, xciii. 489, xcv. 511). But it was only rumour. He had to submit to be 'tossed up and down like a tennis-ball' (ib. xciii. 489). During the next years, however, he sat in the Star-chamber, and was a member of several commissions of inquiry concerning the enforcement of the laws against seminary priests, the disputes between the Dutch East India Company and English traders, various matters of finance, and other subjects (see index to Fœdera, xvii). He was made one of the commissioners for executing the office of lord treasurer, and the general impression was that he would be appointed to the office whenever it should be filled up. But in 1620 he was passed over.

In 1620 began the last, and in many respects the worthiest, period of Coke's life. He had taken part in the preliminary consultations relating to the parliament which was summoned in that year, and was himself returned as member for Liskeard, 'by the king's commandment' (Holkham MS. 727). From the first he appeared as a leader on the popular side, and his learning and experience made him the most powerful man in the house (see Proceedings and Debates . . . in 1620 and 1621). 'He did notable good service in the House of Commons during the last parliament,' says D'Ewes, 'and thereby won much love and credit' (Autobiography, 213). After one of his speeches a member who had sat in James's previous parliaments exclaimed that this was the first parliament that ever he saw counsellors of state have such care of the state.' He moved an address to the king praying for the better execution of the laws against recusants. On the great question of monopolies he took a most active part, his zeal on at least one occasion getting the better of his law and his sense of justice. When the abuses in connection with the patents for alehouses were before the house, he moved that Sir Francis Michell, a magistrate whose name appeared unfavourably in the proceedings, should be sent to the Tower and struck off the commission of the peace : and when the motion was carried, and sentence passed, he induced the house to refuse Michell's request to be heard. It was soon found that they had exceeded their powers, since Michell's offence was not specially against the House of Commons ; and in Momperson's case Coke frankly avowed the illegality of the course which he had advised. His eagerness to stamp out abuses led to an attack upon himself. Two men, Lepton and Gouldsmith, whose patents had been condemned, were accused of having out of revenge induced one Howard to prefer a bill against him in the Star-chamber, such, they said, as 'should ruin him,' charging him with abusing his judicial position to enrich himself, and with having enforced juries to give false verdicts. The conspiracy was warmly resented by the house as a breach of privilege ; but in the many discussions on the subject the question is not raised what ground there was for these old charges against Coke (Proceedings and Debates, ii. 201 et seq.) Among the most striking incidents of this Parliament was that with which Coke marked the adjournment in June. Warlike speeches had been delivered, and a declaration of the readiness of the commons to support the king had been agreed to amid wild enthusiasm. The solemnity of the occasion moved every one. And before the motion of adjournment was put, 'Sir Edward Cooke, one of the king's privy council, with tears in his eyes, standing up, said the prayer (which is in the Common Prayer-book) for the king and his issue, adding only to it, "and defend them from their cruel enemies " ' (ib. ii. 174). He shared fully in the popular feeling against Spain; and when the house met again later in the year, he surpassed every one in the violence of his language. In a speech which recalls the prosecution of the gunpowder plotters he declared that there never came hither anything from Spain that did not either damage us or endeavour it. Among his other speeches of interest may 