All things that concern the reformation or the plantation of Ireland, he hath given in them punctual and resolute directions. All this in

absence.

I give but a few instances of a public nature; the secrets of council I may not enter into, though his despatches into France, Spain, and the Low Countries, now in his absence, are also notorious as to the outward sending. So that I must conclude that his majesty wants but more kingdoms, for I see he could suffice to all.

As for the other glass I told you of, of representing to the king the griefs of his people, without doubt it is properly your part; for the king ought to be informed of any thing amiss in the state of his countries from the observations and relations of the judges, that indeed know the pulse of the country, rather than from discourse. But, for this glass, thanks be to God, I do hear from you all, that there was never greater peace, obedience, and contentment in the country; though the best governments be always like the fairest crystals, wherein every little icicle or grain is seen, which in a fouler stone is never perceived.

Now to some particulars, and not many: of all other things I must begin as the king begins; that is, with the cause of religion, and especially the hollow church Papist. St. Augustin hath a good comparison of such men, affirming, that they are like the roots of nettles, which themselves sting not, but yet they bear all the stinging leaves: let me know of such roots, and I will root them out of the country.

Next, for the matter of religion; in the principal place I recommended both to you and to the justices, the countenancing of godly and zealous preachers. I mean not sectaries or novelists, but those which are sound and conform, and yet pious

and reverend: for there will be perpetual defection, except you keep men in by preaching, as well as law doth by punishing; and commonly spiritual diseases are not cured but by spiritual remedies.

Next, let me commend unto you the repressing, as much as may be, of faction in the countries, of which ensue infinite inconveniences, and perturbations of all good order, and crossing of all good service in court or country, or wheresoever. Cicero, when he was consul, had devised a fine remedy, a mild one, but an effectual and apt one; for he saith, “Eos, qui otium perturbant, reddam otiosos." Those that trouble others' quiet, I will give them quiet; they shall have nothing to do, nor no authority shall be put into their hands. If I may know from you, of any who are in the country that are heads or hands of faction, or men of turbulent spirits; I shall give them Cicero's reward, as much as in me is.

To conclude, study the king's book, and study yourselves how you profit by it, and all shall be well. And you, the justices of peace in particular, let me say this to you, never king of this realm did you so much honour as the king hath done you in his speech, by being your immediate director, and by sorting you and your service with the service of ambassadors, and of his nearest attendance. Nay, more, it seems his majesty is willing to do the state of justice of peace honour actively also: by bringing in with time the like form or commission into the government of Scotland, as that glorious king, Edward the Third, did plant this commission here in this kingdom. And, therefore, you are not fit to be copies, except you be fair written, without blots or blurs, or any thing unworthy your authority: and so I will trouble you no longer for this time.

SIR WILLIAM JONES,

The king's most excellent majesty, being duly informed of your sufficiency every way, hath called you, by his writ now returned, to the state and degree of a serjeant at law; but not to stay there, but, being so qualified, to serve him as his

Chief Justice of his King's Bench in his realm of Ireland. And, therefore, that which I shall say to you, must be applied not to your serjeant's place, which you take but in passage, but to that great place where you are to settle; and because I will not spend time to the delay of the business of

causes of the court, I will lead you the short journey by examples, and not the long by precepts.

The place that you shall now serve in, hath been fortunate to be well served in four successions before you: do but take unto you the constancy and integrity of Sir Robert Gardiner; the gravity, temper, and direction of Sir James Lea; the quickness, industry, and despatch of Sir Humphry Winch; the care and affection to the commonwealth, and the prudent and politic administration of Sir John Denham, and you shall need no other lessons. They were all Lincoln's Inn men, as you are; you have known them as well in their beginnings, as in their advancement. But because you are to be there not only chief justice, but a counsellor of estate, I will put you in mind of the great work now in hand, that you may raise your thoughts according unto it. Ireland is the last "ex filiis Europæ," which hath been reclaimed from desolation, and desert, in many parts, to population and plantation; and from savage and barbarous customs to humanity and civility. This is the king's work in chief: it is his garland of heroical virtue and felicity, denied to his progenitors, and reserved to his times. The work is not yet conducted to perfection, but is in fair advance: and this I will say | confidently, that if God bless this kingdom with peace and justice, no usurer is so sure in seven years' space to double his principal with interest, and interest upon interest, as that kingdom is within the same time to double the stock both of wealth and people. So as that kingdom, which once within these twenty years wise men were wont to doubt whether they should wish it to be in a pool, is like now to become almost a garden, and younger sister to Great Britain. And, therefore, you must set down with yourself to be not only a just governor, and a good chief

justice, as if it were in England, but under the king and the deputy you are to be a master-builder, and a master-planter, and reducer of Ireland. To which end, I will trouble you at this time but with three directions.

The first is, that you have special care of the three plantations. That of the north, which is in part acted; that of Wexford, which is now in distribution; and that of Longford and Letrim, which is now in survey. And take this from me, that the bane of a plantation is, when the undertakers or planters make such haste to a little mechanical present profit, as disturbeth the wholę frame and nobleness of the work for times to come. Therefore hold them to their covenants, and the strict ordinances of plantation.

The second is, that you be careful of the king's revenue, and by little and little constitute him a good demesne, if it may be, which hitherto is little or none. For the king's case is hard, when every man's land shall be improved in value with increase manifold, and the king shall be tied to his dry rent.

My last direction, though first in weight, is, that you do all good endeavours to proceed resolutely and constantly, and yet with due temperance and equality, in matters of religion; lest Ireland civil become more dangerous to us than Ireland savage. So God give you comfort of your place.

After Sir William Jones's speech:

I had forgotten one thing, which was this. You may take exceeding great comfort, that you shall serve with such a deputy; one that, I think, is a man ordained of God to do great good to that kingdom. And this I think good to say to you, that the true temper of a chief justice towards a deputy is, neither servilely to second him, nor factiously to oppose him.

SIR JOHN DENHAM,

THE king, of his grace and favour, hath made choice of you to be one of the barons of the exchequer, to succeed to one of the gravest and most reverend judges of this kingdom; for so I hold Baron Altham was. The king takes you not

upon credit, but proof, and great proof of your former service; and that in both those kinds wherein you are now to serve: for, as you have showed yourself a good judge between party and party, so you have showed yourself a good administer of the revenue, both when you were chiet

baron, and since as counsellor of estate there in Ireland, where the council, as you know, doth in great part manage and messuage the revenue. And to both these parts I will apply some admonitions, but not vulgar or discursive, but apt for the times, and in few words, for they are best remembered.

First, therefore, above all you ought to maintain the king's prerogative, and to set down with yourself, that the king's prerogative and the law are not two things; but the king's prerogative is law, and the principal part of the law, the firstborn or "pars prima" of the law; and, therefore, in conserving or maintaining that, you conserve and maintain the law. There is not in the body of man one law of the head, and another of the body, but all is one entire law.

The next point that I would now advise you is, that you acquaint yourself diligently with the revenue; and also with the ancient records and precedents of this court. When the famous case of the copper mines was argued in this court, and judged for the king, it was not upon the fine reasons of wit; as that the king's prerogative drew to it the chief "in quaque specie:" the lion is the chief of beasts, the eagle the chief of birds, the whale the chief of fishes, and so copper the chief of minerals; for these are but dalliances of law and ornaments: but it was the grave records and precedents that grounded the judgment of that cause; and, therefore, I would have you both guide and arm yourself with them against these vapours and fumes of law, which are extracted out of men's inventions and conceits.

The third advice I will give you hath a large extent; it is, that you do your endeavour in your place so to manage the king's justice and revenue, as the king may have most profit, and the subject least vexation: for when there is much vexation to the subject, and little benefit to the king, then the exchequer is sick: and when there is much benefit to the king, with less trouble and vexation to the subject, then the exchequer is sound. As, for example; if there shall be much racking for the king's old debts; and the more fresh and late debts shall be either more negligently called upon, or over-easily discharged, or over-indulgently stalled: or, if the number of informations be many, and the king's part or fines for compositions a trifle; or if there be much ado to get the king new land upon concealments, and that which he hath already be not known and surveyed, nor the woods preserved, (I could put you many other cases,) this falls within that which I term the sick estate of the exchequer: and this is that which makes every man ready with their undertakings and their projects to disturb the ancient frame of the exchequer; than the which I am persuaded, there is not a better, this being the burden of the song: That much goeth out of the subject's purse, and little cometh to the king's purse. Therefore, give them not that advantage so to say. Sure I am, that besides your own associates, the barons, you serve with two superior great officers, that have honourable and true ends, and desire to serve the king and right the subject.

There resteth, that I deliver you your patent.

MR. SERJEANT HUTTON,

THE king's most excellent majesty, being duly informed of your learning, integrity, discretion, experience, means, and reputation in your country, hath thought fit not to leave you these talents to be employed upon yourself only, but to call you to serve himself, and his people, in the place of one of his justices of the court of common pleas. This court where you are to serve, is the local centre and heart of the laws of this realm: here the subject hath his assurance by fines and recoveries; here he hath his fixed and invariable remedies by "præcipes" and writs of right; here justice opens not by a by-gate of privilege, but by

the great gate of the king's original writs out of the chancery. Here issues process of outlawry; if men will not answer law in this centre of law, they shall be cast out. And, therefore, it is proper for you, by all means, with your wisdom and fortitude, to maintain the laws of the realm: wherein, nevertheless, I would not have you headstrong, but heartstrong; and to weigh and remember with yourself, that the twelve judges of the realm are as the twelve lions under Solomon's throne: they must show their stoutness in elevating and bearing up the throne. To represent unto you the lines and portraitures of a good judge:

1. The first is, that you should draw your

learning out of your books, not out of your brain.

2. That you should mix well the freedom of your opinion with the reverence of the opinion of your fellows.

3. That you should continue the studying of your books, and not to spend on upon the old stock. 4. That you should fear no man's face, and yet not turn stoutness into bravery.

5. That you should be truly impartial, and not so as men may see affection through fine carriage. 6. That you should be a light to jurors to open their eyes, but not a guide to lead them by the noses. 7. That you affect not the opinion of pregnancy and expedition by an impatient and catching hearing of the counsellors at the bar.

8. That your speech be with gravity, as one of the sages of the law: and not talkative, nor with impertinent flying out to show learning.

9. That your hands, and the hands of your hands, I mean those about you, be clean and uncorrupt from gifts, from meddling in titles, and from serving of turns, be they of great ones or small ones.

10. That you contain the jurisdiction of the court within the ancient merestones, without removing the mark.

I

11. Lastly, that you carry such a hand over your ministers and clerks, as that they may rather be in awe of you, than presume upon you, These and the like points of the duty of a judge forbear to enlarge: for the longer I have lived with you, the shorter shall my speech be to you: knowing that you come so furnished and prepared with these good virtues, as whatsoever I shall say cannot be new unto you; and, therefore, I will say no more unto you at this time, but deliver you your patent.

No decree shall be reversed, altered, or explained, being once under the great seal, but upon bill of review: and no bill of review shall be admitted, except it contain either error in law, appearing in the body of the decree, without farther examination of matters in fact, or some new matter which hath risen in time after the decree, and not any new proof which might have been used when the decree was made: nevertheless, upon new proof, that is come to light after the decree made, and could not possibly have been used at the time when the decree passed, a bill of review may be grounded by the special license of the court, and not otherwise.

2. In case of miscasting, being a matter demonstrative, a decree may be explained, and reconciled by an order without a bill of review; not understanding, by miscasting, any pretended misrating or misvaluing, but only error in the auditing or numbering

3. No bill of review shall be admitted, or any other new bill, to change matter decreed, except the decree be first obeyed and performed: as, if it be for land, that the possession be yielded; if it be for money, that the money be paid; if it be

for evidences, that the evidences be brought in; and so in other cases which stand upon the strength of the decree alone.

4. But if any act be decreed to be done which extinguisheth the parties' right at the common law, as making of assurance or release, acknowledging satisfaction, cancelling of bonds, or evidences, and the like; those parts of the decree are to be spared until the bill of review be determined; but such sparing is to be warranted by publie order made in court.

5. No bill of review shall be put in, except the party that prefers it enter into recognisance with sureties for satisfying of costs and damages for the delay, if it be found against him.

6. No decrees shall be made, upon pretence ol equity, against the express provision of an act of parliament: nevertheless, if the construction of such act of parliament hath for a time gone one way in general opinion and reputation, and after by a later judgment hath been controlled, then relief may be given upon matter of equity, for cases arising before the said judgment, because the subject was in no default.

7. Imprisonment for breach of a decree is in

8. In case of enormous and obstinate disobedience in breach of a decree, an injunction is to be granted sub pœna" of a sum; and upon affidavit, or other sufficient proof, or persisting in contempt, fines are to be pronounced by the lord chancellor in open court, and the same to be estreated down into the hanaper, if cause be, by a special order.

9. In case of a decree made for the possession of land, a writ of execution goes forth; and if that be disobeyed, then process of contempt according to the course of the court against the person, unto a commission of rebellion; and then a serjeant at arms by special warrant: and in case the serjeant at arms cannot find him, or be resisted; or upon the coming in of the party, and his commitment, if he persist in disobedience, an injunction is to be granted for the possession; and in case also that be disobeyed, then a commission to the sheriff to put him into possession.

10. Where the party is committed for the breach of a decree, he is not to be enlarged until the decree be fully performed in all things, which are to be done presently. But if there be other parts of the decree to be performed at days, at times to come, then he may be enlarged by order of the court upon recognisance, with sureties to be put in for the performance thereof "de futuro," otherwise

12. No decree bindeth any that cometh in "bona fide," by conveyance from the defendant before the bill exhibited, and is made no party, neither by bill nor the order; but where he comes in "pendente lite," and while the suit is in full prosecution, and without any colour of allowance or privity of the court, there regularly the decree bindeth; but if there were any intermission of suit, or the court made acquainted with the conveyance, the court is to give order upon the special matter according to justice.

13. Where causes are dismissed upon full hearing, and the dismission signed by the lord chancellor, such causes shall not be retained again, nor new bill exhibited, except it be upon new matter, like to the case of the bill of review.

14. In case of all other dismissions, which are not upon hearing of the cause, if any new bill be brought, the dismission is to be pleaded; and after reference and report of the contents of both suits,

15. All suits grounded upon wills nuncupative, leases parol, or upon long leases that tend to the defeating of the king's tenures, or for the establishing of perpetuities, or grounded upon remainders put into the crown, to defeat purchasers; or for brokage or rewards to make marriages; or for bargains at play and wagers; or for bargains for offices contrary to the statute of 5 and 6 Ed. VI., or for contracts upon usury or simony, are regularly to be dismissed upon motion, if they be the sole effect of the bill; and if there be no special circumstances to move the court to allow their proceedings, and all suits under the value of ten pounds, are regularly to be dismissed. V. postea § 58. 60.

16. Dismissions are properly to be prayed, and had, either upon hearing, or upon plea unto the bill, when the cause comes first into court; but dismissions are not to be prayed after the parties have been at charge of examination, except it be upon special cause.

17. If the plaintiff discontinue the prosecution, after all the defendants have answered, above the space of one whole term, the cause is to be dismissed of course without any motion; but after replication put in, no cause is to be dismissed without motion and order of the court.

18. Double vexation is not to be admitted; but if the party sue for the same cause at the common law and in chancery, he is to have a day given to make his election where he will proceed, and in default of making such election to be dismissed.

19. Where causes are removed by special "certiorari" upon a bill containing matter of equity, the plaintiff is, upon receipt of his writ, to put in bond to prove his suggestions within fourteen days after the receipt; which, if he do not prove, then upon certificate from either of the examiners, presented to the lord chancellor, the cause shal! be dismissed with costs, and a "procedendo" to be granted.

20. No injunction of any nature shall be granted, revived, dissolved, or stayed upon any private petition.

21. No injunction to stay suits at the common law shall be granted upon priority of suit only, or upon surmise of the plaintiff's bill only; bu upon matter confessed in the defendant's answer, or matter of record, or writing plainly appearing, or when the defendant is in contempt for not answering, or that the debt desired to be stayed appeareth to be old, and hath slept long, or the creditor or the debtor hath been dead some good time before the suit brought.

22. Where the defendant appears not, but sits an attachment; or when he doth appear, and departs without answer, and is under attachment for