The Lives of the Chief Justices of England (Volume 2); From the Norman Conquest Till the Death of Lord Tenterden (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1858. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XXVI. CHIEF JUSTICES FROM LORD HOLT TILL THE APPOINTMENT OF SIR DUDLEY RYDER. On the death of Chief Justice Holt, Lord Godolphin, the CHAP, Prime Minister, resolved to give his place to Serjeant Parker, who, as one of the managers for the House of Commons in A.d. mo. the impeachment of Sacheverell, had greatly distinguished parkei"TM"" himself. The Attorney and Solicitor General, Sir James -ft*rwards . 7 Earl of Montagu and Sir Robert Eyre, like all sensible men, disap- Macdesproving of the prosecution, had been deficient in zeal when j DEGREESt- DEGREEShief they assailed the libeller of Volpone; and neither of them had such political importance as to enable them to vindicate a claim to the promotion, --which would then have been peculiarly seasonable, as the Whigs had fallen into deep disgrace, and a change of administration was evidently at hand. The proposed appointment was very disagreeable to the Queen. Having attended Sacheverell's trial, she had been much shocked by the freedom with which Serjeant Parker had ridiculed the divine right of kings and other dogmas of the High Church party, and still more by the acrimony with which he had inveighed against "the Doctor" himself, whom she loved in her heart for his principles, secular as well as religious, and above all for his personal abuse of those ministers with whom she was now so much disgusted. But being warned by Harley, who already, through the agency of Mrs. Masham, was her confidential adviser, that the time for a rupture with the Whigs was not yet quite arrived, she gave her reluctant consent. Accordingly, on the 13th of March, 1710, Sir Thomas Parker was installed as Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench, and continued to fill the office for the four remaining years of Queen Anne and the first ...