The Lives of the Lords Chancellors and Keepers of the Great Seal of England

Complaints against the two Speakers as Equity Judges, 37. Ordinance for appoint-
ing the Earl of Kent, Lord Grey de Werke, Whitelock, and Widdrington, Com-
missioners of Great Seal, 37, Reasons for writing Life of Lord Keeper White-

lock, 37.. His Origin, 37. Education, 37. Called to Bar, 38. Circuit, 38. In-

troduction to Noy, the Attorney General, 38. Manager of Masque to the Queen,

39. Chairman of Quarter Sessions, 39. Takes popular Side, 39. His Modera-

tion, 39. Returned to Parliament, 40, His Maiden Speech, 40. One of the

Managers of Impeachment of Lord Strafford, 40. Whitelock doubts as to the

Side he ought to choose, 41. His Warning against Civil War, 41. Takes Arms

against the King, 41. He renounces Arms, 42. A Lay Member of the West-

minster Assembly, 42. Whitelock Commissioner at Oxford to treat with King,

42. Charge against him of intriguing with King, 43. Whitelock takes part

against Cromwell, 43, But succumbs to him, 44. Whitelock's professional Suc-

cess, 44. He refuses the office of Recorder of London, 44. He is appointed

Commissioner of Great Seal, 44. Whitelock's Statement of this Transaction,

44. Whitelock and Widdrington sworn in, 45, Whitelock's Address to Ser-

jeant Wilde when made Chief Baron of the Exchequer, 46. Whitelock's Ad-

dress on a Call of Serjeants, 47. Pride's Purge, 48. Conduct of Lords Com.

missioners, 49. Conference of Lords Commissioners with Cromwell, 49. The

King to be brought to Trial, 50. Arguments in favour of this Proceeding, 50.

Opposed by Whitelock, 50. Cromwell's Speech, 50. Resolution carried, 50.

The Lords Commissioners refuse to concur in the Trial of the King, 51. They

conceal themselves, 51. Ordinance for Grand Court of Justice to try the King,

51. Rejected by the Lords, 51. Commons vote that the Supreme Power was

exclusively in them, 52. New Great Seal with Republican Insignia ordered, 52.

Lords Commissioners refuse to sit in the High Court of Justice, 53. Difficulty

about adjourning the Courts in Westminster Hall pending the King's Trial, 53,

Proceedings in the Lords, 53, Messengers of the Lords refused Admittance by

the Commons, 54. The Commons vote the Lords useless, 54. Whitelock com-

pelled to draw an Ordinance for abolishing the Lords, 54. And an Ordinance for

abolishing the Office of King, 55, Great Seal with Royal Arms broken, 55.

Serjeant Widdrington refuses to serve as Lord Commissioner under new Gov-

ernment, 55. Trimming Conduct of Whitelock, 56. Major Lisle a Commis-

sioner of the Great Seal, 56. And Serjeant Keble, 56, Ordinance passes for

new Lords Commissioners, 56. Copy of Ordinance, 56, Preservation of Titles

in time of Commonwealth, 56. Speaker's Address to them, 57. Lord Commis-

sioner Whitelock's Answer, 57.

CHAPTER LXX.

LORDS KEEPERS FROM THE ADOPTION OF THE REPUBLICAN GREAT SEAL TILL CROM-

WELL BECAME PROTECTOR.

Whitelock as Equity Judge, 58. Ordinance to make Forgery of Republican Great

Seal Treason, 58. Ceremony of approving the Lord Mayor, 58. Precedence of

Lord Commissioner Whitelock at Lord Mayor's Dinner, 59. Whitelock's Ad-

dress to the Republican Judges, 59. His Merit in preserving Books and Works

of Art, 59. His noble Defence of the Profession of the Law, 60. Law Reform

supported by Whitelock, 61. Whitelock discourages Cromwell's Assumption of

the Crown, 61. Conference before Dissolution of the Long Parliament, 62. New

"Council of State," 63. Barebones' Parliament, 63. Resolution for total and

immediate Abolition of the Court of Chancery, 64. Difficulties in the Plan, 64.

Bill to suspend all Proceedings in Chancery, 64. Bill to abolish the Court, 64.

End of Barebones' Parliament, 65, Whitelock goos on an Embassy to Sweden, 65.

CHAPTER LXXII.

LORDS KEEPERS DURING THE PROTECTORATE OF OLIVER CROMWELL.

Cromwell installed as Protector, 65. Whitelock acknowledges Cromwell as Pro-
tector, 66. Lord Protector delivers Great Seal to Commissioners, 66. Crom-

well's second Parliament, 66. Abruptly dissolved, 67. Cromwell's Ordinance

for Reform of Chancery, 67. Lords Commissioners refuse to obey it, 67. Lords

Commissioners summoned before the Council, 68. They are dismissed, 68.

Great Seal committed to the Keeping of a Colonel and a Major, 68. History of

Lord Commissioner Colonel Fiennes, 68, Judicial Conduct of the Colonel and

the Major, 69. Political Conduct of the Lords Commissioners, 70. Cromwell's

third Parliament, 70. Act for excluding the Stuarts, 70. Offer of the Crown to

Cromwell, 71. New Form of Government under "Petition and Advice, 71.

Cromwell creates Peers, 72. Lord Protector opens Session, 72. Reasons of

Summons declared by Lord Commissioner, 73. Proceedings in the House of

Peers, 73. Refusal of Commons to recognise the House of Peers, 73. Crom-

well dissolves his third and last Parliament, 74. High Court of Justice estab-