Notes and Queries, No. 181, April 16, 1853 | Page 5

of the rest of the stanza.
W. R. ARROWSMITH.
(To be continued.)
* * * * *
LORD COKE.
Turning over some old books recently, my attention was strongly
drawn to the following:
"The Lord Coke, his Speech and Charge, with a Discouerie of the

Abuses and Corruptions of Officers. 8vo. Lond. N. Butter, 1607."
This curious piece appears to have been published by one R. P.[1], who
describes himself, in his dedication to the Earl of Exeter, as a "poore,
dispised, pouertie-stricken, hated, scorned, and vnrespected souldier,"
of which there were, doubtless, many in the reign of James the Pacific.
Lord Coke, in his address to the jury at the Norwich Assizes, gives an
account of the various plottings of the Papists, from the Reformation to
the Gunpowder Treason, to bring the land again under subjection to
Rome, and characterises the schemes and the actors therein as he goes
along in the good round terms of an out-and-out Protestant. He has also
a fling at the Puritans, and all such as would disturb the church and
hierarchy as by law established. But the most remarkable part of the
book is that which comes under the head of "A Discouerie of the
Abuses and Corruption of Officers;" and believing an abstract might
interest your readers, and furnish the antiquary with a reference, I
herewith present you with a list of the officials and others whom my
Lord Coke recommends the Jurie to present, assuring them, at the same
time, that "by God's grace they, the offenders, shall not goe unpunished
for their abuses; for we have," says he, "a COYFE, which signifies a
scull, whereby, in the execution of justice, wee are defended against all
oppositions, bee they never so violent."
1. The first gentleman introduced by Lord Coke to the Norwich jury is
the Escheator, who had power to demand upon what tenure a poor
yeoman held his lands, and is an officer in great disfavour with the
judge. He gives some curious instances of his imposition, and
concludes by remarking that, for his rogueries, he were better described
by striking away the first syllable of his name, the rest truly
representing him a cheator.
2. The Clarke of the Market comes in for his share of Lord Coke's
denouncements. "It was once," he says, "my hap to take a clarke of the
market in his trickes; but I aduanst him higher than his father's sonne,
by so much as from the ground to the toppe of the pillorie" for his
bribery.
3. "A certaine ruffling officer" called a Purveyor, who is occasionally

found purveying money out of your purses, and is therefore, says Lord
Coke, "on the highway to the gallowes."
4. As the next officer is unknown in the present day, I give his
character in extenso:
"There is also a Salt-peter-man, whose commission is not to break vp
any man's house or ground without leaue. And not to deale with any
house, but such as is vnused for any necessarie imployment by the
owner. And not to digge in any place without leauing it smooth and
leuell: in such case as he found it. This Salt-peter-man vnder shew of
his authoritie, though being no more than is specified, will make plaine
and simple people beleeue, that hee will without their leaue breake vp
the floore of their dwelling house, vnlesse they will compound with
him to the contrary. Any such fellow, if you can meete with all, let his
misdemenor be presented, that he may be taught better to vnderstand
his office: For by their abuse the country is oftentimes troubled."
5. There is another troublesome fellow called a Concealor, who could
easily be proved no better {377} than a cosioner, and whose
pretensions are to be resisted.
6. A Promoter, generally both a beggar and a knave. This is the modern
informer, "a necessarie office," says Lord Coke, "but rarely filled by an
honest man."
7. The Monopolitane or Monopolist; with these the country was
overrun in James' reign. "To annoy and hinder the public weale, these
for their own benefit have sold their lands, and then come to beggarie
by a starch, vinegar, or aqua vitæ monopoly, and justly too," adds his
lordship.
8. Lord Coke has no objection to those golden fooles, the Alcumists, so
long as they keep to their metaphisicall and Paracelsian studies; but
science is felony committed by any comixture to multiply either gold or
silver; the alchymist is therefore a suspected character, and to be looked
after by the jury.

9. Vagrants to be resolutely put down, the Statute against whom had
worked well.
10. The stage-players find no favour with this stern judge, who tells the
jury that as they, the players, cannot perform without leave, it is easy to
be