'Who doe you meane by this person that died 1668?' And Aubrey answers:--
'Sir William Platers. I doe not enter him here as a worthie, but he
does _implere locum_. He was a merry man in the raigne of the Saints.
_Mercurius Aulicus_ made a good sport with him and Henry Martin.'
[AT] Aubrey gives in trick the coat: 'bendy wavy of six argent and
azure'; but leaves blank the coat it impales.
[AU] James Palmer, B.A., of Magd. Coll., Cambr., 1601/2; B.D. 1613;
vicar of St. Bride's, Fleet Street, 1616-45.
=Sir Thomas Pope= (1508-1559).
[700]Sir Thomas Pope, founder of Trinity College, Oxon, bought
church-lands without money. His way was this. He contracted, and then
presently sold long leases, for which he had great fines and but a
small rent. These leases were out in the reigne of King James the
first, and then the estate was worth 8000 pounds per annum. He could
have rode in his owne lands from Cogges (by Witney) to Banbury, about
18 miles.
[701]I have a curious MSS. manuall of Sir Thomas Pope, which if
I thought would be chained in Trinity College library, I would
dedicate it there, but I know not how magistracy, etc., have altered
somebody[702].
=Sir John Popham= (1531-1607).
[703]Sir John Popham[AV], Lord Chiefe Justice of the King's Bench, was
the ... son of ... Popham, of ... in the countie of Somerset.
He was of the Societie of ... and for severall <years> addicted
himselfe but little to the studie of the lawes, but profligate company,
and was wont to tak a purse with them. His wife considered her and his
condition, and at last prevailed with him to lead another life, and to
stick to the studie of the lawe: which, upon her importunity, he did,
being then about thirtie yeares old. <He> spake to his wife to provide
a very good entertainment for his camerades to take his leave of them;
and after that day fell extremely hard to his studie, and profited
exceedingly. He was a strong, stout man, and could endure to sit at it
day and night[LIX.]; became eminent in his calling, had good practise;
called to be a Serjeant <1578>, a Judge <1592>: vide _Origines
Juridiciales_.
[LIX.] The picture of a common law(y)er:--He must have 'an iron head, a
brazen face, and a leaden breech.'
Sir ... (John, I think) Dayrell, of Littlecote, in com. Wilts, having
gott his ladie's waiting woman with child, when her travell came, sent
a servant with a horse for a midwife, whom he was to bring hood-winked.
She was brought, and layd the woman, but as soon as the child was
borne, she sawe the knight take the child and murther it, and burnt
it in the fire in the chamber. She having donne her businesse was
extraordinarily rewarded for her paines, and sent blinfold away.
This horrid action did much run in her mind, and she had a desire to
discover it, but knew not where 'twas. She considerd with herselfe the
time that she was riding, and how many miles might be rode at that rate
in that time, and that it must be some great person's house, for the
roome was 12 foot high; and she could know the chamber if she sawe it.
She went to a Justice of Peace, and search was made. The very chamber
found. The knight was brought to his tryall; and to be short, this
judge had this noble howse, parke, and mannor, and (I thinke) more, for
a bribe to save his life[LX.].
[LX.] Sir John Popham gave sentence according to lawe; but being a
great person and a favourite, he[704] procured a _noli prosequi_.
I have seen his picture; he was a huge, heavie, ugly man. He left a
vast estate to his son, Sir Francis (I thinke ten thousand pounds,
per annum); he lived[705] like a hog, but his sonne John was a great
waster, and dyed in his father's time.
He[706] was the greatest howse-keeper in England; would have at
Littlecote 4 or 5 or more lords at a time. His wife (Harvey) was worth
to him, I thinke, 60000 _li._, and she was as vaine as he, and she sayd
that she had brought such an estate, and she scorned but she would live
as high as he did; and in her husband's absence would have all the
woemen of the countrey thither, and feast them, and make them drunke,
as she would be herselfe. They both dyed by excesse; and by luxury
and cosonage by their servants, when he dyed, there was, I thinke, a
hundred thousand pound debt.
Old Sir Francis, he lived like a hog, at Hownstret in Somerset, all
this while with a moderate pittance.
Mr. John would say that his wive's estate was ill gott, and that was
the reason they prospered no better; she would say that the old judge
gott the estate unjustly, and thus they would twitt one another, and
that with matter of trueth.