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“Uppon the Cheyff Justices of the Kings Bench”

Fower Cheyffe Justices late wee had

Two were good, and two weare badd

Learned Coocke,1 Rich Mountague2

Grave Sir Lee3 and honest Crew4

two perferd, two sett a syde5

5

upp-starte Sir Nicholas Hyde.

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Source. Bodleian MS Ashmole 38, p. 87

Other known sources. D’Ewes 2.48; Rous 8; Yonge 100; Bodleian MS Malone 23, p. 120; BL Add. MS 22959, fol. 8r; Folger MS V.a.262, p. 38; Folger MS V.a.275, p. 134

Oi12

Quick links to other poems within this section

Select page here O0. Introduction Oi1. The Parliament sitts Oi2. Oh honoured England Oi3. Our digby digd’e Oi4. The base on which Oi5. There was a man Oi6. There was a great fleete Oi7. There was a Munkye Oi8. Yee Spanyards Oi9. There was some policye Oi10. The Kinge and his wyfe Oi11. Why did the fond Oi12. Fower Cheyffe Justices Oi13. Justice of late hath Oi14. Ould Ned Cooke Oi15. Rex and Grex Oi16. Come heare, Lady Muses Oi17. There is a man Oii1. when the uncivill civill Oii2. It makes mee to muse Oii3. Great Buckinghame Oii4. In reading these Oii5. And wilt thou goe Oii6. Charles would yee Prevaile Oii7. Rejoice, brave English Oii8. Why was the varlett Oii9. One askte me Oii10. Oure crossrow’s turnd Oii11. The noblest brave Oii12. And art return’d againe Oii13. All you that will goe Oii14. As sick men feare Oiii1. O Admirall! Oiii2. The wisest King Oiii3. The warrlike King Oiii4. Excuse me Eliott Oiii5. Avaunt you giddie Oiii6. Here Dr Lambe Oiii7. If heav’n rejoyce Oiii8. For Lambe go ringe Oiii9. Heare lyes the Impostar Oiii10. Our state’s a Game Oiii11. When onely one doth Oiii12. Of Brittish Beasts Oiii13. To hunt the Doe Oiii14. The Parliament of late Oiii15. A thinge gott by candle

¹   Learned Coocke: Sir Edward Coke, dismissed as Lord Chief Justice in 1616. <back>

²   Rich Mountague: Sir Henry Montagu, who succeeded Coke as Lord Chief Justice in 1616 and held the office until his promotion to Lord Treasurer in 1620. Montagu was created Viscount Mandeville around the time of the promotion and became Earl of Manchester and Lord President of the Privy Council under Charles I. <back>

³   Grave Sir Lee: Sir James Ley, Earl of Marlborough, who succeeded Montagu, and left after he became Lord Treasurer in 1624. <back>

⁴   honest Crew: Sir Randall (or Ranulph) Crew (or Crewe) was sworn in as Lord Chief Justice early in 1625 and held the office until late 1626 when his challenge to the legality of the forced loan led to his dismissal. The adjective “honest” thus has an extra political bite here. <back>

⁵   two perferd, two sett a syde: Montagu and Ley were “preferred”, promoted from Lord Chief Justice; Coke and Crew were “set aside”. <back>