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THe Lord Chancellour Egerton, extracted from the ancient Family of the Egerton's of Kidley in Cheshire, was bred in the study of the Mu∣nicipal Laws of our Land, wherein he attained to such eminency, that Queen Elizabeth made him her Solicitor, then Master of the Rolls, and at last Keeper of the Great Seal, May 6. in the 38 year of her Reign, 1596.
Olaus Magnu•• reporteth, that the Emperour of Moscovia at the Audience of Ambassadors, sende••h for the gravest and seemliest men in Mosco and the Vicinage, whom he apparelleth in rich Vests; and placing them in his presence, pretendeth to For∣••aigners, that these are of his Privy-Council; who cannot but be much affected with so many reverent Aspects. But surely all Christendome afforded not a pe••son which carried more gravity in his counte∣nance and behaviour than Sir Thomas Egerton, in∣somuch that many have gone to the Chancery on purpose only to see his venerable Garb (happy they who had no other business) and were highly pleased at so acceptable a spectacle. Yet was his outward Case nothing in comparison of his inward Abilities, quick Wit, solid Judgement, ready Utterance. I confess Master Cambden saith, he entred his Office Magna expectatione & integritatis opinione, with a great expectation and opinion of Integrity: But no doubt, had he revised his work in a second Edition, he would have afforded him a full-faced commendation, when this Lord had turned his expectation to performance. In the first of King Iames, of Lord Keeper he was made Lord Chancellor, which is also another name for the same Office: and on Thursday the seventh of No∣vember, 1616. of Lord Elismer he was created Viscount Brackley. It is given to Courts whose Jurisdictions do border, to fall out about their bounds; and the contest betwixt them is the hot∣ter, the higher the spirits and parts of the respective Judges. Great was the contention for many years together betwixt this Lord of Equity, and Sir Edward C••••ke the Oracle of Justice at Westminster-Hall:
I know not which of them got the better; sure I am such another Contest would (if this did not) have undone the Conqueror.
He was attended on with servants of most able parts, and was the sole Chancellor since the Re∣formation, who had a Chaplain, which (though not immediately) succeeded him in his place. H•• gave over his Office which ••he held full twenty years, some few days before his death; and by his own appointment, his body was brought down and buried at Duddleston in Cheshire, leaving a fair estate to his Son, who was afterwards created Earl of Bridgewater, as he did to his excellent Son now living.
When he saw King Iames his munificence to some Courtiers, with the grave Fidelity of a States∣man, he sticked not often to tell him, That as he held it necessary for his Majesty amply to rem••ne∣rate all those his Countrey-men, so he desired him carefully to preserve his Crown lands, for his own support, seeing he or his Successors might meet with Parliaments which would not supply his occa∣sions, but on such conditions as would not be very acceptable unto him. It was an ordinary speech in his mouth to say, Frost and Fraud both end in Foul.
His plain, but honest advice to my Lord of Essex was,
A company of Citizens got a Cause passed by keeping a Witness away in this manner; one of them gets him to the Tavern, and there leaves him with a quart of Sack before him, and the glass at his mouth, and swears in open Court, that he left him in a condition, wherein if he continueth but two hours, he is a dead man. The other Party find out the cheat, and have their remedy in Chancery: Sir Edward Cook brings the matter to the Star-Cham∣ber, and threatneth the Chancellor with a P••emu••nire. The business is debated, and sentence passed for my Lord Chancellor; with the comfort where∣of, and the Kings and Princes Letter to him upon his Death-bed, he went to his Grave.