Editing Edward Coke (section)

==Politics==
Thanks to his work on their behalf, Coke had earned the favour of the Dukes of Norfolk.<ref name=b8>{{Harvnb|Boyer|2003|p=39}}</ref> When he secured the Lordship of [[Aldeburgh]] for them in 1588 he also obtained the [[Aldeburgh (UK Parliament constituency)|Aldeburgh parliamentary constituency]], which elected two [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Members of Parliament]] (MPs). With their support, Coke was returned for Aldeburgh as an MP in February 1589.<ref name=b8/>

===Elizabeth I===
====Solicitor General and Speaker====
[[File:Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury by John De Critz the Elder (2).jpg|thumb|right|[[Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury|Robert Cecil]], Coke's political ally who acted as a staunch defender of Elizabeth I|alt=A portrait of Robert Cecil, who is standing at a table wearing black robes. He has neck-length brown hair and a pointed goatee. He has gold lettering behind him, which reads "sero, sed serio".]]

The political "old guard" began to change around the time Coke became a Member of Parliament. The [[Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester|Earl of Leicester]] died in 1588, followed by [[Walter Mildmay|Sir Walter Mildmay]], the [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]], a year later, and [[Francis Walsingham|Sir Francis Walsingham]] a year after that.<ref>{{Harvnb|Boyer|2003|p=215}}</ref> In 1592 the [[Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales|Lord Chief Justice]] died and, according to custom the [[Attorney General for England and Wales|Attorney General]], [[John Popham (judge)|John Popham]], succeeded him, with the [[Solicitor-General for England and Wales|Solicitor General]], [[Thomas Egerton, 1st Viscount Brackley|Thomas Egerton]], succeeding Popham. This created a vacancy among the [[Law Officers of the Crown]], and thanks to the influence of the Cecil family, Coke became Solicitor General on 16 June 1592.<ref name="Boyer 2003 p. 216">{{Harvnb|Boyer|2003|p=216}}</ref> This was likely a narrow victory owing to Coke's defence of unpopular clients; he was summoned before [[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I]], who berated him until he cried before confirming him as Solicitor General.<ref name="Boyer 2003 p. 216"/>

Coke held the position only briefly; by the time he returned from a tour of Norfolk to discuss election strategy, he had been confirmed as [[Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|Speaker of the House of Commons]] by the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council]],<ref>{{Harvnb|Boyer|2003|p=218}}</ref> having been proposed by [[Francis Knollys (the elder)|Francis Knollys]] and [[Thomas Heneage]] following his return to Parliament as MP for [[Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)|Norfolk]].<ref name="Block 1929 p. 61">{{Harvnb|Block|1929|p=61}}</ref> Coke held the positions of Speaker and Solicitor-General at the same time, although he did not take up his post as Speaker until the state opening of Parliament on 19 February 1593 (despite being confirmed on 28 January 1593).<ref name="Block 1929 p. 61"/>

After "disabling" himself in the [[House of Lords]] (a ceremony in which the incoming Speaker apologised for his failings) Parliament was suspended until 24 February;<ref>{{Harvnb|Block|1929|p=62}}</ref> Coke returned two days later, having suffered from a stomach problem. The Parliament was intended to be a brief and simple one; with the [[Black Death]] resurgent throughout England and the threat of Spain on the horizon, the only matter was to impose certain taxes to fund the Queen's campaign against the Spanish, with no bills to be introduced. The taxes were paramount; subsidies collected in 1589 had been spent, and the war continued.<ref>{{Harvnb|Boyer|2003|pp=219, 221}}</ref>

The idea of a calm, swift Parliament foundered on the rocks of religious conflict. On 27 February [[James Morice]], a Puritan Member of Parliament, proposed two new bills: one against the bishops of the [[Church of England]], and the other against the [[Court of High Commission]]. Morice was placed under house arrest, and seven Members of Parliament were later arrested, but the bills remained in Parliament.<ref>{{Harvnb|Block|1929|p=64}}</ref> They were defended by Francis Knollys, one of the few remaining Puritan Members of Parliament, while other Puritans spat and coughed to drown out speeches by opponents.<ref>{{Harvnb|Boyer|2003|p=223}}</ref>

Coke and Cecil, the government's two strongest defenders in Parliament, made several efforts to put off or end the debate over the bills. Cecil first pointed out that the Queen had forbidden bills on religion; Parliament ignored him, and the bill went ahead. Coke, as Speaker of the House of Commons (whose job was to schedule any bills), conducted a delaying campaign, first suggesting that the bill was too long to be read in the morning and then that it be delegated to a committee; both suggestions were voted down by the Commons. Coke continued talking until the end of the Parliamentary day in a [[filibuster]] action, granting a day of delay for the government. Immediately afterwards, Coke was summoned by the Queen, who made it clear that any action on the bills would be considered evidence of disloyalty. The warning was accepted by the Commons, and no more action was taken on the two Puritan bills.<ref>{{Harvnb|Boyer|2003|pp=224–225}}</ref>

====Attorney General====
[[File:Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex.jpg|thumb|left|[[Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex|Robert Devereux]], Cecil and Coke's main political rival|alt=A portrait of Robert Devereux, who is portrayed wearing a silver shirt. He has shoulder-length black hair and a brown beard which reaches down to his collar. Devereux is wearing a medal suspended from a green ribbon.]]

On 10 April 1594, Coke was made [[Attorney General for England and Wales]] thanks to his partnership with the Cecil family. [[Francis Bacon]], his rival, was supported by [[Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex|Robert Devereux]], who waged a constant war against Robert Cecil for control of the English government.<ref>{{Harvnb|Boyer|2003|p=242}}</ref> The position of [[Master of the Rolls]] had become vacant in April 1593, and Coke was expected to be appointed according to convention; Bacon, therefore, would become Attorney General. Coke reacted by becoming even more dogmatic in his actions on behalf of the Crown, and when Devereux approached the queen on Bacon's behalf, she replied that even Bacon's uncle [[William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley|[Lord Burghley]]] considered him the second best candidate, after Coke.<ref>{{Harvnb|Boyer|2003|p=244}}</ref> The Attorney General was the main prosecutor of the Crown, expected to bring all charges on its behalf and serve as its legal advisor in any situation. Coke was appointed in a time of particular difficulty; besides famine and the conflict with Spain, war had recently [[Nine Years' War (Ireland)|broken out in Ireland]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Boyer|2003|p=254}}</ref>

Coke primarily dealt with matters of treason, such as the cases of [[Smythe Baronets|Sir John Smythe]] and [[Edward Squire]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Boyer|2003|p=260}}</ref> He also handled religious incidents such as the disputes between the [[Jesuits]] and the Church of England, personally interrogating [[John Gerard (Jesuit)|John Gerard]] after his capture.<ref>{{Harvnb|Boyer|2003|p=267}}</ref> As the 1590s continued, the infighting between Cecil and Devereux persisted, with Devereux's [[Capture of Cadiz|raid on Cadiz]] earning him national fame. In March 1599 Devereux was sent to defeat the growing rebellion in Ireland and was given command of 18,000&nbsp;men, but by November his army was reduced to 4,000, the rest "frittered away" in exchange for "[conquering] nothing".<ref>{{Harvnb|Boyer|2003|p=276}}</ref>

On 5 June 1600, he faced a panel of Privy Councillors, judges and members of the nobility at York House, where he was charged with appointing generals without the Queen's permission, ignoring orders and negotiating "very basely" with the leader of the rebel forces. While the members of the nobility wished to be gentle with Devereux, the lawyers and judges felt differently, recommending fines and confinement in the [[Tower of London]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Woolrych|1826|p=53}}</ref> In the end a compromise was reached, with Devereux put under house arrest and dismissed from all his government offices.<ref>{{Harvnb|Boyer|2003|p=277}}</ref>

Devereux immediately began plotting rebellion. Orders were sent out for "bedding" and "draperies"&nbsp;– codenames for weapons&nbsp;– and rebellious gentlemen gathered at [[Essex House (London)|Essex House]] to hear him talk of Elizabeth's "crooked mind and crooked carcass".<ref>{{Harvnb|Boyer|2003|p=278}}</ref> In response, Coke and Cecil began a counter-plot. In 1599, [[John Hayward (historian)|Sir John Hayward]] had written and published ''The First Part of the Life and Raigne of King Henrie IV'', dedicating it to Devereux. Elizabeth, furious, banned the book, suggesting that it was a "seditious prelude" intended to show her as a corrupt and poor monarch. Against the backdrop of Devereux's plot, Coke and Cecil started a new investigation into the book, hoping to prove some involvement of Devereux in the publishing. Coke interviewed Hayward's licensing cleric, [[Samuel Harsnett]], who complained that the dedication had been "foisted" on him by Devereux. In reaction, Coke decided to bring charges of treason against Devereux, saying that he had "plotted and practised with the Pope and king of Spain for the deposing and selling of himself as well as the crown of England&nbsp;... His permitting underhand that treasonable book of Henry IV to be printed and published; it being plainly deciphered, not only by the matter, and by the epistle itself, for what end and for whose behalf it was made, but also the Earl himself being present so often at the playing thereof, and with great applause giving countenance to it".<ref>{{Harvnb|Boyer|2003|p=279}}</ref>

The charges were never brought because of an incident that soon transpired. On 8 February 1601 Devereux ordered his followers to meet at Essex House. A day later a group of emissaries led by [[Thomas Egerton, 1st Viscount Brackley|Thomas Egerton]] and [[John Popham (judge)|John Popham]] were sent to Devereux and immediately taken hostage.<ref>{{Harvnb|Johnson|1845|p=41}}</ref> After a failed attempt to garner support from the population of London, Devereux found himself surrounded in Essex House; after burning his personal papers, he surrendered.<ref>{{Harvnb|Boyer|2003|p=282}}</ref> On 19 February he was tried for treason, along with the [[Henry Wriothesley, 3rd&nbsp;Earl of Southampton|Earl of Southampton]]. Coke led the case for the government,<ref>{{Harvnb|Johnson|1845|p=138}}</ref> and Devereux was found guilty and executed; the Earl of Southampton was reprieved.<ref>{{Harvnb|Boyer|2003|p=285}}</ref>

===James I===
[[File:Sir Walter Raleigh.jpg|thumb|right|[[Walter Raleigh|Sir Walter Raleigh]], whom Coke prosecuted for treason|alt=A head-and-shoulders portrait of Sir Walter Raleigh. He is wearing an extremely large ruff, and has his hair done up in curls. Underneath the ruff, he is wearing a black shirt.]]

On 24 March 1603, Elizabeth&nbsp;I died. James&nbsp;VI of Scotland set out to claim the English throne, taking the title [[James I of England|James I]], and the Cokes immediately began ingratiating themselves with the new monarch and his family. [[Elizabeth Hatton]], Coke's wife, travelled to Scotland to meet [[Anne of Denmark]], the incoming Queen, and "the high-tempered beauty somehow pleased that withdrawn, strong-willed woman&nbsp;... for as long as Anna lived&nbsp;... Lady Hatton and her husband would retain the queen's affection and trust".<ref>{{Harvnb|Boyer|2003|p=294}}</ref> Coke attended divine service with the new king on 22 May, who, following the service, took a sword from his bodyguard and knighted Coke.<ref>{{Harvnb|Boyer|2003|p=296}}</ref> Coke was reconfirmed as Attorney General under James, and immediately found himself dealing with "a series of treasons, whether real or imaginary".<ref>{{Harvnb|Johnson|1845|p=155}}</ref> The first of these was the [[Walter Raleigh#Trial and imprisonment|trial of Sir Walter Raleigh]]; according to [[Cuthbert William Johnson]], one of Coke's biographers, "There is, perhaps, no reported case in which the proofs against the prisoner were weaker than in this trial&nbsp;... never was an accused person condemned on slighter grounds".<ref>{{Harvnb|Johnson|1845|p=157}}</ref>

Raleigh was brought to trial on 17 November 1603, on charges of "conspiring to deprive the King of his Government; to alter religion; to bring in the Roman superstition; and to procure foreign enemies to invade the kingdom".<ref>{{Harvnb|Stephen|1919|p=172}}</ref> The government alleged that on 11 June 1603, Raleigh had met with Lord Cobham, and they had agreed to bring [[Lady Arbella Stuart]] (a great great granddaughter of [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]]) to the English throne, and to accept 600,000&nbsp;[[Mark (money)|marks]] from the Spanish government. As such, Raleigh was charged with supporting Stuart's claim to the throne and claiming Spanish money.<ref>{{Harvnb|Johnson|1845|p=173}}</ref> He pleaded not guilty, with Coke's only evidence being a confession from Cobham, who was described as "a weak and unprincipled creature&nbsp;... who said one thing at one time, and another thing in another, and could be relied upon in nothing".<ref>{{Harvnb|Magruder|1879|p=845}}</ref> This case was "no case at all&nbsp;... It supports the general charges in the indictment only by the vaguest possible reference to 'these practices,' and 'plots and invasions' of which no more is said".<ref>{{Harvnb|Stephen|1919|p=175}}</ref>

Coke's behaviour during the trial has been repeatedly criticised; on this weak evidence, he called Raleigh a "notorious traitor", "vile viper" and "damnable atheist", perverting the law and using every slip of the tongue as a way of further showing Raleigh's guilt.<ref>{{Harvnb|Magruder|1879|p=848}}</ref> Raleigh was found guilty and imprisoned in the Tower of London for more than a decade before finally being executed.<ref>{{Harvnb|Magruder|1879|p=849}}</ref> It is generally concluded that the trial was biased strongly against Raleigh,<ref>{{Harvnb|Stephen|1919|p=178}}</ref> although the assessment of Coke varies. While Magruder, in the ''Scottish Law Review'', writes that Coke's "fair fame was tarnished and outraged" by his part in the trial,<ref>{{Harvnb|Magruder|1879|p=844}}</ref> Boyer notes that Coke was, above all, loyal. He prosecuted Raleigh in that fashion because he had been asked to show Raleigh's guilt by the king, and as Attorney General, Coke was bound to obey.<ref>{{Harvnb|Boyer|2003|p=212}}</ref>

The next significant government prosecution was the trial of the eight main [[Gunpowder Plot]] conspirators in Westminster Hall. The men were indicted on 27 January 1605<ref>{{Harvnb|Woolrych|1826|p=70}}</ref> and tried by the [[Lords Commissioners]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Jardine|1847|p=115}}</ref> Coke conducted the prosecution for the government – an easy one, since the conspirators had no legal representation – and through his speeches, "blacken[ed] them in the eyes of the world".<ref>{{Harvnb|Johnson|1845|p=181}}</ref> The conspirators were all sentenced to death and died through various means. Due to his judicial appointment, this was the last important prosecution Coke participated in.<ref>{{Harvnb|Johnson|1845|p=210}}</ref>

In 1606 Coke reported the Star Chamber case ''De Libellis Famosis,'' which ruled that truth was not a defence against an accusation of seditious libel, and also held that ordinary common law courts could enforce this, a doctrine which thus outlived the Star Chamber after its abolition in 1642.<ref>Leonard W. Levy, ''Emergence of a Free Press,'' Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 1985, p. 7.</ref>