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Chap. II.

LIFE OF

SIR ROBERT

appetencies were now almost sated with wealth, employments, and honours; and ever since his return from his splendid embassy to Spain, he seemed bent on compensat- COTTON. ing himself for his hard labour under ELIZABETH by his indolent luxury under JAMES. The repose of their chief had so favoured the illegitimate activities of his subordinates, that when COTTON addressed himself to the task of investigating the state of the naval administration he soon found that it would be much easier to prove the existence and the gravity of the abuses than to point to an effectual remedy.

INSTITUTED

INTO ABUSES

The abuses were manifold. Some of them were, at that moment, scarcely assailable. To COTTON, in particular, the approach to the subject was beset with many difficulties. He was, however, much in earnest. When he found that some of the obstacles must, for the present, THEINQUIRY be rather turned by evasion than be encountered-with BY COTTON any fair chance of success-by an open attack in front, he IN THE betook himself to the weaker side of the enemy. He NAVY. obtained careful information as to naval account-keeping; discovered serious frauds; and opened the assault by a conflict with officials not too powerful for immediate encounter, though far indeed from being unprotected.

Of Sir Robert's Memorial to the King, I can give but one brief extract, by way of sample: Upon a dangerous advantage,' he writes, which the Treasurer of the Navy taketh by the strict letter of his Patent, to be discharged of all his accounts by the only vouchee and allowance of two chief officers, it falls out, strangely, at this time-by the weakness of the Controller and cunning of the Surveyor― that these two offices are, in effect, but one, which is the Surveyor himself, who-joining with the Treasurer as a Purveyor of all provisions—becomes a paymaster to himself. . . . at such rates as he thinks good.' It is a suggestive statement.

ROYAL

Cotton,

Memorial on

Abuses of the

Navy;-
Domestic

Corresp.

James I,

vol. xli, p. 21.

(R. H).

Book I,
Chap. II.
LIFE OF

SIR ROBERT

COTTON.

COTTON's most intimate political friendships were at this time with the HOWARDS. Henry HOWARD (now Earl of Northampton),-whatever the intrinsic baseness and perfidy of his nature, was a man of large capacity. He was not unfriendly to reform,-when abuses put no pelf in his own pocket. To naval reforms, his nearness of blood to NOTTINGHAM, the Lord High Admiral, tended rather to predispose him; for when near relatives dislike one another, the intensity of their dislike is sometimes wonderful to all bystanders. Interest made these two sometimes allies, but it never made them friends. NORTHAMPTON gave his whole influence in favour of Sir Robert's plan.

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He began the inquiries into this wide subject by persuading the King to appoint a Commission. On the 30th of April, 1608, Letters Patent were issued, in the preamble of which the pith of the Memorial is thus recited: We are informed that very great and considerable abuses, deceits, frauds, corruptions, negligences, misdemeanours and offences have been and daily are perpetrated against the continual admonitions and directions of you, our Lord High Admiral, by other the officers of and concerning our Navy Royal, and by the Clerks of the Prick and Check, and divers other inferior officers, ministers, mariners, soldiers, and others working or labouring in or about our said COMMISSION Navy' and thereupon full powers are given to the ComFOR INQUIRY missioners so appointed to make full inquiry into the allegations; and to certify their proceedings and opinions. COTTON was made a member of the Commission, and at the head of it were placed the Earls of NORTHAMPTON and of NOTTINGHAM. It was directed that the inquiry should be carried at least as far back as the year 1598. The Admiral's share was little more than nominal. The proceedings were opened on the 7th of May, 1608, when, as

ON THE

ABUSES IN

his

Chap. II.

LIFE OF

SIR ROBERT
COTTON.

Proceedings

in the Com

mission for

the Navy

Royal; MS.
COTT. Julius

(B. M.)

COTTON himself reports, an 'elegant speech was made BOOK I, by Lord Northampton, of His Majesty's provident and princely purposes for reformation of the abuses.' Northampton, he adds, 'took especial pains and care for a full and faithful discharge of that trust.' At his instance Sir Robert was made Chairman of a sort of sub-committee, to which the preliminary inquiries and general array of the business were entrusted; 'Sir Robert COTTON, during all the time of this service, entertaining his assistants at house at the Blackfriars as often as occasion served.' The inquiry lasted from May, 1608, to June, 1609. F., fol. 1. COTTON was then requested by his fellow-commissioners to make an abstract of the depositions to be reported to the King. It abundantly justified the Memorial of 1608. JAMES, when he had read it, ordered a final meeting of the Commissioners to be held in his presence, at which all the inculpated officers were to attend that they might adduce whatever answers or pleas of defence might be in their power. In the end,' says Sir Robert, they were advised rather to cast themselves at the feet of his grace and goodness for pardon, than to rely upon their weak replies; which they readily did.' The most important outcome of the inquiry was the preparation of a Book of Ordinances for the Navy Royal,' in the framing of which Sir Robert COTTON had the largest share. It led to many improvements. But, in subsequent years, measures of a still more stringent character were found needful.

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QUIRY INTO

In the next year after the presentation of this Report on the Navy, Sir Robert addressed to the King another Report THE INon the Revenues of the Crown. The question is treated CROWN REhistorically rather than politically, but the long induction. of fiscal records is frequently enlivened by keen glances both at underlying principles and at practical results.

VENUES.

BOOK I,
Chap. II.
LIFE OF

Once or twice, at least, these side glances are such as, when we now regard them, in the light of the subsequent history SIR ROBERT of JAMES's own reign and of that of his next successor, seem to have in them more of irony than of earnest. The style of the treatise is clear, terse, and pointed.

COTTON.

in the Com

On no branch of the subject does the author go into more minute detail than on that delicate one of the historical precedents for 'abating and reforming excesses of the Royal Household, Retinue, and Favourites.' He points the moral by express reference to existing circumstances. Thus, for example, in treating of the arrangements of the royal household, he says, 'There is never a back-door at Court that costs not the king £2000 yearly;' and again, when treating of gifts to royal favourites: It is one of the greatest accusations against the Duke of Somerset for suffering the King [EDWARD VI] to give away the possessions and profits of the Crown in manner of a spoil.'

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Not less plainspoken are COTTON's words about a question that was destined, in a short time, to excite the whole kingdom. Tonnage and poundage, he says, were granted simply for defence of the State, 'so they may be employed in the wars; and particular Treasurers account in ParliaProceedings ment' for that employment. They are so granted,' he adds, in express words; and that they proceed of goodwill, not of duty. Precedents of this nature are plentiful in all the Rolls.' A final example of this sort may be found in the pithy warning grounded upon RICHARD THE SECOND'S grant to a minion of the power of compounding with delinquents. It was fatal, he says, both to the king and to his instrument. It grew the death of the one and the deposition of the other.'

mission for the Navy Royal, &c.; as above.

COTTON'S Report on the Crown Revenues has also an

1

Chap. II.

SIR ROBERT

COTTON'S

FOR THE

1609.

incidental interest. Out of it grew the creation of the BOOK I, new dignity of baronets. Were His Majesty, says the writer, LIFE OF 'now to make a degree of honour hereditary as Baronets, COTTON. next under Barons, and grant them in tail, taking of every one £1000, in fine it would raise with ease £100,000; PROPOSITION and, by a judicious election, be a means to content those CREATION OF worthy persons in the Commonwealth that by the confused BARONETS, admission of [so] many Knights of the Bath held themselves all this time disgraced.' When this passage was written that which had been, under ELIZABETH, so real and eminent an honour as to be eagerly coveted by patriotic men, had been lavished by JAMES with a profusion which entailed their contempt and disgust. I have before me the fine old MS. from a passage in which COTTON borrowed the title of the new dignity. The word occurs thus:- Ceux sont les estatutz, ordenances. . . . . .. de nre très excellent souv Durh. seigneur le Roy Richard, et Johan, Duc de Lancastre, et des autres Contes, Barons, et Baronnetz, et sages Chivalers.' Sir Robert was himself amongst the earliest receivers (June, 1611) of the new order. Its creation led to many jealousies and discords. It gave both to the King and to his councillors not a little trouble in settling the precise privileges and precedencies of its holders. In those controversies the author of the suggestion took no very active. part. King JAMES was much more anxious for the speedy receipt of the hundred thousand pounds, than about the judicious election' of those by whom the money was to be provided. COTTON's satisfaction with the ultimate working out of his plan must have had its large alloy.*

The story which has been told-on the authority of one of John Chamberlain's letters to Carleton (April, 1612) that Sir Robert Cotton was sent out of the way' at a time when certain claims of the Baronets were to be definitively heard at the Council Board, in order that he

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9 R. II.

17 July, 1385. COTTON MS.,

D.,

Nero,

vi, § 16.

(B. M.)

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