Note 8 — Chapter II · THE FOUNDER OF THE COTTONIAN LIBRARY.

‘[Then the Duke] came to the Relation of Sir Robert Cotton [of the intercourse] that he had with the Spanish Ambassador in 1614 [O.S.]. The Spanish Ambassador came to his house pretending [a desire] to see his rarities. On the 10th of February he acquainted His Majesty with it. Somerset [had] warrant then to sound the life of the intention. [Gondomar] told him he doubted he had no warrant to set any such thing on foot. [On the] 16th of March the Spanish Ambassador dealt with him and endeavoured to make Somerset Spanish, and to further this match. [He] answered him that there were divers rubs and difficulties in it. [On the] 9th of April he gave [Gondomar] a pill in a paper—viz. three reasons: If the King of Spain would not urge unreasonable things in Religion, then,’ &c. [as in Gondomar’s letter, which I have already quoted]. ‘Afterwards Sir Robert Cotton was questioned [for shewing] to the Ambassador of Spain a packet [received] from Spain.... [In the year] 1616, His Majesty told Sir Robert Cotton that Gondomar had counterfeited those letters, and that he was a “juggling jack.”’ Here Sir Edward Coke interposed. He was one of the Managers of the Conference for the Commons. He spoke thus: ‘This matter has a little relation to me. I committed Sir Robert Cotton, when I was Chief Justice. For I understood he had intelligence with the Spanish Ambassador, and questioned him for it. For no subject ought to converse with Ambassadors without the King’s leave. For the offence [for which] I committed him [Sir Robert had] afterwards his general pardon from the King.’ Journals of the House of Commons, 4 March, 1624. Vol. I, pp. 727, 728.