It was a chance that the late Chief-Justice and his wife, with their armed parties, did not meet on the road, in which case “there were like to be strange tragedies.”  At length the Council compelled both sides to keep the peace, and the young lady was taken for the present out of the hands of her raging parents.  Bacon had assumed that the affair was the result of an intrigue between Winwood and Coke, and that the Court would take part against Coke, a man so deep in disgrace and so outrageously violent.  Supposing that he had the ear of Buckingham, he wrote earnestly, persuading him to put an end to the business; and in the meantime the Council ordered Coke to be brought before the Star Chamber “for riot and force,” to “be heard and sentenced as justice shall appertain.”  They had not the slightest doubt that they were doing what would please the King.  A few days after they met, and then they learned the truth.

“Coke and his friends,” writes Chamberlain, “complain of hard measure from some of the greatest at that board, and that he was too much trampled upon with ill language.  And our friend [i.e. Winwood] passed out scot free for the warrant, which the greatest [word illegible] there said was subject to a praemunire; and withal told the Lady Compton that they wished well to her and her sons, and would be ready to serve the Earl of Buckingham with all true affection, whereas others did it out of faction and ambition—­which words glancing directly at our good friend (Winwood), he was driven to make his apology, and to show how it was put upon him from time to time by the Queen and other parties; and, for conclusion, showed a letter of approbation of all his courses from the King, making the whole table judge what faction and ambition appeared in this carriage. Ad quod non fuit responsum.”

None indeed, but blank faces, and thoughts of what might come next.  The Council, and Bacon foremost, had made a desperate mistake.  “It is evident,” as Mr. Spedding says, “that he had not divined Buckingham’s feelings on the subject.”  He was now to learn them.  To his utter amazement and alarm he found that the King was strong for the match, and that the proceeding of the Council was condemned at Court as gross misconduct.  In vain he protested that he was quite willing to forward the match; that in fact he had helped it.  Bacon’s explanations, and his warnings against Coke the King “rejected with some disdain;” he justified Coke’s action; he charged Bacon with disrespect and ingratitude to Buckingham; he put aside his arguments and apologies as worthless or insincere.  Such reprimands had not often been addressed, even to inferior servants.  Bacon’s letters to Buckingham remained at first without notice; when Buckingham answered he did so with scornful and menacing curtness.  Meanwhile Bacon heard from Yelverton how things were going at Court.