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The Last Years of the First Earl of Salisbury, 1610–1612*
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 July 2014
Extract
It is generally assumed that the earl of Salisbury's last years were a time of political decline, largely because of the failure of the Great Contract. “In 1610,” one historian has written recently, “Salisbury lost the confidence of both king and Parliament. The collapse of the Great Contract, in which so much of his credit was bound up, was a blow from which his prestige never recovered.” The outlines of the story are familiar. Salisbury, lord treasurer since 1608 and James's chief minister since the beginning of the reign, was securely established in the king's trust and affection at the beginning of 1610. His fall began with court opposition to the Great Contract, opposition which it has been suggested may have been the real cause of the contract's failure. According to Godfrey Goodman, a “great peer” on his deathbed advised the king
not to lose any part of his prerogative, especially the Court of Wards and other great royalties which his predecessors had, for if he should part with these he should hardly be able to govern; that the subject was more obedient and did observe the King more for these than for any laws or other respect whatsoever; that the subject was bound to relieve him and supply his occasions without any such contractings.
The dying peer blamed those who “did endeavour to engross and monopolise the King, and kept other able men out of his service.” From that point, according to Goodman, Salisbury, “who had been a great stirrer in that business, and was the man aimed at, began to decline.”
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Footnotes
*
I would like to thank Professor Conrad Russell, David Sacks and Jennifer Laurendeau for their comments on earlier drafts of this article. I am also very grateful to the marquess of Salisbury for permission to quote from documents in his possession. In quoting from manuscript sources I have retained original spelling but have modernized punctuation and capitalization.
References
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38 The strain under which Salisbury labored at the end of 1610 and its effects on him were demonstrated when he was approached for money for one of the king's ambassadors. Usually eventempered, he “fell into a great passion about the great penury of the Exchequer, and the exceeding difficulty that would be found in the replenishing the same.” Sawyer, , Memorials of Affairs of State 3:235.Google Scholar
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58 Neville had been implicated in the Essex conspiracy, suffering imprisonment and loss of office.
59 In 1604 Salisbury had written, “there are so many ways to the wood, especially when his Majesty in his gracious disposition is desirous to deny few. And therefore many things may be obtained both by English and Scottish noblemen and councillors, with which I shall never be acquainted till they come to seal.” HMC, Salisbury MSS 16:420.Google Scholar
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