State Trials, Political and Social. Volume 2 (of 2)
History
State Trials, Political and Social. Volume 2 (of 2)
Trials -- Great Britain
A report of the trial will be
found in _State Trials_, xii. 950. There are also some picturesque
references to it in Chapter xix. of Macaulay's _History_. Mohun fought
another duel in 1694, served for two years in Flanders, returned to
England, and fought a duel with Captain Bingham in St. James's Park,
which was interrupted by the sentries. The same year he was present at
the death of Captain Hill, in the Rummer Tavern. The present case
occurred in 1698, and seems to have closed his career as a rake. He was
sent under Lord Macclesfield on a mission to present the
Electress-Dowager Sophia with a copy of the Act of Succession, and he
frequently took part in debates in the House of Lords. After Lord
Macclesfield's death he became entangled in a long course of litigation
with the Duke of Hamilton; and on their meeting in Master's Chambers,
remarks passed between them which led to a duel, when both were killed.
The Tories suggested that the Whigs had arranged the duel in order to
get rid of Mohun because they were tired of him, and Hamilton, because
they wanted to prevent his projected embassy to France.
[32] John Lord Somers (1651-1716) was born at Whiteladies, near
Worcester, educated at Trinity College, Oxford, and called in 1676. He
appeared as junior counsel in the trial of the Seven Bishops, at the
instance of Pollexfen (see vol. i. p. 241), and took a conspicuous part
in the settlement of the monarchy after the Revolution, being an
influential member of the Committee which drafted the Declaration of
Rights. He became Solicitor-General in 1689, and Attorney-General in
1692, in which capacity it is curious to notice that he conducted the
prosecution of Lord Mohun for the murder of Mountfort (see _ante_, p.
60). He became William III.'s first Lord Keeper in 1692-3, and Lord
Chancellor in 1697. During all this time he was one of William's most
trusted advisers, and was consulted by him on the most confidential
questions relating to foreign policy. He was also familiar with the
leading literary and scientific men of his time, being responsible for
Addison's pension, and receiving the dedication of the _Tale of a Tub_
from Swift. He also conferred favours on Rymer and Madox. He resigned
the Great Seal in 1700 after a motion for his perpetual exclusion from
the presence of the King had been defeated by a small majority in the
House of Commons; having already lost the King's confidence by the
position he adopted in regard to William's propositions for a standing
army, and attracted the hostility of the country partly by his
opposition to the bill for the resumption of the grants of forfeited
Irish estates. He played a conspicuous part in the reign of Queen Anne
as the head of the Whig junto formed at the beginning of that reign, but
never resumed office.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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