was quickly determined when they found their own interest, by the unnecessary logic of that argument, no less concluded than Mr. Hampden's' (Rebellion, i. 127,130). In March 1638-9 Finch was sworn of the privy council, and on 17 Jan. 1639-40 he obtained through the influence of the queen the place of lord keeper, then vacant by the death of Lord Coventry. His appointment was far from giving universal satisfaction. Thus, Sir Richard Cave writes to Sir Thomas Roe, under date 7 Feb. 1639-40: 'The lord keeper keeps such a clatter in his new place that they are more weary of him in the chancery than they were before in the common pleas.' On 7 April 1640 he was created Baron Finch of Fordwich in Kent (Letters of Lady Brilliana Harley (Camd. Soc.), p. 32 ; Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1639-40 pp. 341, 344, 436, 1640 p. 12). The Short parliament of 1640 was opened by the king on 13 April with a few words indicative of the gravity of the situation, the task of more fully setting forth the royal wishes and intentions being devolved upon the lord keeper. After dwelling upon the magnanimity shown by the king in 'sequestering the memory of all former discouragements,' and once more summoning a parliament, Finch proceeded to expatiate upon the threatening aspect of Scottish affairs, and the consequent necessity of obtaining immediate supplies. On this theme he again enlarged on 20 April, but with no effect, the commons resolving that grievances must take precedence of supply. On 5 May parliament was dissolved. One of the first acts of the Long parliament was the exhibition of articles of impeachment against Finch. The principal counts in the indictment were three : (1) his arbitrary conduct when speaker on the occasion of Eliot's motion on tonnage and poundage ; (2) malpractices on the bench in 1635 for the purpose of extending the royal forest in Essex beyond its legal boundaries ; (3) his conduct in Hampden's case (Harleian Miscellany, v. 566-9 ; Somers Tracts, iv. 129-32; Trevelyan Papers, Camd. Soc. iii. 199-200). Finch appeared at the bar of the House of Commons during the preliminary stage (21 Dec.), and made an elaborate speech in his own defence, but took refuge in Holland before the form of the articles was finally determined, arriving at the Hague on 31 Dec. 1640. According to Clarendon (Rebellion, i. 311, 526) the house was 'wonderfully indisposed to hear anything against' him, though Falkland denounced him as the 'chief transgressor' in the matter of ship-money. His estates in Kent and Middlesex were sequestrated in 1644, being estimated as of the annual value of 338l.; but his wife, Lady Mabel, was permitted to occupy them at the annual rent of 100l. so long as they should continue in sequestration (Lords' Journals, vi. 568 a, vii. 272 ; Add. MS. 5494, f. 206). They seem to have been subsequently redeemed for 7,000l., though Finch's name does not appear in Dring's 'Catalogue' (1733) (Parl. Hist. ii. 528-34 552-60, 685-98; Cobbett, State Trials, iv. 18; Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1661-2, p. 328). During his exile Finch seems to have resided principally at the Hague. Here in 1641 Evelyn met him, and lodged for a time in the same house with him, the house, oddly enough, of a Brownist, where, says Evelyn, 'we had an extraordinary good table' (Diary, 26 July and 19 Aug. 1641). Two letters to Finch, one from Henrietta Maria, the other from Elizabeth, queen of Bohemia, belonging to this period, may be read in 'Archæologia,' xxi. 474 et seq. They are of slight historical importance, but by the familiarity of their style serve to show the intimate terms on which he stood with the writers. A letter to Sir Christopher Hatton, dated 3 Jan. 1640-1, announcing his arrival at the Hague (Add. MSS. 28218 f. 9, 29550 f. 49), was printed in 1641 (Brit. Mus. Cat. 'Finch'). Another to Dr. Cosin, dean of Peterborough, written in a very inflated style, but not without touches of humour, is undated, but must have been written in 1641 or 1642, as it contains a reference to the 'danger that hangs over the head' of Cosin, viz. the prosecution in the high commission court for innovating in religion, which terminated 22 Jan. 1642 in sequestration. It was printed in 1642 and reprinted in 1844 (Newcastle Reprints of Rare Tracts, Historical, i.) On 14 July 1647 Finch petitioned the House of Lords for leave to return home to die in his native country. The petition was ordered to be considered, and was entered in the journal of the house, but no leave appears to have been granted (Lords' Journals, vii. 331). In October 1660 Finch was one of the commissioners for the trial of the regicides, but took little part in the proceedings. He died on the 27th of the following month, and was buried in St. Martin's Church, near Canterbury. As he left no male issue the peerage became extinct. Finch married first Eleanor, daughter of George Wyat; and secondly, Mabel, daughter of the Rev. Charles Fotherby, dean of Canterbury. Smith (Obituary, Camd. Soc., p. 52) calls him a 'proud and impious man, but loyal to his prince.' His character has been painted in black colours by Campbell ; but though a bigoted supporter of despotic power, there is no reason to suppose that he was other than a conscientious man. His
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