or friends; he was succeeded by Cooke, the Solicitor for the Commons on the trial of Charles.
Cooke's first Irish destination was that of a provincial justice then Puisne Judge, from which o6Sce he was raised to the rank of a Chief Justice on the eve of the Restoration[1].
Chancellor Steele made his peace with the new government by betraying his wretched colleague, who had offended beyond the possibility of forgiveness by the strength and sincerity of his zeal against the Royal cause, he was therefore selected as an object meriting capital punishment The theatre of his early treasons was reviewed by him for this melancholy purpose; accident also gave a companion at trial and execution fit to second his enthusiasm—the famous Hugh Peters, whom Cooke thus disinterestedly describes in a pamphlet published about the year 1646. "A man of pure evangelical spirit, who goeth about doing good, and may be deemed a looking-glass for others." These fellow-sufferers did not forget the good things of this life in pursuit of religious or political visions. So early as the 20th of November, 1646; a considerable estate in the parish, of Church Honnybum, and county of Worcester, was granted by ordinance of Parliament to Hugh Peters, minister of God's word, and his heirs. Cooke was probably animated by the success of Peters to similar practices; it remained, however, for this distracted country to afford him a landed settlement; hither he came, under the patronage of Ireton, and as that staunch republican condescended to become Lord President of Munster, Cooke deigned to be a provincial Justice in that court Though confiscated lands were to be sold for public debts, or given to debenturers, and the faith of Parliament pledged thereto, regicidal merit superseded the rules of public law and private honesty; an house in Waterford, and two plowlands and an half within the liberties of that city, formed part of his reward: nor did he limit his ambition to the banks of the Suir, the har-
- ↑ His appointment as a Chief Justice of the Common Pleas is not noticed in the patents; he held it for a very short time.
