Memoir of the life of John Law of Lauriston

92 LIFE OF JOHN LAW
their design, and of their ways of working,
than a stranger of greater capacity could pro-
bably be. A little time will shew who has
judged rightest. I do most heartily wish, for
the other judges held the plea good, being of opinion
that the defendant had a title to his honour by legal
conveyance ; that the House of Lords could no more
deprive one of a peerage than they could confer that
dignity ; that the letters-patent produced by the de-
fendant could not be cancelled without a scire facias ;
and that the legitimacy of his father could not now be
questioned. Judgment went for defendant, the indict-
ment was abated, and he remained untried. The House
of Lords being offended at this decision, called Lord
Chief- Justice Holt and Justice Eyre to the bar in Fe-
bruary 1697, and interrogated them as to the reasons
thereof; no other answer was received from these
great judges than that their judgment, if erroneous,
was open to be corrected only by the forms of law,
namely, by writ of error. But no such writ was
brought, and the judgment of the Court of King's
Bench remained unreversed. The promise to Mr. Law
to bring Lord Banbury into the House of Lords was not
fulfilled, no writ of summons being issued. He died
28th August 174-0, and his successors still retained the
designation of Earls of Banbury. Thomas Woods
Knollys, seventh Earl of Banbury, dying at Winches-
ter 13th May 1793, was succeeded by his only son,
William, eighth Earl of Banbury. His Lordship was