William Noy (1577-1634).
[412]From Fabian Philips, esq.:—
Mr. attorney-generall Noy was a great lawyer and a great humorist. There is a world of merry stories of him.
A countrey-fellow of Cumberland[413]....
He would play at spanne-counter with the taverne-barre-boy.
A countrey clowne asked for a good inne, and he bids him ride into Lincoln's Inne, and asked if his horse went to hay or to grasse.
He caused the breeches of a bencher of Lincolne's Inne to be taken-in by a tayler and made him beleeve that he had the dropsie.
One time he mett accidentally with Butler[414], the famous physitian of Cambridge, at the earle of Suffolke's (Lord Treasurer[415]). They were strangers to each other, and both walking in the gallerie. Noy was wearied, and would be gonne. Butler would know his name. Noy had him to the Peacock Taverne in Thames Street, and fudled all that day.
Another time Noy and Pine of Lincolne's Inne went afoot to Barnet with clubbes in their hands, like countreyfellowes. They went to the Red Lyon inne; the people of the house were afrayd to trust them, fearing they might not pay.
[416]Ex registro Brandford, thus:—'William Noy, the king's attorney, buried August the 11th day, 1634.' Buried under the communion table, not alter-waies, in the chancell at New Brentford in the county of Middlesex, under a stone broken; brasse lost and inscription.