JOHN, lord high chancellor of England, was born at Worcester in 1652. He was educated at Oxford, and afterwards entered himself at the Middle-Temple, where he studied the law with great vigour. In 1688 he was one of the counsel for the seven bishops at their trial, and argued with great learning and eloquence against the dispensing power. In the convention which met by the prince of Orange's summons, January 22, 1689, he represented Worcester; and was one of the managers for the House of Commons, at a conference with the House of Lords upon the word abdicated. Soon after the accession of King William and Queen Mary to the throne, he was appointed solicitor-general, and received the honour of knighthood. In 1692 he was made attorney general, and in 1693 advanced to the post of lord keeper of the great seal of England. In 1695 he proposed an expedient to prevent the practice of clipping the coin. In 1697 he was created Lord Somers, baron of Evedham, and made lord high chancellor of England. In the beginning of 1700 he was removed from his post of lord chancellor, and the year after was impeached of high crimes and misdemeanors by the House of Commons, of which he was acquitted upon trial by the House of Lords. He then retired to a judicious course of life, and was chosen president of the Royal Society. In 1706 he proposed a bill for the regulation of the law; and the same year was one of the principal managers for the union between England and Scotland. In 1708 he was made lord president of the council; from which post he was removed in 1710, upon the change of the ministry. In the latter end of Queen Anne's reign his lordship grew very infirm in his health; which is supposed to be the reason that he held no other post than a seat at the council-table, after the accession of King George I. He died of an apoplectical fit in 1716. Mr Addison has drawn his character very beautifully in the Freeholder.