TREVOR, Sir Jorni, Knight, b. in 1633. In the parliament of James II. which met on May 19, 1685, he was elected speaker of the house of commons. " Trevor," says Macaulay, "had been bred half a pettifogger, and half a gambler, had brought to political life sentiments and principles worthy of both his callings, had become a para site of the chief justice" (Jeffreys), "and could on occasion imitate not unsuccessfully the vituperative style of bis patron. The minion of Jeffreys was, as might have been expected, preferred by James, was proposed by Middleton. and was chosen without opposition."—History of England, vol. i. p. 508 (ed. 1849). In the same year, be was made master of the roils. He contrived to maintain his political and judicial position after the revolution of 1688, and was again elected speaker on the meeting of parliament on Mar. 20, 1690, on an understanding with the government that he was to take the man agement of what may fairly be called the bribery department. At the same time, he acted as first commissioner of the court of chancery, in which position his integrity seems from the first to have been greatly suspected; and though he was deficient neither in learning nor in parts, his judgments were both long in being given, and contemptible when they were pronounced. For some years, he maintained bothhis power and posi tion; but his greed and venality at length became so notorious that respectable gentle men of all shades of political opinion were ashamed to see him in the chair. In March
1695, a committee of the house of commons was appointed to investigate into the truth of certain charges of bribery brought against their speaker. Within a week, the com mittee reported, that in the preceding session, sir John Trevor had received 1000 guineas from the city of London for expediting a local bill. As soon as the report had been read in the house, it was moved that the speaker had been guilty of a high crime and misdemeanor. Ile had himself to stand up and put the question. There was a loud cry of "aye." Ile called ou the " noes." Scarcely a voice was heard. He was forced to declare that the "ayes" had it. Even his "callous heart and brazen forehead" were unable to stand the unspeakable ignominy of his position. Had he returned to the house ou the following day, he would have had to put the question on a motion for his own expulsion; he pleaded illness, and shut himself up in his bedroom. A few days after ward, he was formally expelled. He still, however, retained the mastership of the rolls, " to the great encouragement," says North, " of prudent bribery forever after." "His profligacy and insolence united," says Macaulay, " had been too much even for the angelic temper of Tillotson, who had been heard to mutter something about a knave as the speaker passed him." There are anecdotes of him in Noble's continuation of Gran ger's Biographical History, vol. i. p. 172. He died May 20, 1717, and was buried in the Rolls' chapel.