ELIOT, Slit Jolm, English orator and statesman: b. Port Eliot, Cornwall, 20 April 1592; d. London, 27 Nov. 1632. He studied at Exeter, but did not take a degree. He then took up law, and traveled in Europe, where he became an intimate friend of George Villiers, later Duke of Buckingham. In 1614 he was sent to the °Addled° Parliament for Saint Ger mans. In 1618 he was knighted and in the fol lowing year, through the patronage of the Mar quis of Buclungham, was made vice-admiral of Devon. In this capacity he was energetic suppressing piracy. His arrest of a notorious pirate named Nutt brought him into collision with Nutt's protector, Sir George Calvert, then Secretary of State; and Eliot was imprisoned on trumped-up charges for three months. The return of the Dulce of Bucicingham accom plished his release. He was returned to Parlia ment in 1624, where his remarkable independ ence and fluent oratory at once brought him into prominence. He supported the proposed war with Spain and began his life-long opposi tion to encroachments on the rights Of the House of Commons, which he considered the backbone of the national government. He was re-elected in 1625, during which session he opposed the leniency toward Catholicism and became an ardent supporter of constitutional rights. In 1626, the accumulated mismanage ments and instances of the selfish policies of Buckingham completely undermined Eliot's faith in him and an impeachment followed. This, together with Eliot's opposition of forced loans, led to his imprisonment. At the protest of the Conunons he was shortly released and returned to Parliament in 1628. He joined Coke in promoting the Petition of Right which was signed by Charles on 7 June. In 1629, after the murder of Buckingham, Eliot devoted him self to the earnest support of Protestantism.
His attempts to resist the kiag's tonnage and poundage taxes were met by the tnonarch with contempt and with the adjourtunent of Parha ment. When this last measure was to be carned out a second time, Eliot insisted that the speaker be held in his chair while a speech was read indicating the king's encroachments on constitutional rights. When summoned to trial he declared that he was answerable to Parliament alone for his actions and would not reply to charges brought against him by any other body. He was con fined in the Tower, and finally tried with Holies and Valentine for conspiracy against lawful order. Eliot refused to yield an inch in submission to the king and was fined and im prisoned in 1629, where he sickened and died. During his imprisonment he wrote a work on constitutional monarchy entitled the 'Monarchy of Man,) and also an account of the first Parliament of Charles I under the title 'Negotium Posteriorum); 'An Apology for Socrates,) a vindication of his own public con duct, and 'De Jure Majestatis,> a treatise on government. Eliot was not republican in his views, but believed rather that the ideal state was a constitutional monarchy in which thepowers of the king would be strengthened and inter preted by Parliament. He was distinguished by the enthusiasm rather than the logical depth of his speeches. The king's treatment of Eliot was one of the causes of the unpopularity of that monarch which led to his downfall. Pym did much to systematize the political theories of Eliot. Consult Forster, 'Life of Sir John Eliot) (London 1871); and Gardiner, 'History of England' (London 1893-95).