Sir Matthew Hale (1609 — 1676) was an influential English barrister, judge and lawyer most noted for his treatise called "The History of the Pleas of the Crown." As a barrister, Hale represented a variety of Royalist figures during the English Civil War. It has been suggested that Hale was to represent Charles I at his state trial and conceived the defence Charles used. Despite the Royalist loss, Hale's reputation for integrity and his political neutrality saved him from any repercussions. Under the Commonwealth, he became chairman of the Hale Commission, which investigated law reform. Following the Commission's dissolution, Oliver Cromwell made him a Justice of the Common Pleas. The author of this biography, Gilbert Burnett, was the 51st bishop of Sarum, and is best known for his "History of My Own Time." He met with many ups and downs in his ecclesiastical career, being in and out of favor with Charles II, James II, and William III.
