No More Learning

He was a very good La-
tin scholar, but his ratiocination was above his learn-
ing ; and the sharpness of his wit incomparable. He
was equal to the greatest trust and employment, if
he had been ambitious of it, or solicitous for it ; but
his want of health produced a kind of laziness of
mind, which disinclined him to business, and he died
a little before the general troubles of the kingdom,
which he foresaw with wonderful concern , and
when many wise men were weary of living so long.

Sidney Godolphin was a younger brother of Go- or Mr. Sid
dolphin, but by the provision left by his father, andphfn.
by the death of a younger brother, liberally supplied
for a very good education, and for a cheerful sub-
sistence, in any course of life he proposed to himself.
There was never so great a mind and spirit con-

" concern] reluctancy
E 2



52 THE LIFE OF

PART tained in so little room; so large an understanding
and so unrestrained a fancy in so very small a body ;

1635< so that the lord Falkland used to say merrily, that
he thought it was a great ingredient into his friend-
ship for Mr. Godolphin, that he was pleased to be
found in his company, where he was the properer
man ; and it may be, the very remark ableness of
his little person made the sharpness of his wit, and
the composed quickness of his judgment and under-
standing, the more notable P. He had spent some
years in France, and in the Low Countries ; and
accompanied the earl of Leicester in his ambassage
' into Denmark, before he resolved to be quiet, and
attend some promotion in the court ; where his ex-
cellent disposition and manners, and extraordinary
qualifications, made him very acceptable. Though
every body loved his company very well, yet he
loved very much to be alone, being in his constitu-
tion inclined somewhat to melancholy, and to retire-
ment amongst his books ; and was so far from being
active, that he was contented to be reproached by
his friends with laziness ; and was of so nice and
tender a composition, that a little rain or wind
would disorder him, and divert him from any short
journey he had most willingly proposed to himself;
insomuch as, when he rid abroad with those in
whose company he most delighted, if the wind
chanced to be in his face, he would (after a little
pleasant murmuring) suddenly turn his horse, and
go home. Yet the civil war no sooner began,
(the first approaches towards which he discovered
as soon as any man, by the proceedings in parlia-

P notable] notorious and notable



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 53

ment, where he was a member, and opposed with PART
great indignation,) than he put himself into the first.



troops which were raised in the west for the king; 1635>
and bore the uneasiness and fatigue of winter
marches, with an exemplar courage and alacrity ;
until by too brave a pursuit of the enemy, into an
obscure village in Devonshire, he was shot with a
musket ; with which (without saying any word
more, than, Oh God ! I am hurt) he fell dead from
his horse ; to the excessive grief of his friends, who
were all that knew him ; and the irreparable da-
mage of the public.

Edmund Waller was born to a very fair estate, of Mr. Ed-
by the parsimony or frugality of a wise father and""
mother ; and he thought it so commendable an ad-
vantage, that he resolved to improve it with his ut-
most care, upon which in his nature he was too
much intent ; and in order to that, he was so much
reserved and retired, that he was scarce ever heard
of, till by his address and dexterity he had gotten a
very rich wife in the city, against all the recom-
mendation, and countenance, and authority of the
court, which was thoroughly engaged on the behalf of
Mr. Crofts ; and which used to be successful, in that
age, against any opposition. He had the good for-
tune to have an alliance and friendship with Dr.
Morley, who had assisted and instructed him in the
reading many good books, to which his natural parts
and promptitude inclined him ; especially the poets :
and at the age when other men used to give over
writing verses, (for he was near thirty years of age
when he first engaged himself in that exercise, at
least that he was known to do so,) he surprised the
town with two or three pieces of that kind ; as if a

E 3



54 THE LIFE OF

PART tenth muse had been newly born, to cherish droop-
. ing poetry. The doctor at that time brought him



1635. m j. Q th^ company which was most celebrated for
good conversation ; where he was received, and
esteemed, with great applause and respect. He was
a very pleasant discourser, in earnest and in jest,
and therefore very grateful to all kind of company,
where he was not the less esteemed for being very
rich.

He had been even nursed in parliaments, where
he sat when he was very young ^ ; and so when
they were resumed again, (after a long intermis-
sion r ,) he appeared in those assemblies with great
advantage, having a graceful way of speaking ; and
by thinking much upon several arguments, (which
his temper and complexion, that had much of me-
lancholic, inclined him to,) he seemed often to speak
upon the sudden, when the occasion had only ad-
ministered the opportunity of saying what he had
thoroughly considered, which gave a great lustre to
all he said ; which yet was rather of delight than
weight. There needs no more be said to extol the
excellence and power of his wit, and pleasantness of
his conversation, than that it was of magnitude
enough to cover a world of very great faults ; that
is, so to cover them, that they were not taken no-
tice of to his reproach ; viz. a narrowness in his na-
ture to the lowest degree ; an abjectness, and want
of courage to support him in any virtuous under-
taking; an insinuation and servile flattery to the
height the vainest and most imperious nature could
be contented with ; that it preserved and won his

( i when he was very youngi] r intermission] intermission
in his infancy and interdiction



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 55

life from those who were most resolved to take it, PART

and in an occasion in which he ought to have been '

ambitious to have lost it; and then preserved him 1635-
again, from the reproach and contempt that was
due to him for so preserving it, and for vindicating
it at such a price; that it had power to reconcile
him to those whom he had most offended and pro-
voked ; and continued to his age with that rare fe-
licity, that his company was acceptable, where his
spirit was odious ; and he was at least pitied, where
he was most detested.

Of Doctor Sheldon there needs no more be said or Dr. shei-
in this place, 8 than that his learning, and gravity,
and prudence, had in that time raised him to such
a reputation, when he was chaplain in the house to
the lord keeper Coventry, (who exceedingly esteemed
him, and used his service not only in all matters re-
lating to the church, but in many other businesses
of importance, and in which that great and good
lord was nearly concerned,) and when he was after-
wards warden of All Souls' college in Oxford, that
he then was looked upon as very equal to any pre-
ferment the church could yield f , or hath since
yielded unto him ; and sir Francis Wenman would
often say, when the doctor resorted to the conver-
sation at the lord Falkland's house, as he frequently
did, that " Dr. Sheldon was born and bred to be
" archbishop of Canterbury. "

Doctor Morley " was a gentleman of very eminent or Dr. Mor-
parts in all polite learning ; of great wit, and readi- le:

in this place,] MS. adds : * yield] Not in MS.

there being frequent occasions u Doctor Morley] MS. adds:

to mention him hereafter in the of whom more must likewise

prosecution of this discourse, be said in its place,

E 4



56 THE LIFE OF

PART ness, and subtilty in disputation ; and of remarkable
. temper and prudence in conversation, which ren-



1635. dered hj m mos t grateful in all the best company.
He was then chaplain in the house, and to the fa-
mily, of the lord and lady Carnarvon, which needed
a wise and a wary director. From some academic
contests he had been engaged in, during his living
in Christ Church in Oxford, where he was always
of the first eminency, he had, by the natural faction
and animosity of those disputes, fallen under the re-
proach of holding some opinions, which were not
then grateful to those churchmen who had the
greatest power in ecclesiastical promotions ; and
some sharp answers and replies he used to make in
accidental discourses, and which in truth were made
for mirth and pleasantness sake, (as he was of the
highest facetiousness,) were reported, and spread
abroad to his prejudice : as being once asked by a
grave country gentleman, (who was desirous to be
instructed what their tenets and opinions were,)
" what the Arminians held," he pleasantly an-
swered, that they held all the best bishoprics and
deaneries in England; which was quickly re-
ported abroad, as Mr. Morley's definition of the Ar-
minian tenets.

Such and the like harmless and jocular sayings,
upon many accidental occasions, had wrought upon
the archbishop of Canterbury, Laud, (who lived to
change his mind, and to have a just esteem of him,)
to entertain some prejudice towards him ; and the
respect which was paid him by many eminent per-
sons, as John Hampden, Arthur Goodwin, and
others, who were not thought friends to the pros-
perity the church was in, made others apprehend



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 57

that he was not enough zealous for it. But that PART

disaffection and virulency (which few men had then '.

owned and discovered) no sooner appeared, in those
and other men, but Dr. Morley made haste as pub-
licly to oppose them, both in private and in public ;
which had the more effect to the benefit of the
church, by his being a person above all possible re-
proach, and known and valued by more persons of
honour than most of the clergy were, and being not
only without the envy of any preferment, but under
the advantage of a discountenanced person. And as
he was afterwards the late king's chaplain, and
much regarded by him, and as long about him as
any of his chaplains were permitted to attend him ;
so presently after his murder he left the kingdom,
and remained in banishment till king Charles the
Second's x happy return.

Doctor Earles was at that time chaplain in the or Dr.
house to the earl of Pembroke, lord chamberlain of
his majesty's household, and had a lodging in the
court under that relation. He was a person very
notable for his elegance in the Greek and Latin
tongues ; and being Fellow of Merton college in
Oxford, and having been proctor of the university,
and some very witty and sharp discourses being pub-
lished in print without his consent, though known
to be his, he grew suddenly into a very general
esteem with all men ; being a man of great piety and
devotion ; a most eloquent and powerful preacher ;
and of a conversation so pleasant and delightful, so
very innocent, and so very facetious, that no man's
company was more desired and more loved. No

* king Charles the Second's] his majesty's



58 THE LIFE OF

PART man was more negligent in his dress, and habit, and
. mien; no man more wary and cultivated in his be-



1635. h av i our and discourse; insomuch as he had the
greater advantage when he was known, by pro-
mising so little before he was known. He was an
excellent poet, both in Latin, Greek, and English,
as appears by many pieces yet abroad ; though he
suppressed many more himself, especially of Eng-
lish, incomparably good, out of an austerity to those
sallies of his youth. He was very dear to the lord
Falkland, with whom he spent as much time as he
could make his own ; and as that lord would impute
the speedy progress he made in the Greek tongue,
to the information and assistance he had from Mr.
Earles, so Mr. Earles would frequently profess, that
he had got more useful learning by his conversation
at Tew, (the lord Falkland's house,) than he had at
Oxford. In the first settling of the prince's family,
he was made one of his chaplains ; and attended on
him when he was forced to leave the kingdom ? .
He was amongst the few excellent men who never
had, nor ever could have an enemy, but such a one
who was an enemy to all learning and virtue, and
therefore would never make himself known.

of Mr. M r j on n Hales had been Greek professor in the

Hales.

university of Oxford; and had borne the greatest
part of the labour 7 of that excellent edition and im-
pression of St. Chrysostom's Works, set out by sir
Harry Savile ; who was then warden of Merton col-
lege, when the other was fellow of that house. He
was chaplain in the house with sir Dudley Carleton,

y kingdom] MS. adds : and after.

therefore we shall often have 7> the greatest part of the la-
occasion to mention him here- hour] all the labour



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 59

ambassador at the Hague in Holland, at the time PART

when the synod of Dort was held, and so had liberty !

to be present at the consultations in that assembly; 1635-
and hath left the best memorial behind him, of
the ignorance, and passion, and animosity, and in-
justice of that convention ; of which he often made
very pleasant relations ; though at that time it re-
ceived too much countenance from England. Being
a person of the greatest eminency for learning, and
other abilities, from which he might have promised
himself any preferment in the church, he withdrew
himself from all pursuits of that kind into a private
fellowship in the college of Eton, where his friend sir
Harry Savile was provost ; where he lived amongst
his books, and the most separated from the world of
any man then living : though he was not in the
least degree inclined to melancholy, but, on the con-
trary, of a very open and pleasant conversation ;
and therefore was very well pleased with the resort
of his friends to him, who were such as he had
chosen, and in whose company he delighted, and for
whose sake he would sometimes, once in a year, re-
sort to London, only to enjoy their cheerful conver-
sation.

He would never take any cure of souls ; and was
so great a contemner of money, that he was wont to
say, that his fellowship, and the bursar's place,
(which, for the good of the college, he held many
years,) was worth him fifty pounds a year more
than he could spend ; and yet, besides his being
very charitable to all poor people, even to liberality,
he had made a greater and better collection of
books, than were to be found in any other private
library that J have seen ; as he had sure read more,



60 THE LIFE OF

PART and carried more about him in his excellent me-
mory, than any man I ever knew, my lord Falk-



1635. j an( j on iy excepted, who I think sided him. He
had, whether from his natural temper and constitu-
tion, or from his long retirement from all crowds, or
from his profound judgment and discerning spirit,
contracted some opinions which were not received,
nor by him published, except in private discourses ;
and then rather upon occasion of dispute, than of
positive opinion : and he would often say, his opin-
ions he was sure did him no harm, but he was far
from being confident that they might not do others
harm who entertained them, and might entertain
other results from them than he did ; and therefore
he was very reserved in communicating what he
thought himself in those points, in which he differed
from what was received.

Nothing troubled him more than the brawls which
were grown from religion ; and he therefore exceed-
ingly detested the tyranny of the church of Rome ;
more for their imposing uncharitably upon the con-
sciences of other men, than for the errors in their
own opinions : and would often say, that he would
renounce the religion of the church of England to-
morrow, if it obliged him to believe that any other
Christians should be damned; and that nobody
would conclude another man to be damned, who did
not wish him so. No man more strict and severe
to himself; to other men so charitable as to their
opinions, that he thought that other men were more
in fault for their carriage towards them, than the
men themselves were who erred ; and he thought
that pride, and passion, more than conscience, were
the cause of all separation from each other's com-



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 61

munion ; and he frequently said, that that only kept

the world from agreeing upon such a liturgy, as

might bring them into one communion ; all doctri-
nal points, upon which men differed in their opin-
ions, being to have no place in any liturgy. Upon
an occasional discourse with a friend, of the fre-
quent and uncharitable reproaches of heretic and
schismatic, too lightly thrown at each other, amongst
men who differ in their judgment, he writ a little
discourse of schism, contained in less than two
sheets of paper; which being transmitted from
friend to friend in writing, was at last, without any
malice, brought to the view of the archbishop of
Canterbury, Dr. Laud, who was a very rigid sur-
veyor of all things which never so little bordered
upon schism ; and thought the church could not be
too vigilant against, and jealous of, such incursions.

He sent for Mr. Hales, whom, when they had both
lived in the university of Oxford, he had known
well ; and told him, that he had in truth believed
him to be long since dead; and chid him very
kindly for having never come to him, having been
of his old acquaintance : then asked him, whether
he had lately written a short discourse of schism,
and whether he was of that opinion which that dis-
course implied. He told him, that he had, for the
satisfaction of a private friend, (who was not of his
mind,) a year or two before, writ such a small tract,
without any imagination that it would be communi-
cated ; and that he believed it did not contain any
thing that was not agreeable to the judgment of the
primitive fathers : upon which, the archbishop de-
bated with him upon some expressions of Irenaeus,
and the most ancient fathers ; and concluded with



62 THE LIFE OF

PART saying, that the time was very apt to set new doc-

! trines on foot, of which the wits of the age were

1635. j. 00 SUSC eptible; and that there could not be too
much care taken to preserve the peace and unity of
the church ; and from thence asked him of his con-
dition, and whether he wanted any thing : and the
other answering, that he had enough, and wanted
or desired no addition, so dismissed him with great
courtesy; and shortly after sent for him again,
when there was a prebendary of Windsor fallen, and
told him, the king had given him the preferment,
because it lay so convenient to his fellowship of Eton ;
which (though indeed the most convenient prefer-
ment that could be thought of for him) the arch-
bishop could not without great difficulty persuade
him to accept, and he did accept it rather to please
him than himself; because he really believed he
had enough before. He was one of the least men in
the kingdom ; and one of the greatest scholars in
Europe.

or Mr. ]vt r> Chillingworth was of a stature little superior

worth. to Mr. Hales, (and it was an age in which there
were many great and wonderful men of that size,)
and a man of so great a subtilty of understanding,
and so rare a temper in debate, that, as it was im-
possible to provoke him into any passion, so it was
very difficult to keep a man's self from being a little
discomposed by his sharpness and quickness of argu-
ment, and instances, in which he had a rare facility,
and a great advantage over all the men I ever
knew. He had spent all his younger time in dispu-
tation, and had arrived to so great a mastery, as he
was inferior to no man in those skirmishes : but he
had, with his notable perfection in this exercise,



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 63

contracted' such an irresolution and habit of doubt- PART
ing, that by degrees he grew confident of nothing,



and a sceptic, at least, in the greatest mysteries of l635 *
faith.

This made him, from first wavering in religion,
and indulging to scruples, to reconcile himself too
soon and too easily to the church of Rome ; and
carrying still his own inquisitiveness about him,
without any resignation to their authority, (which is
the only temper can make that church sure of its
proselytes,) having made a journey to St. Omer's,
purely to perfect his conversion by the conversation
of those who had the greatest name, he found as
little satisfaction there ; and returned with as much
haste from them ; with a belief, that an entire ex-
emption from error was neither inherent in, nor ne-
cessary to any church : which occasioned that war,
which was carried on by the Jesuits with so great
asperity and reproaches against him, and in which
he defended himself by such an admirable eloquence
of language, and clear and incomparable power of
reason, that he not only made them appear unequal
adversaries, but carried the war into their own quar-
ters ; and made the pope's infallibility to be as much
shaken, and declined by their own doctors, (and as
great an acrimony amongst themselves upon that
subject,) and to be at least as much doubted, as in
the schools of the reformed, or protestant ; and
forced them since to defend and maintain those un-
happy controversies in religion, with arms and wea-
pons of another nature than were used or known in
the church of Rome when Bellarmine died; and
which probably will in time undermine the very
foundation that supports it.



64 THE LIFE OF

PART Such a levity, and propensity to change, is com-
monly attended with great infirmities in, and no



1635. j ess re p roac h and prejudice to the person; but the
sincerity of his heart was so conspicuous, and with-
out the least temptation of any corrupt end ; and
the innocence and candour in a his nature so evi-
dent, and without any perverseness ; that all who
knew him clearly discerned, that all those restless
motions and fluctuations proceeded only from the
warmth and jealousy of his own thoughts, in a too
nice inquisition for truth. Neither the books of the
adversary, nor any of their persons, though he was
acquainted with the best of both, had ever made
great impression upon him ; all his doubts grew out
of himself, when he assisted his scruples with all
the strength of his own reason, and was then too
hard for himself; but finding as little quiet and re-
pose in those victories, he quickly recovered, by a
new appeal to his own judgment ; so that he was, in
truth, upon the matter, in all his sallies and retreats,
his own convert ; though he was not so totally di-
vested of all thoughts of this world, but that when
he was ready for it, he admitted some great and
considerable churchmen, to be sharers with him in
his public conversion.

Whilst he was in perplexity, or rather some pas-
sionate disinclination to the religion he had been
educated in, he had the misfortune to have much
acquaintance with one Mr. Lugar, a minister of that
church ; a man of a competency of learning in those
points most controverted with the Romanists, but of
no acute parts of wit, or judgment ; and wrought so

in] of



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 65

far upon him, by weakening and enervating those PART
arguments, by which he found he was governed, (as



he had all the logic, and all the rhetoric, that was 1635>
necessary to persuade very powerfully men of the
greatest talents,) that the poor man, not able to live
long in doubt, too hastily deserted his own church,
and betook himself to the Roman : nor could all the
arguments and reasons of Mr. Chillingworth make
him pause in the expedition he was using, or reduce
him from that church after he had given himself to
it ; but he had always a great animosity against
him, for having (as he said) unkindly betrayed him,
and carried him into another religion, and there left
him. So unfit are some constitutions to be troubled
with doubts, after they are once fixed.

He did really believe all war to be unlawful ; and
did not think that the parliament (whose proceed-
ings he perfectly abhorred) did in truth intend to
involve the nation in a civil war, till after the battle
of Edge-hill ; and then he thought any expedient
or stratagem that was like to put a speedy end to it,
to be the most commendable : and so having too
mathematically conceived an engine, that should
move so lightly as to be a breastwork in all en-
counters and assaults in the field, he carried it, to
make the experiment, into that part of his majesty's
army, which was only in that winter season in
the field, under the command of the lord Hopton,
in Hampshire, upon the borders of Sussex ; where
he was shut up in the castle of Arundel; which was
forced, after a short, sharp siege, to yield for want
of victual ; and poor Mr. Chillingworth with it, fall-
ing into the rebels' hands ; and being most barba-
rously treated by them, especially by that clergy

VOL. i. F



66 THE LIFE OF

PART which followed them ; and being broken with sick-
' ness, contracted by the ill accommodation, and want

1635. Q f mea t anc i fire during the siege, which was in a
terrible season of frost and snow, he died shortly
after in prison. He was a man of excellent parts,
and of a cheerful disposition ; void of all kind of
vice, and endued with many notable virtues ; of a
very public heart, and an indefatigable desire to do
good; his only unhappiness proceeded from his
sleeping too little, and thinking too much ; which
sometimes threw him into violent fevers.

This was Mr. Hyde's company and conversation,
to which he dedicated his vacant times, and all that
time which he could make vacant, from the business
of his profession ; which he indulged with no more
passion than was necessary to keep up the reputa-
tion of a man that had no purpose to be idle ;
which indeed he perfectly abhorred : and he took
always occasion to celebrate the time he had spent
in that conversation, with great satisfaction and de-
light. Nor was he less fortunate in the acquaint-
ance and friendships which he made with the per-
sons in his profession ; who were all eminent men,
or of the most hopeful parts ; who being all much
superior to him in age and experience, and entirely
devoted to their profession, were yet well pleased
with the gayety of his humour, and inoffensive and
winning behaviour; and this good inclination of
theirs was improved by the interest they saw he
had in persons of the best quality, to whom he was
very acceptable, and his condition of living, which
was with more expense b than young lawyers were
accustomed to.

b expense] splendour



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 67

Those persons were, Mr. Lane, who was then at- HART
torney to the prince of Wales, and afterwards lord



i / Q t

chief baron of the exchequer, and lastly, upon the

Mr. Hyde's

death of the lord Littleton, was made keeper of the friends in
great seal, who died in banishment with king Charles 9 io n pr
the Second d ; Mr. Geoffrey Palmer, afterwards attor-
ney general 6 ; Mr. John Maynard; and Bulstrode
Whitlock ; all men of eminent parts, and great learn-
ing out pf their professions; and in their professions, of
signal reputation : and though the two last did after-
wards bow their knees to Baal, and so swerved from
their allegiance, it was wkh less rancour and malice
than other men : they never led, but followed ; and
were rather carried away with the torrent, than
swam with the stream ; and failed through those in-
firmities, which less than a general defection and a
prosperous rebellion could never have discovered.
With these, and very few other persons of other
societies, and of more than ordinary parts in the
profession, he conversed. In business and in prac-
tice, with the rest of the profession, he had at most
a formal acquaintance, and little familiarity ; very
seldom using, when his practice was at highest, so
much as to eat in the hall, without which no man
ever got the reputation of a good student : but he
ever gave his time of eating to his friends ; and was
wont pleasantly to say, "that he repaired himself
" with very good company at dinner, for the ill com-
" pany he had kept in the morning ;" and made him-
self amends for the time he lost with his friends, by
declining suppers, and with a part of that time

c banishment] MS. adds: and cond] Not in MS.
of whom we shall say more e attorney general] MS. adds :

hereafter. who will likewise have another

d with king Charles the Se- part in this story

F 2



68 THE LIFE OF

PART which was allowed for sleep : but he grew every day
' more intent on business and more engaged in prac-



1635. ^ cej so that he could not assign so much time as he
had used to do to his beloved conversation.

The countenance he received from the archbishop
of Canterbury, who took all occasion to mention him
as a person he had kindness for ; the favour of the
lord Coventry, manifested as often as he came before
him ; the reception he found with the lord privy
seal, the earl of Manchester, who had raised the
court of requests to as much business as the chan-
cery itself was possessed of; and where he was looked
upon as a favourite ; the familiarity used towards
him by the lord Pembroke f , who was lord chamber-
lain of the king's house, and a greater man in the
country than the court ; by the earl of Holland, and
many other lords and ladies, and other persons of
interest in the court, made him looked upon by the
judges in Westminster hall with much condescen-
sion ; and they, who before he put on his gown looked
upon him as one who designed some other course
of life, (for though he had been always very punctual
in the performance of all those public exercises the
profession obliged him to, both before and after he
was called to the bar ; yet in all other respects he
seemed not to confine himself wholly to that course
of life*,) now when they no sooner saw him put on
his gown, but that he was suddenly in practice, and
taken notice of particularly in all courts of justice
with unusual countenance, thought he would make
what progress he desired in that profession.

f lord Pembroke] earl of Pern- himself wholly to that course of

broke life] he lived as if he thought

g he seemed not to confine himself above that course of life



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 69

As he had those many friends in court, so he was PART
not less acceptable to many great persons in the.



country, who least regarded the court, and were 1635 -
least esteemed by it ; and he had that rare felicity,
that even they, who did not love many of those upon
whom he most depended, were yet very well pleased
with him and with his company. The earl of Hert-
ford and the earl of Essex, whose interests and
friendships were then the same, and who were looked
upon with reverence by all who had not reverence
for the court ; and even by all in the court who
were not satisfied there, (which was, and always will
be, a great people,) were very kind to him, and ready
to trust him in any thing that was most secret : and
though he could not dispose the archbishop or the
earl of Essex to any correspondence or good intelli-
gence with each other, which he exceedingly la-
boured to do, and found an equal aversion in both
towards each other ; yet he succeeded to his wish in Mr - H y^ e

i_ reconciles"

bringing the archbishop and the earl of Hertford to the archbi-
a very good acquaintance and inclination to each the L*" of
other ; which they both often acknowledged kindly Hertford -
to him, and with which the earl of Essex was as
much unsatisfied.

The person whose life this discourse is to recollect
(and who had so great an affection and reverence for
the memory of archbishop Laud h , that he never
spake of him without extraordinary esteem, and be-
lieved him to be a man of the most exemplar virtue
and piety of any of that age) was wont to say, the
greatest want the archbishop had was of a true friend,
who would seasonably have told him of his infirmities,

h archbishop Laud] that prelate
F 3



70 THE LIFE OF

PART and what people spake of him ; and he said, he knew
! well that such a friend would have been very accept-



1635. a bj e to hj m . an( | U p 0n t ij at OCC asion he used to
mention a story of himself: that when he was a
young practiser of the law, being in some favour
with him, (as is mentioned before,) he went to visit
him in the beginning of a Michaelmas term, shortly
after his return from the country, where he had
spent a month or two of the summer.
HI* free ex- He found the archbishop early walking in the

postulation . . . . ,. .

with the garden ; who received him according to his custom.
? ' very graciously ; and continuing his walk, asked him,.
" What good news in the country ? " to which he an-
swered, " there was none good ; the people were
" universally discontented ; and (which troubled him
" most) that many people 1 spoke extreme ill of his
" grace, as the cause of all that was amiss. " He re-
plied, " that he was sorry for it ; he knew he did
" not deserve it ; and that he must not give over
" serving the king and the church, to please the
" people, who otherwise would not speak well of
" him. " Mr. Hyde told him, " he thought he need
" not lessen his zeal for either ; and that it grieved
" him to find persons of the best condition, and who
" loved both king and church, exceedingly indevoted
" to him ; complaining of his manner of treating
" them, when they had occasion to resort to him, it
" may be, for his directions. " And then named him
two persons of the most interest and credit in Wilt-
shire, who had that summer attended the council
board in some affairs which concerned the king and
the county : that all the lords present used them

1 many people] every [one]



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 71

with great courtesy, knowing well their quality and PART
reputation ; but that he alone spake very sharply to



them, and without any thing of grace, at which they 1635 -
were much troubled; and one of them, supposing that
somebody had done him ill offices, went the next
morning to Lambeth, to present his service to him,
and to discover, if he could, what misrepresentation
had been made of him : that after he had attended
very long, he was admitted to speak with his grace,
who scarce hearing him, sharply answered him, that
" he had no leisure for compliments ;" and so hurried
away k ; which put the other gentleman much out of
countenance : and that this kind of behaviour of his
was the discourse of all companies of persons of qua-
lity ; every man continuing any such story with an-
other like it, very much to his disadvantage, and to
the trouble of those who were very just to him.

He heard the relation very patiently and atten-i'henrchbi-

T i shop's re-

tively, and discoursed over every particular with allpiy.
imaginable condescension ; and said, with evident
shew of trouble, that " he was very unfortunate to
" be so ill understood ; that he meant very well ;
" that he remembered the time when those two per-
" sons were with the council ; that upon any delibe-
" rations, when any thing was resolved, or to be said
" to any body, the council enjoined him to deliver
" their resolutions ; which he did always according
" to the best of his understanding : but by the im-
" perfection he had by nature, which he said often
" troubled him, he might deliver it in such a tune,
" and with a sharpness of voice, that made men be-
" lieve he was angry, when there was no such thing;

k hurried away] turned away
F 4



72 THE LIFE OF

PART " that when those gentlemen were there, and he had
. " delivered what he was to say, they made some



1635. staV) an d spake with some of the lords, which not
" being according to order, he thought he gave them
" some reprehension ; they having at that time very
" much other business to do : that he did well re-
" member that one of them (who was a person of
" honour) came afterwards to him at a time he was
" shut up about an affair of importance, which re-
" quired his full thoughts ; but that as soon as he
" heard of the other's being without, he sent for him,
" himself going into the next room, and received him
*' very kindly, as he thought ; and supposing that
" he came about business, asked him what his busi-
" ness was ; and the other answering, that he had no
" business, but continuing his address with some
" ceremony, he had indeed said, that he had not time
" for compliments : but he did not think that he
" went out of the room in that manner : and con-
" eluded, that it was not possible for him, in the
" many occupations he had, to spend any time in
" unnecessary compliments ; and that if his integrity
" and uprightness, which never should be liable to
" reproach, could not be strong enough to preserve
" him, he must submit to God's pleasure ! . "

He was well contented to hear Mr. Hyde reply
very freely upon the subject, who said, "he observed
" by what his grace himself had related, that the
" gentlemen had too much reason for the report they
" made ; and he did not wonder that they had been
" much troubled at his carriage towards them ; that
" he did exceedingly wish that he would more re-

1 God's pleasure. ] God's good pleasure.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 73

" serve his passion towards all persons, how faulty PART

" soever ; and that he would treat persons of honour, '

" and quality, and interest in their country, with 163 -

" more courtesy and condescension ; especially when

" they came to visit him, and make offer of their

" service. " He said, smiling, that "he could only un-

" dertake for his heart ; that he had very good

" meaning ; for his tongue, he could not undertake,

" that he would not sometimes speak more hastily

" and sharply than he should do, (which oftentimes

" he was sorry m and reprehended himself for,) and

" in a tune which might be liable to misinterpreta-

" tion with them who were not very well acquainted

" with him, and so knew that it was an infirmity,

" which his nature and education had so rooted in

" him, that it was in vain to contend with it. " For the

state and distance he kept with men, he said, " he

" thought it was not more than was suitable to the

" place and degree he held in the church and state ;

" or so much as others had assumed to themselves

*' who had sat in his place ; and thereupon he told

" him some behaviour and carriage of his prede-

" cessor, Abbot, (who he said was not better born

" than himself,) towards the greatest nobility of the

" kingdom, which he thought was very insolent and

" inexcusable ;" and was indeed very ridiculous.

After this free discourse, Mr. Hyde n ever found
himself more graciously received by him, and treated
with more familiarity ; upon which he always con-
cluded, that if the archbishop had had any true
friend, who would, in proper seasons, have dealt
frankly with him in the most important matters, and

m sorry] sorry for Mr. Hy. de] After this bold en-

" After this free discourse, terprise, that gentleman



74 THE LIFE OF

PART wherein the errors were like to be most penal, he
would not only have received it very well, but have



1635. profited himself by it. But it is the misfortune of
most persons of that education, (how worthy soever,)
that they have rarely friendships with men above
their own condition ; and that their ascent being
commonly sudden, from low to high, they have af-
terwards rather dependants than friends, and are
still deceived by keeping somewhat in reserve to
themselves, even from those with whom they seem
most openly to communicate ; and which is worse,
receive for the most part their informations and ad-
vertisements from clergymen who understand the
least, and take the worst measure of human affairs,
of all mankind that can write and read.

Under this universal acquaintance and general
acceptation, Mr. Hyde led for many years as cheer-
ful and pleasant a life as any man did enjoy, as long
as the kingdom took any pleasure in itself. His
practice grew every day as much as he wished, and
would have been much more, if he had wished it ;
by which, he not only supported his expense, greater
much than men of his rank and pretences used to,
make, but increased his- estate by some convenient
purchases of land adjoining to his other; and he
grew so much in love with business and practice,
that he gave up his whole heart to it ; resolving, by
a course of severe study, to recover the time he had
lost upon less profitable learning; and to intend
nothing else, but to reap all those benefits to which
that profession could carry him, and to the pursuing
whereof he had so many and so unusual encourage-
ments ; and towards which it was not the least, that
God had blessed him with an excellent . wife, who



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 75

perfectly resigned herself to him ; and who then had PART
brought him, before any troubles in the kingdom, ______

three sons and a daughter, which he then and ever 163<<i '
looked upon, as his greatest blessing and consolation.

Because we shall have little cause hereafter to Mr - H y de ' s

. , reflections

mention any other particulars in the calm part of on the
his life, whilst he followed the study and practice of paruff ins
the law, it will not in this place appear a very im- llfe '
pertinent digression to say, that he was in that very
time when fortune seemed to smile and to intend
well towards him, and often afterwards, throughout
the whole course of his life, wont to say, that " when
" he reflected upon himself and his past actions,
" even from the time of his first coming to the
" Middle Temple, he had much more cause to be
" terrified upon the reflection, than the man had
" who viewed Rochester bridge in the morning that
" it was broken, and which he had galloped over in
*' the night ; that he had passed over more preci-
" pices than the other had done, for many nights
" and days, arid some years together ; from which
" nothing but the immediate hand of God could have
" preserved him. " For though it is very true, the
persons before mentioned were the only men, in
whose company, in those seasons of his life, he took
delight ; yet he frequently found himself in the con-
versation of worse, and indeed of all manner of men ;
and it being in the time when the war was entered
into against the two crowns, and the expeditions
made to, and unprosperous returns from Cadiz and
the Isle of Rhe, the town was full of soldiers, and of
young gentlemen who intended to be soldiers, or as

" much more] so much more



76 THE LIFE OF

PART like them as they could ; great license used of all
kinds, in clothes, in diet, in gaming ; and all kinds



1635. O f expenses equally carried on, by men who had
fortunes of their own to support it, and by others,
who, having nothing of their own, cared not what
they "spent, whilst they could find credit : so that
there was never an age, in which, in so short a time,
so many young gentlemen, who had not experience
in the world, or some good tutelar angel to protect
them, were insensibly and suddenly overwhelmed in
that sea of wine, and women, and quarrels, and
gaming, which almost overspread the whole king-
dom, and the nobility and gentry thereof. And when
he had, by God's immediate blessing, disentangled
himself from these labyrinths, (his nature and incli-
nation disposing him rather to pass through those
dissolute quarters, than to make any stay in them,)
and was enough composed against any extravagant
excursions ; he was still conversant with a rank of
men (how worthy soever) above his quality, and en-
gaged in an expense above his fortune, if the extra-
ordinary accidents of his life had not supplied him
for those excesses ; so that it brought no prejudice
upon him, except in the censure of severe men, who
thought him a person of more license than in truth
he was, and who, in a short time, were very fully
reconciled to him.
And his fj e jj a( i w ithout doubt great infirmities ; which

own cha-
racter, by a providential mercy were seasonably restrained

from growing into vices, at least [into any that were
habitual. He had ambition enough to keep him
from being satisfied with his own condition, and to
raise his spirit to great designs of raising himself;
but not to transport him to endeavour it by any



\
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 77

crooked and indirect means. He was never sus- PART
pected to flatter the greatest men P, or in the least *'
degree to dissemble his own opinions or thoughts, 1635<
how ingrateful soever it often proved ; and even an
affected defect in, and contempt of, those two useful
qualities, cost him dear afterwards. He indulged
his palate very much, and took even some delight in
eating and drinking well, but without any approach
to luxury ; and, in truth, rather discoursed like an
epicure, than was one ; having spent much time in
the eating hours with the earl of Dorset, the lord
Con way, and the lord Lumley, men who excelled in
gratifying their appetites. He had a fancy sharp
and luxuriant ; but so carefully cultivated and
strictly guarded, that he never was heard to speak a
loose or a profane word ; which he imputed to the
chastity of the persons where his conversation usu-
ally was, where that rank sort of wit'was religiously
detested : and a little discountenance would quickly
root those unsavoury weeds out of all discourses,
where persons of honour are present.

He was in his nature inclined to pride and pas-
sion, and to a humour between wrangling and dis-
puting very troublesome, which good company in a
short time so much reformed and mastered, that no
man was more affable and courteous to all kind of
persons ; and they who knew the great infirmity of
his whole family, which abounded in passion, used
to say, he had much extinguished the unruliness of
that fire. That which supported and rendered him
generally acceptable was his generosity, (for he had
too much a contempt of money,) and the opinion

P men] man



78 THE LIFE OF

PART men had of the goodness and justice of his nature,
which was transcendent in him, in a wonderful ten-



1635. d ernesSj an( j delight in obliging. His integrity was
ever without blemish, and believed to be above tempt-
ation. He was firm and unshaken 1 in his friend-
ships ; and, though he had great candour towards
others in the differences of religion, he was zealously
and deliberately fixed in the principles both of the
doctrine and discipline of the church : yet he used
to say to his nearest friends, in that time, when he
expected another kind of calm for the remainder of
his life, " though he had some glimmering light of,
" and inclination to, virtue in his nature, that the
" whole progress of his life had been full of despe-
" rate hazards ; and that only the merciful hand of
" God Almighty had prevented his being both an
". unfortunate and a vicious man :" and he still said,
that " God had vouchsafed that signal goodness
" to him, for the piety and exemplar virtue of
" his father and mother ;" whose memory he had
always in veneration r : and he was pleased with
what his nearest ally and bosom friend, sergeant
Hyde, (who was afterwards chief justice of the
king's bench,) used at that time to say of him, that
his cousin had passed his time very luckily, and with
notable success, and was like to be very happy in
the world ; but he would never advise any of his
friends to walk in the same paths, or to tread in his
steps.

s^eT/Eu- lt was about the 7 ear 163 9, when he was little

rope A. D. more than thirty years of age, and when England

enjoyed the greatest measure of felicity that it had

'' unshaken] unshakable ' veneration] singular veneration



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 79

ever known; the two crowns of France and Spain PART
worrying each other, by their mutual incursions and.



invasions 8 , whilst they had both a civil war in their 1639>
own bowels ; the former, by frequent rebellions from
their own factions and animosities, the latter, by the
defection of Portugal ; and both laboured more to
ransack and burn each other's dominions, than to
extinguish their own fire. All Germany weltering
in its own blood, and contributing to each other's
destruction, that the poor crown of Sweden might
grow great out of their ruins, and at their charge :
Denmark and Poland being adventurers in the same
destructive enterprises. Holland and the United
Provinces wearied and tired with their long and
chargeable war, how prosperous soever they were in
it ; and beginning to be more afraid of France their
ally, than of Spain their enemy. Italy every year
infested by the arms of Spain and France, which di-
vided the princes thereof into the several factions.

Of all the princes of Europe, the king of Eng-
land alone seemed to be seated upon that pleasant
promontory, that might safely view the tragic suf-
ferings of all his neighbours about him, without any
other concernment than what arose from his own
princely heart and Christian compassion, to see such
desolation wrought by the pride, and passion, and
ambition of private persons, supported by princes
who knew not what themselves would have. His
three kingdoms flourishing in entire peace and uni-
versal plenty, in danger of nothing but their own
surfeits ; and his dominions every day enlarged, by
sending out colonies upon large and fruitful planta-

" invasions] invasions of each other



80 THE LIFE OF

PART tions ; his strong fleets commanding all seas; and
the numerous shipping of the nation bringing the



'



1G39. t ra( j e O f th e WO rld into his ports; nor could it with
unquestionable security be carried any whither else ;
and all these blessings enjoyed under a prince of the
greatest clemency and justice, and of the greatest
piety and devotion, and the most indulgent to his
subjects, and most solicitous for their happiness and
prosperity.

O fortunati nimium, bona si sua norint !

In this blessed conjuncture, when no other prince
thought he wanted any thing to compass what he
most desired to be possessed of, but the affection and
friendship of the king of England, a small, scarce dis-
cernible cloud arose in the north, which was shortly
after attended with such a storm, that never gave
over raging till it had shaken, and even rooted up,
the greatest and tallest cedars of the three nations ;
blasted all its beauty and fruitfulness ; brought its
strength to decay, and its glory to reproach, and al-
most to desolation ; by such a career and deluge of
wickedness and rebellion, as by not being enough
foreseen, or in truth suspected, could not be pre-
vented.
Upon the rebellion in Scotland, in the year 1640,

the king called a parliament ; which met, according chos" yde to summ ns, upon the third of April. Mr. Hyde

member for was chosen to serve for two places ; for the borough

Wotton-

Basset. of Wotton-Basset, in the county of Wilts ; and for
the borough of Shaftesbury, in the county of Dorset;
but made choice to serve for his neighbours of the
former place: and so a new writ issued for the
choice of another burgess for Shaftesbury.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 81

The next day after Mr. Pym had recapitulated PART
the whole series of the grievances and miscarriages



which had been in the state, Mr. Hyde told the 164 -
house, that "that worthy gentleman had omitted His first
" one grievance, more heavy than (as he thought)
" many of the others ; which was, the earl marshal's
" court : a court newly erected, without colour or
" shadow of law, which took upon it to fine and
" imprison the king's subjects, and to give great da-
" mages for matters which the law gave no damages
" for. " He repeated a pleasant story of a citizen,
who, being rudely treated for more than his fare
came to, by a waterman, who, pressing him, still
shewed his crest, or badge upon his coat, the citizen
bade him be gone with his goose ; whereas it was,
in truth, a swan, the crest of an earl, whose servant
the waterman was : whereupon the citizen was called
into the marshal's court, and, after a long and charge-
able attendance, was, for the opprobrious dishonour-
ing the earl's crest, by calling the swan a goose,
fined and imprisoned, till he had paid considerable
damages to the lord, or at least to the waterman ;
which really undid the citizen.

He told them another story as ridiculous, of a
gentleman, who, owing his tailor a long time a good
sum of money for clothes, and his tailor coming one
day to his chamber, with more than ordinary impor-
tunity for his debt, and not receiving any good an-
swer, threatened to arrest him ; upon which the gen-
tleman, enraged, gave him very ill words, called him
base fellow, and laid his hands upon him to thrust
him out of his chamber : in this struggle, and under
this provocation, oppression, and reproach, the poor
tailor chanced to say, that he was as good a man as

VOL. I. G



82 THE LIFE OF

PART the other; for which words he was called into the
marshal's court ; and for his peace, was content to



164 - be satisfied his debt, out of his own ill manners;
being compelled to release all his other demands in
, lieu of damages. The case was known by many *,
and detested by all.

He told them, that " there was an appendant to
" that court, which he called the pageantry of it,
" the heralds ; who were as grievous to the gentry,
" as the court was to the people. " He said, " that
" sure the knights of that house, when they received
" that honour from the king, though they might
" think themselves obliged to live at a higher rate,
" yet they believed that they might die as good
" cheap as other men ;" he told them, " they could
" not, it would cost them ten pounds more ; and yet
" a gentleman could not die for nothing. " The he-
ralds had procured such an order from the earl mar-
shal, to force all persons to pay at their funerals,
such several sums, according to their several degrees.
He concluded with a desire, that when the wisdom
of that house provided remedies against the other
grievances, it would likewise secure the subject
against this exorbitance. This representation was
very acceptable to the house, both in respect of the
matter, which was odious enough, and in regard of the
person that usurped that monstrous jurisdiction, who
was in no degree grateful to them ; upon whom he
that made the motion u had not made the least re-
flection, the modesty of that time not permitting the
mention of great men with any reproach, until their
offences were first examined and proved : and this
being the first part he had acted upon that stage,
* by many] to many " he that made the motion] the speaker



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 83

brought him much applause ; and he was ever after- PART
wards heard with great benignity. '



Upon the warm debate in the house of commons, .

7 He endea-

concerning the giving the king money, Mr. Hyde vourst
observed by the several discourses of many of the dissolution
court, who were of near admission to the king and Ha
queen, and like to make probable guesses, that they
believed the king would be so much displeased at
the proceedings of the house, that he would dissolve
them ; which he believed would prove the most fatal
resolution could be taken. As soon as the house
was up, he went over to Lambeth, to the archbi-
shop ; whom he found walking in his garden, hav-
ing received a full account of all that had passed,
from persons who had made more haste from the
house. He appeared sad, and full of thoughts ; and
calling the other to him, seemed willing to hear what
he would say. He told him, "that he would not
" trouble him with the relation of any thing that
" had passed, of which he presumed he had received
" a good account : that his business was only to in-
" form him of his own fears and apprehensions, and
" the observations he had made upon the discourses
" of some considerable men of the court, as if the
" king might be wrought upon, because there had
" not been that expedition used as he expected,
" speedily to dissolve the parliament : that he came
" only to beseech him to use all his credit to pre-
" vent such a desperate counsel, which would pro-
" duce great mischief to the king and to the church :
" that he was confident the house was as well con-
'* stituted and disposed, as ever house of commons
" was or would be : that the number of the disaf-
" fected to church or state was very small ; and

G 2



84 THE LIFE OF



PART " though they might obstruct for some time the
quick resolving upon what was fit, they would



1640. never be able to pervert their good inclinations
" and desires to serve the king. "

The archbishop heard him very patiently, and
said, he believed the king would be very angry at
the way of their proceedings ; for that, in this con-
juncture, the delaying and denying to do what he
desired was the same thing, and therefore he be-
lieved it probable that he would dissolve them, with-
out which he could not enter upon other counsels :
that, for his own part, he was resolved to deliver no
opinion ; but as he would not persuade the dissolu-
tion, which might be attended by consequences he
could not foresee, so he had not so good an opinion
of their affections to the king or the church, as to
persuade their longer sitting, if the king were in-
clined to dissolve them : as he actually did on the
fourth or fifth of May, not three weeks after their
first meeting. v

The temper and constitution of both houses of
parliament, which the king was forced to call shortly
after, and met on the third of November, 1640, X
was very different from the last : and they disco-
vered not more prejudice against any man, than
He is again against Mr. Hyde ; who was again returned to serve
serve in par- there, and whom they were sorry to find amongst
:nt * them , as a man they knew well to have great af-
fection for the archbishop, and of unalterable devo-
tion to the government of the church; and there-
fore they first laboured to find some defect in his

v as he actually did on the x and met on the third of
fourth or fifth of May first November, 1640,] Not in MS.
meeting. ] Not in MS.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 85

election, and then to irreconcile those towards him, PART
who they found had any esteem or kindness for



him: but not finding the success in either answer-
able to their expectation, they lived fairly towards
him, and endeavoured, by several applications, to
gain credit with him ; who returned them their own
civilities ; having had very particular acquaintance
with many of them, whom he as much endeavoured
to preserve from being prevailed upon.

Within few days after their meeting, he renewed He procures

i i -i i ' -i i i i thesuppres-

tne motion he had made in the last parliament, sion of the



against the marshal's court, (though he knew
earl marshal had gotten himself much into their fa-
vour, by his application, and some promises he had
made them at the meeting at York ; and principally
by his declared aversion and prejudice to the earl of
Strafford,) and told them what extravagant proceed-
ings there had been in that court, since the dissolu-
tion of the last parliament ; and that more damages
had been given there, by the sole judgment of the
lord marshal, for contumelious and reproachful words,
of which the law took no notice, in two days, than
had been given by all the juries, in all the courts in
Westminster hall, in the whole term, and the days
for trial after it was ended. Upon which he got a
committee to be named, of which himself sat in the
chair ; and found that the first precedent they had
in all their records for that form of proceeding which
they had used, and for giving of damages for words,
was but in the year 1633 ; and the very entrance
upon this inquisition put an end to that upstart
court, which never presumed to sit afterwards ; and
so that grievance was thoroughly abolished. And,
to manifest how great an impression the alarums of

G 3



86 THE LIFE OF

PART this kind made upon the highest and the proudest
. natures, the very next Sunday after this motion was



1640. ma d e i n the house of commons, the earl marshal
seeing Mr. Hyde in the closet at Whitehall during
the time of the sermon, he came with great courtesy
to him, thanked him for having treated his person
so civilly, when upon so just reason he had found
fault with some of his actions : said, he believed he
had been in the wrong ; but that he had been mis-
led by the advice of sir Harry Martin and other ci-
vilians, who were held men of great learning, and
who assured him that those proceedings were just
and lawful. He said, they had gained well by it,
but should mislead him no more : and concluded
with great professions of kindness and esteem, and
offered him all offices in his power ; when, in his
heart, he did him the honour to detest and hate
him perfectly; as he professed to all whom he
trusted, y

7 - His credit grew every day in the house, in spite
of all the endeavours which were used to lessen it :
and it being evident that he had no dependence
upon the court, and insisted wholly upon maintain-
ing what the law had established, very many wise
men, and of estate and reputation in the kingdom,

7 as he professed to all whom pers of the person whose life is

he trusted. ] A curious narrative the end of this discourse, that

of the conduct and escape of the even unawares many things are

lord keeper Finch is here omit- inserted not so immediately ap-

ted : it may be seen in the Ap- plicable to his own person ;

pendix to the first volume of the which possibly may hereafter, in

History of the Rebellion, p. 522. some other method, be cornmu-

8vo. Oxford, 1826. nicated to the world; and there-

* Thus in MS. : The memo- fore we shall again resort only

rials and extracts are so large to such particulars as more im-

and particular of all these pro- mediately relate to him. His

ceedings in the notes and pa- credit, &c.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 87

(who observed well the crooked and ambitious de- PART
signs of those who desired to be thought to care



only for the good of their country,) adhered to him ;
and were willing to take advice from him, how to
prevent those miseries which were like to be brought
upon the kingdom : so that they, who had cut out
all the work from the beginning, and seldom met
with any notable contradiction, found themselves
now frequently disappointed, and different resolu-
tions taken to what they had proposed ; which they
imputed to his activity.

He was very much in the business of the house ;
the greatest chairman in the committees of the
greatest moment ; and very diligent in attending
the service both in the house and at committees :
for he had from the beginning of- the parliament
laid aside his gown and practice, and wholly given He la y

. g aside his

himself up to the public business ; which he saw so gown, and
much concerned the peace and very being of the f e 'if wholly
kingdom. He was in the chair in that committee
which considered of the illegality of the court of
York : and the other, that examined the miscar-
riages of the judges, in the case of ship-money, and
in other cases of judicatory, in their several courts ;
and prepared charges thereupon against them. He
was in the chair against the marshal's court : in that
committee which was against the court of York,
which was prosecuted with great passion, and took
up many weeks debate : in that which concerned
the jurisdiction of the lord president and council of
the marches of Wales ; which likewise held a long
time, and was prosecuted with great bitterness and
animosity : in which the inhabitants of the four
neighbour counties of Salop, Worcester, Hereford,

. G 4



88 THE LIFE OF



PART and Gloucester, and consequently the knights and
burgesses which served for the same, were passion-



1640. ately concerned to absolve themselves from the bur-
den of that jurisdiction ; and all the officers of that
court and council, whereof some were very great
men, and held offices of great value, laboured with
equal passion and concernment to support and main-
tain what was in practice and possession ; and their
friends appeared accordingly.

He was in the chair in many committees made
upon private complaints ; insomuch as he was sel-
dom in the afternoon free from that service in the
committees, as he was never absent in mornings
from the house : and he was often heard to mention
one private committee, in which he was put acci-
dentally into the chair, upon an enclosure which had
been made of great wastes, belonging to a the queen's
manors, without the consent of the tenants, the be-
nefit whereof had been given by the queen to a ser-
vant of near trust ; who forthwith sold the lands
enclosed to the earl of Manchester, lord privy seal ;
who, together with his son Mandevile, were now
most concerned to maintain the enclosure ; against
which, as well the inhabitants of other manors, who
claimed common in those wastes, as the queen's te-
nants of the same, made loud complaints, as a great
oppression, carried upon them with a very high
hand, and supported by power.
The erst The committee sat in the queen's court, and Oli-

canse of ~,

Oliver ver Cromwell, being one of them, appeared much

enm? ty e to S concerned to countenance the petitioners, who were

numerous, together with, their witnesses; the lord

* to] to some



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 89

Mandevile being likewise present as a party, and, PART
by the direction of the committee, sitting covered.



Cromwell (who had never before been heard to 164 -
speak in the house of commons) ordered the wit-
nesses and petitioners in the method of the proceed-
ing, and seconded and enlarged upon what they said
with great passion ; and the witnesses and persons
concerned, who were a very rude kind of people,
interrupted the council and witnesses on the other
side with great clamour, when they said any thing
that did not please them ; so that Mr. Hyde (whose
office it was to oblige men of all sorts to keep order)
was compelled to use some sharp reproofs and some
threats to reduce them to such a temper, that the
business might be quietly heard. Cromwell in great
fury reproached the chairman for being partial, and
that he discountenanced the witnesses by threaten-
ing them : the other appealed to the committee,
which justified him, and declared that he behaved
himself as he ought to do ; which more inflamed
him, who was already too much angry. When upon
any mention of matter of fact, or the proceeding
before and at the enclosure, the lord Mandevile de-
sired to be heard, and with great modesty related
what had been done, or explained what had been
said, Mr. Cromwell did answer and reply upon him
with so much indecency and rudeness, and in lan-
guage so contrary and offensive, that every man
would have thought, that as their natures and their
manners were as opposite as it is possible, so their
interest could never have been the same. In the
end, his whole carriage was so tempestuous, and his
behaviour so insolent, that the chairman found him-
self obliged to reprehend him ; and to tell him, if he



90 THE LIFE OF

PART proceeded in the same manner, he would presently
*' adjourn the committee, and the next morning com-
plain to the house of him ; which he never forgave ;
and took all occasions afterwards to pursue him with
the utmost malice and revenge, to his death.
1641. When Mr. Hyde sat in the chair, in the grand
committee of the house for the extirpation of episco-
pacy, all that party made great court to him ; and
the house keeping those disorderly hours, and sel-
dom rising till after four of the clock in the after-
noon, they frequently importuned him to dine with
them at Mr. Pym's lodging, which was at sir Ri-
chard Manly 's house, in a little court behind West-
minster hall ; where he, and Mr. Hambden, sir Ar-
thur Haslerig, and two or three more, upon a stock
kept a table, where they transacted much business,
and invited thither those of whose conversion they
had any hope.

One day after dinner, Nathaniel Fiennes, who
that day likewise dined there, asked Mr. Hyde whe-
ther he would ride into the fields, and take a little
air, it being a fine evening; which the other con-
senting to, they sent for their horses, and riding to-
gether in the fields between Westminster and Chel-
His con- Se3j MJ-. Fiennes asked him what it was that inclined

versation ' .

with Nat. him to adhere so passionately to the church, which
could not possibly be supported. He answered, that
he could have no other obligation than that of his
own b conscience, and his reason, that could move
with him ; for he had no relation or dependence
upon any churchmen that could dispose him to it ;
that he could not conceive how religion could be

b own] Not in MS.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 91

preserved without bishops, nor how the government PART
of the state could well subsist, if the government of.



the church were altered; and asked him what go- 1641-
vernment they meant to introduce in its place. To
which he answered, that there would be time enough
to think of that ; but assured him, and wished him
to remember what he said, that if the king resolved
to defend the bishops, it would cost the kingdom
much blood, and would be the occasion of as sharp
a war as had ever been in England : for that there
was a great number c of good men who resolved to
lose their lives before they would ever submit to
that government. Which was the first positive de-
claration he had ever heard from any particular
man of that party, very few of them having at that
time that resolution, much less avowing it ; and if
they had, the kingdom was in no degree at that
time infected with that poison, how much soever it
was spread afterwards.

Within two days after this discourse from Mr.
Fiennes, Mr. Hyde, walking between the parliament
house and Westminster, in the churchyard, met with
Harrv Martin, with whom he lived very familiarly ; And Wlth

J J J Harry Mar-

and speaking together about the proceedings of the tin.
houses, Martin told him, that he would undo him-
self by his adhering to the court ; to which he re-
plied, that he had no relation to the court, and was
only concerned to maintain the government and
preserve the law : and then told him, he could not
conceive what he proposed to himself, for he did not
think him to be of the opinion or nature with those

c a great number] so great a number



92 THE LIFE OF

PART men who governed the house; and asked him, what
. he thought of such and such men : and he very



1 64 1 . f ran kiy answered, that he thought them knaves ;
and that when they had done as much as they in-
tended to do, they should be used as they had used
others. The other pressed him then to say what
he desired; to which, after a little pause, he very
who owns roundly answered, " I do not think one man wise
republican. " enough to govern us all :" which was the first
word he had ever heard any man speak to that pur-
pose ; and would without doubt, if it had been then
communicated or attempted, been the most abhorred
by the whole nation, of any design that could be
mentioned ; and yet it appears it had even so early
entered into the hearts of some desperate persons,
that gentleman being at that time possessed of a
very great fortune, and having great credit in his
country.

Whilst things were thus depending, one morning,
when there was a conference with the lords, and so
the house adjourned, Mr. Hyde being walking in
the house, Mr. Peircy, brother to the earl of North-
Mr. Hyde umberland, being a membe^ of the house, came to

is sent for. i i i i 11

by the king, him, and told him that the king would speak with
him, and would have him that afternoon to come to
him. He answered, he believed it was some mis-
take, for that he had not the honour to be known
to the king ; and that there was another of the same
name, of the house. Mr. Peircy assured him he was
the man ; and so it was agreed, that at such an
hour in the evening he should call on him at his
chamber ; which he did, and was by him conducted
into the gallery, and so into the square room, where



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 9iJ

he stayed till the other went to the king; who in a PART

very short time came thither, attended only by Mr '

Peircy, who, as soon as Mr. Hyde had kissed his
majesty's hand, withdrew.

The king told him, " that he heard from all hands The king's
" how much he was beholden to him ; and that when w fth him.
" all his servants in the house of commons either
" neglected his service, or could not appear usefully
" in it, he took all occasions to do him service ; for
" which he thought fit to give him his own thanks,
" and to assure him that he would remember it to
" his advantage. " He took notice of his affection to
the church, for which, he said, " he thanked him
" more than for all the rest ;" which the other ac-
knowledged with the duty that became him, and said,
" he was very happy that his majesty was pleased
" with what he did ; but if he had commanded him
" to have withdrawn his affection and reverence for
" the church, he would not have obeyed him ;" which ,>
his majesty said made him love him the better. Then
he discoursed of the passion of the house, and of the
bill then brought in against episcopacy ; and asked
him, " whether he thought they would be able to
" carry it ;" to which he answered, " he believed
" they could not, at least that it would be very long
" first. " " Nay, (replied the king,) if you will look
" to it, that they do not carry it before I go for
" Scotland, which will be at such a time, when the
" armies shall be disbanded, I will undertake for the
" church after that time : why then, (said the other,)
" by the grace of God, it will not be in much danger :"
with which the king was well pleased ; and dismissed
him with very gracious expressions. And this was



94 THE LIFE OF

PART the first introduction of him to the king's taking no-
'. tice of him.



164 1. Afterwards, in that summer, during the time of
his majesty's stay in Scotland, Mr. Secretary Nicho-
las (who then kept the signet, though he was not
sworn secretary till the king's return) being very
sick, sent to him, to desire to speak with him ;
whereupon he went to him to his house in King's-
street, and found him in his bed : and the business
was wholly to shew him a letter from the king to
him, in which he writ to him, that he understood,
by several hands, that he was very much beholden
to Mr. Hyde, for the great zeal he shewed to his
service; and therefore commanded him to speak
with him, and to let him know the sense he had of
it; and that when he returned, he would let him
know it himself.

Having now taken a view of him from his birth,
and through his whole youth, and first entrance into
the business of the world, in which he had great
success and prosperity, (and if the calm, in which
he was born, and lasted so long, had continued, no
man could with more probability have promised
himself better fortune in the profession to which he
had dedicated himself;) and having now brought
him to be known to the king; and the tempest,
that from the present foul weather shortly after
broke out, driving him from further applying him-
self to, or prosecuting that profession ; and the par-
liament making some short recess during the king's
being in Scotland ; we will here conclude the first
part of his life, and enter upon the second ; which
will contain a more important part, and in which



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 95

we will mention no particulars of that active time, PART
but such in which he had a signal part ; leaving the '
rest to the history of those great and monstrous
actions.

Montpelier, March 27, 1669-



THE LIFE



OF



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON;

FROM HIS BIRTH TO THE RESTORATION OF THE
ROYAL FAMILY IN THE YEAR 1650.



PART II.



WHEN the remonstrance of the state of the na- PART
tion and its particular grievances was (by order of IL
the house of commons) printed 3 . Mr. Hyde, only to I641 -

. ,. . i , , Mr. Hyde

give vent to his own indignation, and without the draws up



an answer



liament's
renion-
rattce.



least purpose of communicating it, or that any use to the par
should be made of it, had drawn such a full answer
to it, as the subject would have enabled any man to st
have done who had thought of it : and the lord
Digby, who had much conversation and friendship
with him, coming accidentally and suddenly into
the room, where he was alone amongst his books
and papers ; conferring together of the extravagant
proceedings of the parliament, he, upon the fami-
liarity that was between them, and upori the argu-
ment that was then between them, read the answer



a WHEN the remonstrance of printed,] As soon as the remon-

the state of the nation and its strance, so much mentioned be-

particular grievances was (by fore, was printed,
order of the house of commons)

VOL. I. H



98 THE LIFE OF

PART to him, which he had prepared to the remonstrance;
with which he seemed much pleased, and desired



1 64 ' him, that he would permit it to be made use of by
the king, and that he might shew it to his majesty ;
who found it absolutely necessary to publish some
answer in his own name to that remonstrance, which
had so much poisoned the hearts of the people ; and
that his majesty was endeavouring to procure such
an answer to be drawn. The other expressly and
positively refused to give it him, or that any use
should be made of it ; and reproached him for pro-
posing a thing to him which might prove ruinous to
him, if the house should have the least imagination
that he exercised himself in such offices ; with which
answer he seemed satisfied, and departed : no other
person having seen it but the lord Falkland, from
whom nothing was ever concealed.

Within few days after, the lord Digby, with whom
the king advised in the business of the parliament
without reserve, came again to him ; and, after some
apologies, told him freely, that very many had been
with the king, desiring him that he would take care
that some answer might be published to that remon-
strance, which had already done much harm, and
would do much more if it were not answered ; and
that the king had spoken to him ; upon which he
had confessed that he had seen an answer that
pleased him very well, but could not prevail with
the author of it to suffer it to be made use of; and
told him who it was : whereupon the king seemed
to wonder very much, that a person, who had ap-
peared so publicly in defence of his service, should
be so wary of assisting him in private : and after
many expressions of grace towards that gentleman,



EDWARD EARL OF- CLARENDON. 99

his majesty had commanded him to come in his P ART
name to him; and to conjure him to send that



paper to him ; and to give him his royal word, that
no person living should know that he had the least
hand in it ; so that no danger should accrue to him
thereby.

Mr. Hyde, though he was very unsatisfied with
what the lord Digby had done, (whose affection to
him he did not in any degree make question of, but
did not like his over activity, to which his restless
fancy always disposed him ; and as he doubted not
that himself had given the occasion to the king to
send those commands, so he had likewise enlarged
those commands, as he believed, in such a manner
as he thought might most oblige him,) yet, upon
the real consideration that it might do the king
much service, he did, without delay, deliver the pa-
pers; insisting upon the promise of secrecy, and,
likewise, that his majesty would not publish without
first communicating it to his council, and as done
with their advice. And to that purpose he affixed
that title to it, before he delivered the papers out of
his hands ; believing, that as it would be more for
the king's service to carry such an authority in the
front of it, as " The king's answer with the advice
" of his council ;" so it could not be refused by
them, and yet might engage them in some displea-
sure with the house of commons, which probably
might be offended at it. The king was very punctual
in doing what was desired, and caused it to be read
at a full council, where many of the lords commended
it very much, and none spake against it; and so it which by
was published and printed ; and it was very appa- command
rent to all men, that the king's service was very" pm

H 2



100 THE LIFE OF

PART much advanced by it; and it was not more evident
. to any than to the house of commons, who knew



1641 - not how to make any expostulation upon it, it being
in the king's own name, and published with the ad-
vice of his privy-council : so that all they could do
was, to endeavour to discover who was the penner
of it ; to which discovery they were most intent by
all their secret friends in court, who found means
to discover most other secrets to them, but in this
could do them no service.

As soon as the lord Falkland and sir John Cole-
pepper were called to the privy-council, the king
sent for Mr. Hyde to him, who had not seen his
majesty from the time he had been presented by
Mr. Peircy. He commanded the lord Digby to bring
him when it was night to the queen's back stairs ;
and as soon as he was there, both king and queen
came into the room ; and when he had kissed their
hands, and the lord Digby was withdrawn, the king
told him, " he was much beholden to him for many
" good services, and that now he had preferred two
" of his friends, it was time to give him some testi-
" mony of his favour ; and therefore he had sent to
" him to tell him that he intended to make him his
" solicitor general, in the place of him who had
Mr. Hyde " served him so ill. " Mr. Hyde suddenly answered,
offic! Tof S so- e " God forbid! " With which the king seeming sur-
IS. rge " P rised > said > "Why God forbid? " The other replied,
" It was in no degree fit at this time that he should
" remove the other ; and if he were removed, him-
" self was in no degree fit for it. " The queen said,
" he ought not to suffer for his modesty : she had
" heard men, who could judge well, say, that he
" was as fit for it as the other. " Mr. Hyde said,



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 101

" that was an argument that gentleman thought the PART
" other not fit for it, not that he believed him fit ; '



" which in truth, he said, he was not. That it 1641>
" might be, that when the place was actually void,
" the king might have filled it better with another
" man than with Mr. Saint- John, whose parts were
" not above many others, and his affections were
" below most men's : but now that he was invested
" in that office, it was not a good conjuncture to re-
" move him ; and when it should be, he did humbly
" advise his majesty to make choice of the ablest
" man of the profession, whose affections were clear,
" by whom he might indeed have great benefit;
" whereas himself was" young, and without any of
" that learning or experience which might make
" him capable of that great trust. " The queen say-
ing again this was his modesty, he replied, " Madam,
" when you know me better, you will not find me
" so modest a man, but that I hope by your ma-
" jesty's favour, in due time, to be made a better
" man than I am at present : but, if you believe
" that I know any thing of the disposition of . the
" present time, or of what may conduce to the king's
" service, I pray believe, that, though the solicitor
" will never do much service, he will be able to do
" much more mischief if he be removed. " The king
at the same time resolved to remove another officer,
who did disserve him notoriously, and to prefer Mr.
Hyde to that place ; with which their gracious in-
tention both their majesties acquainted him : but he
positively refused it ; and assured both their majes-
ties, that he should be able to do much more service
in the condition he was in.

Before the king left Whitehall, he renewed his
H 3



102 THE LIFE OF

PART commands to the three persons mentioned before,
' the lord viscount Falkland, sir John Colepepper,



and Mr. Hyde, to meet constantly together, and

He is in- *

trusted with consult upon his affairs, and conduct them the best

the conduct . . .

of the king's way they could in the parbament, and to give him
parliament, constant advice what he was to do, without which,
he declared again very solemnly, he would make no
step in the parliament. Two of them were obb'ged
by their offices and relations, and the other by his
duty and inclination, to give him all satisfaction ;
notwithstanding the discouragement they had so
lately received in the king's going to the house to
demand the five members, without ever communi-
cating his intention to them b , and which had made
a deep impression upon them. And so they met
every night late together, and communicated their
observations and intelligence of the day ; and so
agreed what was to be done or attempted the next ;
there being very many persons of condition and in-
terest in the house who would follow their advice,
and assist in any thing they desired. And because
Mr. Hyde had larger accommodation in the house
where he lived in Westminster than either of the
other had, the meetings at night were for the most
part with him ; and after their deliberation together,
what was to be put in writing was always commit-
ted to Mr. Hyde ; and when the king had left the
town, he writ as freely to the king as either of the
other did ; and sometimes, when they would be ex-
cused, he went to him in great secret.

He had been from the beginning very unbeloved

b in the king's going to the ing his intention to them] Not
house to demand the five mem- in MS.
bers, without ever communicat-



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 103

by all the governing party; and though they took PART
some pains at first to win him, yet their hope of-



that was quickly desperate; and from the night of 1642>
the protestation, he was as much in their detesta-
tion as any man ; and the more, that they could
take no advantage against him : and though they
had a better opinion of his discretion than to believe
he had any share in the advice of the late proceed-
ings, yet they were very willing that others should
believe it ; and made all the infusions they could to
that purpose amongst those who took their opinions
from them ; towards which his known friendship
with the lord Digby was an argument very preva-
lent : and then his opposing the votes upon their
privilege had inflamed them beyond their temper;
insomuch as Mr. Hambden told him one day, that
the trouble that had lately befallen them had been
attended with that benefit, that they knew who
were their friends : and the other offering to speak
upon the point of privilege, and how monstrous a
thing it was to make a vote so contrary to the
known law; he replied very snappishly, "that he
" well knew he had a mind they should be all in
" prison ;" and so departed without staying for an
answer. Then they imputed to him the disposing
the lord Falkland to serve the court, and the court
to receive his service; and from the time that he
and Colepepper were called to the council, they
equally were enraged against both ; and now, when
they had discovered the place of the nightly meet-
ings, that a secretary of state and a chancellor of
the exchequer every day went to the lodging of a
private person, who ought to attend them, they be-
lieved it a condescension that had some other foun-

H 4



104 THE LIFE OF

PART dation than mere civility; yet they could not dis-
cover any thing against them which they thought



1642 ' fit to offer in public.

It is not amiss in this place to say somewhat of
those three persons, who had from that time so
great a part in the business that was upon the stage,
and did in a short time raise the reputation of the
king, and of his cause, to a very great degree ; and
who, though they were well united in the opposi-
tion of all the ill designs against the crown, and
concurred in the public service with necessary and
mutual civilities towards each other, yet their prin-
ciples and constitutions were very different ; and
the lord Falkland and Mr. Hyde (between whom,
as is said before, the friendship was most entire)
had never had the least acquaintance with sir John
Colepepper before the parliament ; and finding them-
selves often of one opinion, grew into some conver-
sation; and being after united in the king's trust,
they rarely conferred but in the agitation of busi-
ness ; their natures being in nothing like.
some ac- The lord Falkland, though he was a man of a

count of the

temper and cheerful conversation, was of a severe nature, and a
onord CS lover of virtue ; yet he had great esteem for all men
Falkland. o f g reat p ar t s> though they applied them to ill pur-
poses. He was so great an enemy to all dissimula-
tion, that he chose sometimes the other extreme
when it was not requisite. He had not the court
in great reverence, and had a presaging spirit that
the king would fall into great misfortune : and often
said to his friend, that he chose to serve the king,
because honesty obliged him to it ; but that he fore-
saw his own ruin by doing it. He had a better
opinion of the church of England, and the religion



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 105
of it, than of any other church and religion; and PART



had extraordinary kindness for very many church-
men ; and if he could have helped or prevented it,
there should have been no attempts against it. But
he had in his own judgment such a latitude in opin-
ion, that he did not helieve any part of the order or
government of it to be so essentially necessary to
religion, but that it might be parted with, and al-
tered, for a notable public benefit or convenience ;
and that the crown itself ought to gratify the people,
in yielding to many things ; and to part with some
power, rather than to run the hazards which would
attend the refusal. But he was swayed in this by a
belief that the king would in the end be prevailed
with to yield to what was pressed ; and this opinion
wrought too much upon too many.

Albeit he had the greatest compliance with the
weakness, and even the humour of other men, when
there could be no suspicion of flattery ; and the
greatest address to inform and reform them : yet
towards the king, who many times obstinately ad-
hered to many conclusions which did not naturally
result from good premises, and did love to argue
many things to which he would not so positively ad-
here, he did not practise that condescension ; but
contradicted him with more bluntness, and by sharp
sentences ; and in some particulars (as of the church)
to which the king was in conscience most devoted :
and of this his majesty often complained ; and cared
less to confer with him in private, and was less per-
suaded by him, than his affairs, and the other's great
parts and wisdom, would have required : though he
had not a better opinion of any man's sincerity or
fidelity towards him.



106 THE LIFE OF

PART Sir John Colepepper had spent some years of his
youth in foreign parts, and especially in armies ;



1642. wnere he had seen good service, and very well ob-
r. served it ; and might have made a very good officer
if he had intended it. He was of a rough nature, a
hot head, and of great courage ; which had engaged
him in many quarrels and duels ; wherein he still
behaved himself very signally. He had in a very
good season, and after a small waste of his fortune,
retired from that course of life, and married, and
betook himself to a country life ; and studied the
business of the country, and the concernments of it,
in which he was very well versed ; and being a man
of sharpness . of parts, and volubility of language, he
was frequently made choice of to appear at the
council-board, in those matters which related to
the country : in the managing whereof, his abilities
were well taken notice of. His estate was very mo-
derate, and his usual expense exceeded it not ; not
being delighted with delicacies of any nature, or in-
deed ever acquainted with them. He had infirmi-
ties which sometimes made a noise ; but his parts
and abilities made him very acceptable to his neigh-
bours, and to those who were most considerable in
their estates, and most popular ; so that with very
little opposition, he had been chosen to be knight of
that great county Kent, for the parliament ; where
he quickly made himself to be taken notice of. He
was proud and ambitious, and very much disposed
to improve his fortune ; which he knew well how to
do, by industry and thrift, without stooping to any
corrupt ways, to which he was not inclined.

He did not love the persons of many of those who
were the violent managers, and less their designs ;



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 107

and therefore he no sooner knew that he was well PART
spoken of at court, but he exposed himself to the
invitation, and heartily embraced that interest: 164 ' 2 -
and when he came thither, he might very well be
thought a man of no very good breeding ; having
never sacrificed to the muses, or conversed in any
polite company. He was warm and positive in de-
bates, and of present fancy to object and find fault
with what was proposed ; and indeed would take
any argument in pieces, and expose it excellently to
a full view ; and leave nothing to chance, or acci-
dent, without making it foreseen ; but after that,
knew not so well what to judge and determine ; and
was so irresolute, and had a fancy so perpetually
working, that, after a conclusion made, he would
the next day, in the execution of it, and sometimes
after, raise new doubts, and make new objections ;
which always occasioned trouble, and sometimes
produced inconvenience.

In matters of religion he was, in his judgment,
very indifferent ; but more inclined to what was
established, to avoid the accidents which commonly
attend a change, without any motives from his con-
science; which yet he kept to himself; and was
well content to have it believed that the activity
proceeded from thence. He had, with all this un-
courtliness (for sure no man less appeared a cour-
tier) and ungracefulness in his mien and motion, a
wonderful insinuation and address into the accepta-
tion and confidence of the king and queen ; and
flattery being a weed not so natural to the air and
soil of the country where he had wholly lived, he
was believed to speak with all plainness and sin-
cerity; when no man more complied with those in-



108 THE LIFE OF

PART firmities they both had, and by that compliance pre-
- vailed often over them.



He had a very tragical way in expressing him-
self, to raise the fears and apprehensions of those
who were naturally apprehensive of dangers ; and
by this means he prevailed marvellously with the
queen in those matters to which she was most
averse ; by representing things as dismally to her as
he could well do; and on the other hand, to the
king (who was naturally very sanguine) he was full
of compliance ; cherished all his hopes and imagina-
tions, and raised and improved those hopes very fre-
quently by expedients very unagreeable to the end
proposed. He was then (as was said before) very
positive in his conclusions ; as if he did not pro-
pose a thing that might come to pass, but what in-
fallibly must be so : which was a temper the king
could not contend with ; and did so much suspect
himself, (which was his greatest infirmity, and the
chief ground of all his sufferings,) that he did believe
a man, of whom he thought very well, did know
every thing that he confidently insisted upon. But
his greatest advantage was, (besides his diligence in
speaking as often as he could with the king and
queen, and always with the queen upon any import-
ant counsel,) that he had an entire confidence and
friendship with Mr. John Ashburnham, whom the
king loved, and trusted very much ; and who al-
ways imprinted that advice in the king's mind,
which the other had infused ; and being a member
of the house, was always ready to report the service
he did his majesty there, as advantageously as the
business would bear,
or Mr. ^ r Hyde was, in his nature and disposition, dif-



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 109

ferent from both the other; which never begot the PART
least disagreement between the lord Falkland and ! __
him. He was of a very cheerful and open nature, 164 '^-
without any dissimulation ; and delivered his opin-
ion of things or persons, where it was convenient,
without reserve or disguise ; and was at least tena-
cious enough of his opinion, and never departed
from it out of compliance with any man.