HYDE, EDWARD, EARL OF CLAREVDON. 



HYDE, EDWARD, EARL OF CLAREXDOX. 



140 



Brat that painted flow* on a light ground. Ha is rappoaad to hare 

 poaacawd *oma Merat in tba mixing of hit ooloun and preserving their 

 lu.tr*. Hi* picture* aold at very high price* during hi* life, and ara 

 till held in th high**t etimation. He died iu England iu 1749 

 Four of hia picture* are in the Dulwioh Cillery. 



11VDK. KliWAKlt. HAUL OK CLAKKNDON. the third aon o 

 !1> nry Hyde, of Diuton. in Wiluhire, ntar Salisbury, aud Mary, on< 

 of the daughter* and co-hcireaaea of Edward Launford, of Trowbridge 

 in the aame county, waa born at Diuton on the 18th of February 1608 

 U* waa flrnt initructed by the clergyman of the pariah, who wa* alao 

 schoolmaster, and afterward* at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he 

 waa entered in 1021. It waa hia father'* dcaire to make him a clergy 

 man. but by the death of his two elder sous he waa induced to alter 

 hia intention : the law, under theae circumstances, wa* thought a more 

 lieairable profession ; and Edward, under the auspice* of hia uncle 

 Nicholaa Hyde, who waa treasurer of the Middle Temple, waa euterec 

 aa a itudmt iu that society. Three sevctal impedimenta obstructec 

 hia early legal studies; the weaknea* of hi* health, the habita of hia 

 companions, and an attachment which he entertained toward* the 

 daughter of Sir George Aylifle, of Oretenham, in Wiluhire, whom he 

 married in 1629. The death of this lady six months after their 

 marriage blighted the happy prospect* he had enjoyed. In 1632 

 having bceu three yearn a widower, he was again married. Hi* second 

 wife waa Frances, daughter of Sir Thomas Ayleabury. 



After hi* father's death Hydo found himself in possession of such a 

 competent fortune aa to render exertion iu bis profession, in a pecuniary 

 puiut of view, unnecessary. His studies however were not neglected 

 he devoted the forenoon to the business of the courts, and the evenings 

 to taking instructions aud other legal employment. It was his habil 

 to dine, not in the Temple Hall, as most of the other students were 

 accustomed to do, but with some of the many eminent friends whom 

 hia abilities and increasing reputation had attached to him. 



In the spring of 1640 he commenced bis political career: he waa 

 returned to parliament by the constituencies both of Shafteabury and 

 Wootton Basnet, and made his election to serve for the latter. The 

 question of granting the supply demanded by the king formed the 

 principal subject of discussion. Hyde argued in favour of a grant, 

 but waa successfully opposed by Hauipdeu. The king dissolved this 

 moderate and well-inclined parliament twenty-two days after its 

 assembly. Hyde was named upon seven of twenty-one committees 

 that were appointed. The borough of Saltaeh returned him to the 

 Long Parliament (November 1640), and he laid aside his legal practice 

 in order to devote himself exclusively to parliamentary business. 

 The earl-marshal's oppressive court was abolished through bis efforts ; 

 he also attacked the despotic 'Court of the North;' he was active in 

 the condemnation of the judges' decision respecting ship-money, and 

 took a share in the proceedings against Stratford. Up to this time he 

 had acted with the more moderate of the popular party ; but now he 

 thought fit to detach himself from these friends. Within a week after 

 the bill of Stratford a bill was passed for preventing the dissolution 

 of parliament without its own authority and consent. The knowledge 

 that this encroachment on the constitution would render the parlia- 

 ment more powerful than the crown probably determined him to alter 

 his political course. A conversation with Martin aud Ficnnes, in 

 which these adherent* of the parliamentary party expressed strongly 

 democratic opinions, is thought to have confirmed his determination. 

 He now gave his support to the church, and defended the prerogative 

 of the crown. Hi* vote* and speeches soon attracted the attention of 

 the court ; he wa* summoned to a private conference with the king, 

 and received his thanks for the service he bad rendered him. He 

 daily increased in favour at court. An answer which he wrote to 

 ' The Remonstrance ' wa* adopted and published by the king in bis 

 own name ; and so sensible wo* Charles of the importance of this 

 paptr, and its author'* utility to his cause, that he offered to make him 

 his solicitor-general. The office was declined, but a request thut 

 accompanied the offer of it was complied with, and Hyde consented 

 to meet frequently with Lord Falkland and Sir John Colepfpper to 

 consult on the king's affair*, and to conduct them iu parliament 



It may be thought that because the king had promised to take no 

 itvp without the advice of thrse three counsellors, they are in a great 

 degree retpontible for his conduct; but this U not the case: Charles 

 sometimes acted without their consent aud without their knowledge 

 on th most important occasions. For instance, in the attempt to seize 

 the five members, his advisers were wholly ignorant of his intention, 

 and ao diipleaaed and dejected by it* perfidy and rashness, that 

 Clarendon write* ('Hint Reb.,' vol. ii. p. 133), "They were inclined 

 never more to take upon them the care of anything to be transacted 

 in the house ; finding already that they could not avoid being looked 

 upon aa the author* of thoie counsel* to which they were so absolute 

 strangers, and which thry so perfectly detected." 



The queen quitted England in 1642, and Charles ai it would seem 

 ngainit Clarendon's advice, who was for the making of moderate com- 

 pliance* with the popular will left London, not again to renide there 

 until he waa a pri-om-r. But although Hyde wa* suspected of framing 

 the kinic'* paper* and the answers which ho sent to the messages of 

 the parliament, and danger wa* to be apprehended in case of discovery, 

 bo continued to write them. He used more moderation than the king 

 would have used, and indeed more than wa* pleasing to many Royalist*. 



It will be acen by comparison that hi* paper* were drawn with an 

 ability far superior both in argument and eloquence to that which was 

 evinced in the manifestoes of the parliament. So necessary were hia 

 services to the king that he received a summons to repair to York, 

 whither the king had retired (1642), a* soon u he could be (pared 

 from London. He escaped from the parliament with difficulty, and 

 reached York by circuitous and unusual routes, and continued to act 

 aa the king's adviser until the civil war broke out 



In the spring of 1648 a considerable change took place in the for- 

 tune* and condition of Hyde ; instead of the secret counsellor of the 

 king, he became hia avowed and responsible servant. After he had 

 declined the office of eeratary of state, the chancellorship of the 

 exchequer waa accepted by him, and bo wa* knighted aud sworn a 

 member of the privy council. In this disastrous year he vainly endea- 

 voured to compromise the differences of the contending partie* 

 neither the summon* of a ]rUament at Oxford, nor his subsequent 

 negotiations with the parliamentary leaden and commissioner*, wa* 

 of any avail to arrest the rapid decline of the royal cause. In 1645 

 the king thought fit to send the Prince of Wale* into the west, and to 

 name Hyde one of the councillors to attend upon and direct him. On 

 the 6th of March he had an interview with the king, the last time that 

 he ever saw him, and afterwards repaired to Bristol to enter on the 

 functions which he had undertaken. Disputes and difficulties arose ; 

 the prince's army was disorganised ; and his situation daily became 

 more hazardous, on account of the many defeats which the king sus- 

 tained during the autumn. In December letters were received from 

 the king urging the prince's speedy removal either to Denmark, France, 

 or Holland. Hi* advisers hesitated about his departure, uecauso there 

 were differences of opinion as to where he should be sent : at length 

 danger compelled his flight ; and Hyde and others of his suite sailed 

 with him, first to Scilly, and thence to Jersey, where ho lauded on 

 the 16th of April 1646. After a short residence in this island, the 

 prince, persuaded by the queen, who desired to have him in her power, 

 joined her in France. Hyde remained iu Jersey. His situation at this 

 time was most painful ; he could not return to England because of the 

 enmity of the parliament ; he even frared an attempt upon Jersey from 

 the parliament ; and impressed with a sense of imminent danger on 

 that account, made his will, and wrote letters to be delivered to the 

 king aud the prince after hia death. It might be expected that under 

 such adverse circumstances his spirits would have failed, but constant 

 occupation sustained them ; he collected all the materials that he was 

 able, and commenced his ' History of the Rebellion.' 



After the seizure of the king his cause appeared to be desperate ; 

 there were however occasionally revulsions in his favour which 

 spread a faint gleam of hope upon the minds of hi* adherents. Among 

 theae was the desertion of 17 ships of war from the parliament to 

 the prince. This event had an influence upon the proceedings of 

 Sir Edward Hyde, who received orders to join Prince Charles. After 

 some fruitless travelling iu quest of him, Hyde heard that he bad 

 sailed for the Thames, and procured a small vessel iu order to join 

 him. Ill-fortune awaited him; he was becalmed, and seized by 

 several pirates from Oatend, who took him prisoner, aud plundering 

 him of ail bis money and goods, landed him at Oatend. In September 

 1648 Hyde rejoined tho prince at the Hague; and there he heard of 

 the execution of the king. 



The disposition of the Spanish court towards the youthful Charles II. 

 disposed him to send an embassy to Madrid, and Hyde and Cottingtou 

 were fixed upon for the ambassadors. In May 1649 the two ambas- 

 sadors left the Hague: Hyde established his wife and children at 

 Antwerp, and after gome delay lauded iu Spain. During lifWu 

 months negociations were carried on, until it became evident that 

 none of the desired object* would result from the embassy. At 

 length the ambassadors received the command of the king of .Spain 

 to retire, having suffered mortification from neglect, and inconve- 

 nience from excessive poverty. Hyde quitted Madrid iu 1651, and 

 lived at Antwerp with his family until the autumn, when the king 

 returned to Paris. Here he conducted the principal business of tho 

 English court, collecting for their benefit such sums as he could procure 

 to diminish their pecuniary embarrassments. That they were in extreme 

 iieiiury is evident from Hyde's correspondence. He *ys in 

 ' I have neither clothes nor fire to preserve me from the sharpue** of 

 ihe season ; " and in the following year, " I have not had a livre of 

 ny own these three months." He had also other evils to contend 

 with ; the queen was his open foe, and ho had enemies striving to 

 undermine him iu the favour of the king ; and though the behaviour 

 of the king was friendly, he could not avoid being vexed at his iudo- 

 enoe and inordinate dissipation. Thus Hyde followed the fortunca 

 of the king, affording him during his exile all the service that he waa 

 able ; conducting his affairs, advising his actions, and composing the 

 quarrels of his supporters. He was rewarded with the appointment 

 of lord-chancellor, an empty title, aa the king was then situated, 

 K>werless and poor, yet, in all respects, the utmost that could bo 

 xsitowcd on him. 



The death of Oliver Cromwell revived the hopes of the Royalist*. 



.hiring the short protectorship of hi* son the restoration of Charles 



tecame daily more probable. " Hyde, Urmoud, Colepepper, and 



Nicholas wero at this time the four confidential counsellors by whoso 



advice Charle* was almost exclusively directed. Of these four Hydu 



