CLARENDON, Edward Hyde, Emit OF, English statesman : b. Dinton, Wiltshire, 18 Feb. 1609; d. Rouen, France, 9 Dec. 1674. He com menced his political career in 1640, when he was returned to Parliamenf. In this Parliament he argued in favor of a grant to the king, which was successfully opposed by Hampden. He WaS returned to the Long Parliament (Novem ber 1640) by the borough of Saltash, and laid aside his legal business to devote himself to his parliamentary duties. At first he acted with the more moderate of the popular party, but soon found reason to change his course. A dread of democracy seems first to have led him to op pose his former friends, and his speeches and votes soon attracted the favorable notice of the court. He was offered the solicitor7generalship, which he declined, but agreed, At the king's request, to consult with his regular advisers, Falkland and Colepepper. Hyde was an honest and independent supporter of the royal author ity, disposed to make moderate concessions to the popular demands and in no way responsible for the rash measures of the king, which were often talcen without consulting any of his advis ers. Upon the brealcing out of the civil war he attached himself to the king's party, became Chancellor of the Exchequer and member of the privy-council; and after vainly attempting to bring about a reconciliation between the con tending parties, was appointed by the Icing to -wait upon the Prince of Wales, who was first sent with an army to the west. Afterward, on the continued ill success of the royal party, he retired to Jersey in 1646. Here he remained for two years, while the prince was in France, and during that time began his (History of the Re bellion.' He likewise composed in Jersey the various writings which appeared in the king's name as answers to the manifestoes of the Parliament On the capture of the king, Hyde received orders to rejoin the Prince of Wales, but was becalmed and taken prisoner by pirates from Ostend. In September 1649 he rejoined Charles at The Hague, who sent him to Madrid to see if any assistance could be obtained from the Spanish court. On the failure of this nego tiation he retired to Antwerp, but soon resumed the business of the exiled court, of which he continued to be the most trusted adviser, first at Paris and afterward at The Hague, where Charles II appointed him Lord-Chancellor of England in 1658. After Cromwell's death Ed ward Hyde contributed more than any other man to the success of the measures which placed Charles II on the throne. He subse quently possessed the entire confidence of the king, who loaded him with honors. In 1660 he was created Baron Hyde, and in 1661 Viscount Cornbury and Earl of Clarendon. Many events occurred to disquiet him in the licentious court of Charles II; among these was the marriage of the Duke of York, the ldng's brother, to his daughter. The Duke, while at Breda, the resi
dence of his sister, the Princess of Orange, became acquainted with Anne Hyde, Claren don's eldest daughter, maid of honor to the princess, and married her secretly, 3 Sept. 1660, in order to legitimize their first child, born on 22 October. Anne was atIcnowledged as Duchess of York in December 1660, and two daughters, Anne and Mary, were of the fruit of this mar qiage, both of whom ascended the British •throne. In 1663 Lord Bristol made an attempt to impeach the chancellor in Parliament, which, though some of the acts of Clarendon's admin istration were questionable, proved unsuccessful. The Duke of Bucicingham, moreover, was con tinually laboring to make the chancellor ridicu lous in the eyes of the king, and his position as chancellor made the nation regard him as answerable for all the faults of the administra tion. The ill success of the war against Hol land, the sale of Dunkirk and other events ex cited public indignation. The king's displeasure was changed into hatred when he saw his plan of repudiating his wife and marrying Lady Stuart defeated by Clarendon, who effected a marriage between this lady and .the Duke of Richmond. The king deprived him of his offices and an impeachmeiat for high treason was commenced against him. The Lords refused to imprison him on a general accusation by the Commons. This gave rise to a dispute between the two houses, to end which Clarendon retired to Calais, leaving an exculpatory letter to the Lords, which they communicated to the Com mons, who ordered it to be burned by the com mon hangman. The Lords still refused to join in his attainder, but agreed with the Commons in an act of banishment and incapacity. The hatred of the nation pursued him even to the Continent. At Evreux he was attacked by some British sailors, dangerously wounded and with difficulty rescued from their hands. He passed the next six years at Montpellier, Moulins and Rouen, at which latter place he died. His re mains were afterward carried to England and buried in Westminster Abbey. Lord Clarendon, as long as he was minister, was the friend and supporter of the king against the factious and the defender of his country's freedom against the abuse of the royal power. Ingratitude and prejudice the more easily ruined him, as his stern and proud character prevented his gain ing friends. Among his tnany writings, the most important is the (History of the Rebellion, from 1641 Down to the Restoration of Charles IL) It is the most valuable of all the contem porary accounts of the Rebellion, and contains many excellent pen portraits of the chief actors in its events, but it is somewhat unequal, digres sive and lacicing in proportion. Consult Lister, (Life of Lord Clarendon) (1838).