peached of high treason. Articles of impeachment. His
trial. His defence. Prosecuted by a bill of attainder.
Bill passed in the House of Commons. Passed in the
House of Lords. Strafford's letter to the king. Attain-
der sanctioned by the king. Strafford's preparations for
death. Execution, 12th May 1641. Pp. 1-280.

EDWARD HYDE,

EARL OF CLARENDON.

BIRTH. Education at Oxford-in the Temple. Marriage.
Success at the bar. Habits. In parliament, 1640. In
parliament, November 3, 1640. His patriotic loyalty.

Sent to the Tower.

Introduction to the king. Confi-

dential employment. Made Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Commission at Uxbridge.

Situa-

Favour with the king.
sion during the war. Of the Prince of Wales's council.
Employed on his History. Joins the prince at the Hague.
Hated by the queen. Ambassador to Spain. Reception
there. Condemns the treaty of the young king with the
Scots. Harassed by calumnies. Favoured by Charles.
His extreme poverty. Persevering integrity. Death of
Cromwell. State of affairs in England. General Monk.
Restoration of the king. Hyde created Lord Chancellor.
Principal minister. His public measures; Act of indem-
nity and oblivion-Settlement of the revenue-Exertions
for the prerogative-Policy towards Scotland-Regula-
tion of the national judicature-Settlement of religion.
His disinterestedness. Devotion to the king. Shocked
by the king's principles. Conduct relative to his daugh-
ter's marriage-To the marriage of the king-To the
Duchess of Cleveland-The sale of Dunkirk-The act of

indulgence to dissenters The Dutch war, 1665. His
extreme unpopularity. Falls under the king's displea-
sure. Obnoxious to the parliament. Deprived of his of-
fice. Impeached of high treason. Leaves the kingdom.
Ill treatment in France. Residence at Montpelier. Apos-
tacy of his daughter to the Catholic faith. His desire to
revisit England. Death. Pp. 281-411.

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTOR, LENCX

TILDEN FOUNCATIONS

LIVES

OF

BRITISH STATESMEN.

THOMAS WENTWORTH,

EARL OF STRAFFORD.

IN delineating the character of this statesman, the biographer has to encounter difficulties superadded to the defects and obscurity of ancient records. The factions which agitated the contemporaries of Strafford, far from ceasing with the existing generation, divided posterity into his immoderate censurers, or unqualified admirers; and writers, whether hostile or friendly, have confounded his merits and defects with those of the transactions in which he was engaged. Even in the present day, an undisguised exposure of his virtues and vices might be misconstrued by many into a prejudiced panegyric, or an invidious censure of the man, as well