Boon, as the Earl of Bristol took it to be, which 'twas faid, was the paffing a Patent in Favour of a Court Lady, and wherein the Chancellor, who was beft Judge of his own Office, was certainly in the Right; this fo fowred the other's Spirits, as never dreaming he fhould be denied, that his Thoughts fuggested nothing to him from thenceforwards but Malice, and the higheft Revenge. And having digefted all Things within himself, Chance for which he imagined might tend to the Difad-impeach'd by the Earl vantage and Ruin of the Chancellor, he first made a bitter and artful Speech enough against him in the House of Lords; and then on the 10th of July, 1663. exhibited Articles of High Treafon and other Heinous Mifdemeanors against Edward Earl of Clarendon, Lord High Chancellor of England.

This bold Attack upon the Lord Chancellor, tho' he came off without any Blemish, render'd him more cautious and circumfpect in his Conduct; fo that Things in all outward Appearance, went smoothly on with him, bating that the Gout racked him now and then, till the War with the Dutch Broke out; which the Libellers of that Age made to be one of his Heinous Crimes, tho he abhorred it.

of Bristol.

In the mean while, the Lord Morley having killed one Mr. Haftings, for which he was to be arraigned at Westminster by his Peers; the Lord High Lord Chancellor was appointed High Stew- Steward ard for the Day, and carryed every thing at the with the utmoft Decorum, Circumfpection, Lord Morand Justice. My Lord Morley was found Guil-ley'sTryal.

ty

⚫ above one abfent; and truly I believe upon weighing all that can be faid upon that Subject, for or against it, the Lords, without one diffenting Voice, yet there were very few fate filent, advised me with all imagi*nable Cheerfulness to this Marriage, which I look upon as very Wonderful, and even as fome Inftances of the Approbation of God himself.

It was a great Weakning to my Lord Chancellor Clarendon's Intereft and Stability at Court, that Mr. Secretary Nicholas fhould on the 2d of October 1662, be put out of his Office of Secretary of State, and that Sir Henry Bennet, afterwards Created Earl of Arlington, no real Friend of the Chancellor, and one that died at length a Papift, fhould be sworn into his Place: This, the Chancellor, who was a Nobleman, not only of great Experience in State Affairs, but of an uncommon difcerning Genius, could not but forefee was defigned for no Good to him, and therefore he armed himself with all his Dexterity against it, as against an Enemy that would give him no Quarter: And indeed he made fuch a Provifion for a fecure Footing where he ftood, that there could be no juft Apprehensions of lofing any Ground: But the real and heavy Storm proceeds many times from the most unexpected Quarter. There had been a long Course of uninterrupted Friendship both at Home and abroad, in a profperous and adverfe Fortune, between George Earl of Bristol, and the Earl of Clarendon; fo that the fame feemed to be like the Gordian Knot, indif foluble: But the Chancellor refusing a small

Boon,

Boon, as the Earl of Bristol took it to be, which 'twas faid, was the paffing a Patent in Favour of a Court Lady, and wherein the Chancellor, who was beft Judge of his own Office, was certainly in the Right; this fo fowred the other's Spirits, as never dreaming he fhould be denied, that his Thoughts fuggefted nothing to him from thenceforwards but Malice, and the highest Revenge. And having digested all Things within himself, Chancellor which he imagined might tend to the Difad- impeach'd vantage and Ruin of the Chancellor, he first by the Earl made a bitter and artful Speech enough against him in the House of Lords; and then on the Ioth of July, 1663. exhibited Articles of High Treafon and other Heinous Misdemeanors against Edward Earl of Clarendon, Lord High Chancellor of England.

This bold Attack upon the Lord Chancellor, tho' he came off without any Blemish, render'd him more cautious and circumfpect in his Conduct; fo that Things in all outward Appearance, went fmoothly on with him, bating that the Gout racked him now and then, till the War with the Dutch Broke out; which the Libellers of that Age made to be one of his Heinous Crimes, tho he abhorred it.

of Briftol.

In the mean while, the Lord Morley having killed one Mr. Haftings, for which he was to be arraigned at Westminster by his Peers; the Lord High Lord Chancellor was appointed High Stew-Steward ard for the Day, and carryed every thing at the with the utmost Decorum, Circumfpection, Lord Morand Justice. My Lord Morley was found Guil- ley'sTryal.

ty

ty of Man's-flaughter, but had the benefit of his Clergy.

Now comes on this Great Earl's own Misfortunes; for the Great Seal being taken from him on the 30th of August, 1667. It's incredible with what Rage and Fury, every body ken from fell upon him: Nay, when the Parliament

The Great

Seal is ta

bim.

met on the 10th of October following, both Houses thanked the King in a more especial Manner, for having difplaced the Earl, and removed him from the Exercise of any publick Trust and Imployment: And

the Commons proceeding to draw up Articles against him; Mr. Seymour, in the Name Impeach'd of the Commons of England, impeached him at the Bar of the Houfe of Lords of Treafon, and other high Crimes and Misdemeanors. About this time his Lordship thinking it advisable for him to withdraw out of the Kingdom for his greater Security; he fent a Peti tion to the Houfe of Lords in a very noble Stile, and tho' writ with an Air of great Candor and Sincerity, had no Influence at all in his Favour. There were feveral Confe rences held between the Lords and Commons, about the manner of Proceeding against the Earl, which ended at laft in a Bill for Banishing and difabling him.

It fhould have been obferved before, that my Lord Clarendon's Addrefs or Paper, to the Houfe of Lords, which was printed in those Days under the opprobrious Title of, News from Dunkirk-Houfe; or, Clarendon's Farewel to England; in his Seditious Addrefs to the Right Honourable the House of Peers, on the 3d of December, was on the 12th of the fame Month,

according

according to the Sentence and Judgment of
both Houses of Parliament, burnt by the
Hands of the Common Hangman, in the Pre-
fence of the Two Sheriffs of London and Mid-
dlefex, with great and fignal Applaufe of the
Populace. Every body now flung Dirt at The Earl
him, and like Gudgeons greedily fwallowed reviled:
all that tended to his Difreputation and Dif
grace, without ever inquiring into the Rea-
fons of them. Satyrical Andrew Marvel, in
his Advice to the Painter, could not, among
the reft, forbear to have a Fling at him in
thefe opprobrious Lines.

But Damn'd and doubly Damn'd be Clarendine,.
Our Seventh Edward, with all his House and Line;
Who, to divert the Dangers of the War,
With Bristol, bounds us on the Hollander,
Fool-Coated Gownman! Sells to fight with Hans,
Dunkirk, difmantling Scotland, quarrels France
And hopes he now bath Bufinefs, Shape and Power,
Tout-luft our Lives, or bis, and 'fcape the Tower;
And that be yet may fee, ere be go down,
His dear Clarinda circled in a Crown,

But the true Caufe of the noble Earl's Difgrace, proceeded from none of these Suggeftions. I find by an Anonymous Pamphlet, which feverely reflects upon the Court Proceedings in thofe Times, an Infinuation, as if the Chancellor had loft his Place for defert ing the French and Popish Intereft; and that his Zeal for the Proteftant Religion was fuch, that fometime before he was turn'd out, he refufed to Seal a new Commiflion for the H

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