HNDER CHARLES THE SECOND.
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as a deliverance rather than as a calamity. Under the in- ciup.
fluence of such feelings as these Charles was desirous to-
depress the party which had resisted his father.
The King’s brother, James Duke of York, took the same Chara '-side. Though a libertine, James was diligent, methodical, ‘ l f C Y ^ > r ^ k “and fond of authority and business. His understanding was and Earlsingularly slow and narrow, and his temper obstinate, harsh, tendon,and unforgiving. That such a prince should have looked withno good will on the free institutions of England, and on theparty which was peculiarly zealous for those institutions, canexcite no surprise. As yet the Duke professed himself amember of the Anglican Church: but he had already showninclinations which had seriously alarmed good Protestants.
The person on whom devolved at this time the greatestpart of the labour of governing was Edward Hyde, Chancellorof the realm, who was soon created Earl of Clarendon. Therespect which we justly feel for Clarendon as a writer must notblind us to the faults which he committed as a statesman.
Some of those faults, however, are explained and excusedby the unfortunate position in which he stood. He had,during the first year of the Long Parliament, been honourablydistinguished among the senators who laboured to redress thegrievances of the nation. One of the most odious of thosegrievances, the Council of York, had been removed in conse-quence chiefly of his exertions. When the great schism tookplace, when the reforming party and the conservative partyfirst appeared marshalled against each other, he with manywise and good men took the conservative side. He thence-forward followed the fortunes of the court, enjoyed as large ashare of the confidence of Charles the First as the reservednature and tortuous policy of that prince allowed to anyminister, and subsequently shared the exile and directed thepolitical conduct of Charles the Second. At the RestorationHyde became chief minister. In a few months it was an-