Edward Hyde

son of Hen. Hyde ((c))((c)) Wiltshire Visitation book in the Heralds Office, fol. 118. of Pyrton in Wilts. (by Mary his Wife, Daughter and Heir of Edw. Langford of Trobridge in the same County) third Son of Laur. Hyde of Gussage S. Mich. in Dors. descended from an antient and gentile family of his name living at Northbury in Cheshire, was born at Dinton near Hindon in Wilts. on the 16. of Febr. or thereabouts an. 1608, entred a Student of Magd. Hall in Lent term 1622, went, after he had taken one degree in Arts to the Middle Temple where he studied the Law. In the beginning of the year 1640 he was chosen Burgess for Wotton Basset in his own Country, to serve in that Parliament that began at Westm. 13. of Apr. the same year, and again for Saltash in Cornwall to serve in that unhappy Parl. that began on the third of Nov. following: and when the troubles began betwixt the King and Parliament, he left the House of Commons and went with the King to York, and afterwards to Oxford, where he continued most of the time that that place was in the Kings hands, was made Chancellour of the Exchequer, a Privy-counsellor, and a Knight. At length upon the declining of the Kings cause, he with the Lords Culpeper and Capel accompanying Prince Charles, ship’d themselves at Pendennis Castle in Cornwall for the Isle of Scilley, then for Jersey, and afterwards for France. From which time our author Hyde adhering closely to the said Prince, and attending his motions in foreign parts, he was by him, when King, sent Embassador into Spain, made his Secretary of State, and at length L. Chanc. of England at Bruges in Flanders, 29. Jan. 1657. After the Kings restauration he was elected Chancellour of the University of Oxon, made Baron of Hindon in Wilts, Viscount Cornbury in Oxfordshire (of which he was afterwards Lord Lieutenant) and Earl of Clarendon near Salisbury. After he had held the honourable Office of Lord Chancellour for seven years or more, the Great Seal was taken from him, 30. Aug. 1667, and about 4 months after retired into France, where he remained seven years, spending his time in several places there. Under his name were these things following published.

Several Speeches, as (1) Speech in the House of Lords concerning the Lord Presidents Court and Council in the North, an. 1640. (2) Sp. at a conference between both Houses, 6. Jul. 1641, at the transmission of several impeachments against the Lord Chief Baron Davenport, Baron Trevor and Baron Weston. Lond. 1641. qu. &c. besides several arguments and debates. See in John Rushworths book called Historical Collections, in the first vol. of the second part, an. 1640 and in the Impartial Collection, &c. of Dr. John Nalson.

A full answer to an infamous and traiterous Pamphlet intit. A Declaration of the Commons of England in Parliament assembled, expressing their reasons and grounds of passing their late resolutions touching no further address or application to be made to the King. Lond. 1648. qu.

Several Speeches in Parl. during his office of L. Chancellour, from his Majesties Restauration to 1667.—They are in number at least 10, and were printed in fol. papers.

The difference and disparity between the Estates and Conditions of George Duke of Buckingham and Robert Earl of Essex.—See in Reliq. Wottonianae, &c. Lond. 1672 octav.

Animadversions on a book intit. Fanaticism fanatically imputed to the Cath. Church by Dr. Stillingfleet, and the imputation refuted and retorted, by Ser. Cressy. Lond. 1674. oct. It was printed twice in that year, and once in 1685. oct.

Brief view and survey of the dangerous and pernicious Errors to Church and State, in Mr. Hobbes book intit. Leviathan. Oxon. 1676. qu.

Letter to his daughter Anne Duchess of York, upon a report of her inclinations towards Popery, and at the same time another to the Duke upon the same subject.—Written about 1670. It was printed at Lond. 1681. 82. He hath also written (1) A History, or an Historical account of Ireland, MS, which Edm. Borlace made use of without acknowledgment, in his book, or books, which he published of the affairs of that Kingdom: so Dr. Jo. Nalson in his Pref. to his second vol. of his Impartial collection of Records, &c. (3) History from the beginning of K. Ch. 1. to the restauration of K. Ch. 2. MS; as also an account of his own life, which being hereafter to be published, you may be pleased to take this present discourse of him,1674. only as a Specimen of a larger to come. He died of the terrible disease of the Gout at Roan in Normandy, on the ninth day of Decemb. (according to our accompt) in sixteen hundred seventy and four; whereupon his body being conveyed into England, ’twas buried on the north side of the Capella Regum, in S. Peters, commonly called the Abbey, Church in Westminster. The Reader may be pleased now to know, that besides this Edw. Hyde have been two more, of both his names and time, that have been Writers, as Edw. Hyde jun. an enthusiastical person, who, among several things that he hath written, hath published A wonder and yet no wonder: A great red Dragon in Heaven, &c. Lond. 1651: And Edw. Hyde first cosin to our Author Edw. E. of Clarendon, as I shall tell you at large elsewhere.