"King and minister held fundamentally different views as to religious policy. Charles II desired to make toleration for Catholics and Nonconformists an integral part of the restoration settlement, partly because it seemed essential to the peace of the nation, and partly because he was a Catholic at heart. In the Church as in the State, Clarendon's one aim was to re-establish the state of things which existed before the war began. The Church was to be restored unconditionally as well as the monarchy. This policy the minister successfully carried out. In a few months, almost before the King realised what was happening, the bishops were in possession of their old power, and the Catholics and Nonconformists were under their feet again... In political as in religious matters Clarendon was more conservative than his master, and this conservatism had been increased by the fourteen years he had passed out of England... He never realised the new conditions the Rebellion had created, or the new forces which had grown up during the Interregnum. And, above all, he failed to appreciate the change which had taken place in the position of the House of Commons."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Politicians from EnglandHistorians from EnglandEssayists from EnglandBritish peersMembers of the Parliament of England
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Charles Firth, 'Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, As Statesman, Historian, and Chancellor of the University', lecture delivered at Oxford (18 February 1909), Essays: Historical & Literary (1938; 1968), pp. 112-113
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edward_Hyde%2C_1st_Earl_of_Clarendon
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon
Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon (18 February 1609 – 9 December 1674) was an English historian, statesman and grandfather of two queens regnant, Mary II and Anne.
22 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon →
Related Quotes
"He many times cast himself upon the ground, with a desperate and obstinate resolution to rest there till the morning,…"
"[H]e spake well, his style had no flaw in it, but had a just mixture of wit and sense, only he spoke too copiously; h…"
"[H]e was a man that knew England well, and was lawyer good enough to be an able chancellor, and was certainly a very …"
"He was apt to talk very imperiously and unmercifully, so that his manner of dealing with people was as provoking as t…"
"The truth is, his behaviour and humour was growne so insupportable to my self, and to all the world else, that I coul…"
"It is true he was of a jolly temper, after the old English fashion; but France had now the ascendant, and we were bec…"
"His soul could never enter into the secrets of enthusiasts, or, indeed, into any region beyond the range of the Thirt…"
"If we turn to historians of the more ordinary type, the most notable name is that of Clarendon. His work suggests a c…"
"Clarendon was unquestionably a lover of truth, and a sincere friend to the free constitution of his country. He defen…"
"In a word, he had a head to contrive, and a tongue to persuade, and a hand to execute, any mischieve, and his death a…"