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years, and attained to an uncommon perfection in that honourable profeffion.

Mr. Hyde made fo confiderable a figure in his profeffion, by the year 1633, when the gentlemen of the inns of court, having agreed to entertain the king and royal family with a mafque, the better to effect it, refolved to choose two members out of each house whom they thought beft qualified to carry on that affair, that he and Mr. Whitlock were chosen for the Inner-Temple.

There is nothing memorable concerning this gentleman from hence forward till the meeting of a parliament in April, 1640, after an interval of feven years, wherein he had the honour to serve the first time as a member for WootenBaffet, in his native country. His abilities were foon discovered by the great and leading men of that houfe; and he fhewed himself, through the courfe of the fitting of that parliament, a good and even patriot, wholly intent upon the welfare and tranquility of the nation, then in no fmall ferment upon many occafions.

But, though this parliament was so abruptly diffolved, to the great grief and difappointment of Mr. Hyde, and all good men; the king and kingdom, as things food, could not long remain without another; which met the third of November following, and wherein Mr. Hyde ferved for the town of Saltash in Cornwall. His abilities begun now to be very

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much taken notice of, and he was employed in feveral committees to examine, and give their opinions to the houfe concerning divers grievances; and when, from the importunity of the Scotch commiffioners, now in treaty, to get money, fome of the leading men feemed in defpair of being able to borrow more, for that the city was disheartened to see no delinquents brought yet to juftice; and therefore, that none could be expected from thence till some advance was made to thofe longed for ends; Mr. Hyde stood up, and faid, fie did not think the thing fo difficult as was pretended; that no man lent his money who was not a gainer by it; that there was money enough to be had; and he did not doubt but if a fmall committee from the houfe was fent to confer in the name of the house, with those who were reputed to be monied men, they might prevail for as much as would ferve the prefent exigence. Whereupon the house named him, Mr. Capel, Sir John Strangeways, and five or fix more, who repaired into the city; and, after they had fpoken together with four or five eminent men, of wifdom and fobriety, as well as ability to lend, they agreed to divide themselves, and confer feparately with their particular acquaintance upon the fame fubject.

Many men chufing rather to lend their money than be thought to have it, and being very cautious in their expreffions, except in private, they found, when they had again

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communicated together, that the business was very eafy, every man with whom they had conferred being willing to lend upon their fe. curity who had proposed it: and Mr. Hyde the next day reported the fuccefs of their employment, and then enlarged upon the temper they found the city to be in, upon the authority of those who might reasonably be fuppofed to know it beft. That indeed it was much concerned to fee two armies maintained at so vaft a charge, within the bowels of the kingdom; and, that they who were able to make good what they promifed, had readily engaged, if a peremptory day was affigned for being rid of those armies, there fhould be no want of money to discharge them.

The major part of the house received this report with great applaufe; and Mr. Hyde was no less active and ferviceable to his country, in endeavouring to take away the court of York, of which the earl of Strafford had for fome years been president.

The commons in a committee having taken the fame into confideration, Mr. Hyde, the chairman, then reported the cafe; and there. upon it was refolved, that the commiffions and inftructions, whereby the prefident and council in the north exercised a jurisdiction, was illegal both in creation and execution, and that it was unprofitable to his majefty, and inconvenient and grievous to his fubjects in those parts. Mr. Hyde thereupon being appointed. to manage the conference with the lords, touching

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touching the fame court, he made a most learned and eloquent speech upon that occafion.

But, though Mr. Hyde was as willing to proceed as any body in redreffing the grievances of the nation, he was, on the other hand, as watchful for the fecurity of the eltablished church, now begun to be ftruck at; and a fhort bill being brought in to take away the bishops votes in parliament, and to leave them out in all commiflions of the peace, or any thing that had relation to temporal affairs; he was very earnest for the throwing it out, and faid, That, from the time that parliaments begun, bishops had always been a part of it: that, if they were taken out, there was no body left to reprefent the clergy; which would introduce ano ther piece of injuftice, no other part of the kingdom could complain of; who, being all reprefented in parliament, were bound to fubmit to whatever was enacted there, because it was upon the matter of their own confent whereas, if the bill was carried, there was no body left to represent the clergy, and y they must be bound by their own determination.

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When he had done, the lord Falkland, who always fat next to him, (which was fo much obferved, that, if they came not in to: gether, as they usually did, every body left the place for him that was abfent) ftood up; and declaring he was of another opinion, many of the house were wonderfully pleafed to fee the VOL. VII. C

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two infeparable friends divided in so important a point, that they could not restrain from a kind of rejoicing; and the more, because they faw Mr. Hyde much furprized, as indeed he was, having never difcovered the leaft inclination in the other towards fuch a compliance; and therefore, they flattered themselves, that they might, in time, work the lord Falkland to a further compliance with them; but therein they found themfelves much mistaken.

The earl of Strafford's trial was now de pending; and, how warm foever Mr. Hyde appeared against that noble lord, as he had been prefident of the council in the north, yet being fully convinced in mind that the earl had committed no crimes of ftate which by law could affect his life, he neglected no opportunities to fave him.

We need not here recount the earl's unhappy fate; attainted he was, and beheaded: but though those who were fuppofed to favour him, either of lords or commons, were branded with the name of Straffordians, and betrayers of their country, and that a lift of them was pofted up at the corner of the wall of Sir William Brunkard's house, in the Old Palaceyard, in Weftminfter, yet, fuch was the fagacity and caution of Mr. Hyde, in his conduct about this unhappy affair, that he was not included amongst them.

The king being now on his return from Scotland, and the commons having prepared a remonftrance of the illegal practices fince the beginning of his reign, it admitted of

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