658 'J!Je HISTORY oj the PuRITANS. VoL. II• Ki"g Dr. William Spurftow the ejeCl:ed minifter of Hackney, was fometime Charles I! ft [ T7 h · LT 'I C b · J b · d 1567 . · ma er o n.at ertne a.at, am nage, ut ejeCl:e for refuting the engagec..,..~ ment. He was one of the authors of SmeClymnuus, a member of the af– Dr. Spurfembly of divines, and afterwards one of the commiffioners of the Sa– flow. 'VOJ; a man of great learning, humility, and charity, and of a chearful 1667. '!'he fall of the earl of Clarendon. cunverfation: He lived through the /icknefs year, but died the following in an advanced age. , This year was memorable for the fall of the great earl of Clarendo11 lord high chancellor of England, who attended the king in his exile, and upon his majefty's reftoration was cre.1ted a peer, and advanced to the high dignity of chancellor of England. He governed with a foverei gn and abfolute fway as prime minifter, for about two years; but in the year 1663 was impeached of high treafon by the earl of Brijlo!; and though the impeachment was dropt for want of form, his interdl: at court de– clined from that time, and after the Oxford parliament of I 665, his lordlhip was out of all credit. This fummer the king took the feals from him, and on the I zth of November Sir Edu•ard Se)'mour impeach– ed him of high treafon at the bar of the houfe of peers, in the name of all the commons of England, for fundry arbitrary and tyrannical pro· ceedings contrary to law, by which he had acquired a greater eftate than could be honeftly gotten in that time -- For procuring grants of the king's lands to his relations, contrary to law-- For corref– ponding with Crom7ull in his exile -- For advifing and effecting the fale of Dunkirk-- For iifuing out quo warranto's to obtain great fums of money fi·om the corporations-- For determining people's title 'to their lands at fhe council table, and ftopping proceedings at law, Burnet, P· &c. The earl had made himfelf obnoxious at court, hy his magi!teri al :~. 5 1, 252. carriage to the king, and was grown very unpopular by his fuperb and magnificent palace at St. James's, erected in a time of war and peftilence, which coft him fifty thoufand pounds: Some called it Dun– kirk houfe, as being built with his £hare of the price of that fortrefs; and othe: s Holland houfe, as if he had received money fi·om the king's enemies in time of war. The king's fecond marriage, which proved barren was laid to his charge, and faid to be contrived for the advancement of his grand-children by the dutchefs of York, who was the earl's daughter. When his majefly enclined to part with his queen, and if pofilble to le– gitimate his addre.tfes to Mifs Steward, the chancellor got her privately married to the duke of Richmond, without the king's knowledge, which his majefly was told was to fecure the fucceflion of the crown to his own family. Thi& intriguing together with his high oppofition to the roman Catholics, and to all who were not of his own principles, procured him many enemies, and ftruck him quite out of the king's favour. The - earl
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