Chap. vn. 'Jbe HIsT o.Ry of the PuRITANSi 659 earl did not think fit to weather the fiorm, but withdrew to France, leav- ChKing II ing a paper behind him, in which he denies almoft every artitle of his t6~e;. · charge; but the parliament voted his defence fcandalous, and ordered it~to be burnt by the hands of the common hangman. December I 8 his lord!hip was baniilied the king's dominions for life, by ad of parliament; he fpent the remaining feven years of his life at Roan in Normandy, among papifts and prefbyterians, whom he would hardly fuffer to live in his own country, and employed the chief of his time in writing the hifl:ory of the grand rebellion, which is in every one's hands. The earl of Clarmdon was a proteftant of Laudean principles in church His chart!er; and fl:ate, and at the head of all the penal laws againft the non-conformifls to this time. Biiliop Burnet fays, " he was a good chancellor, p. 9 5. " but a little too rough;· that he meddled too much in foreign affairs, " which he never underflood well ; that he had too much levity in his " wit, and did not obferve the decorum of his poft." Mr. Rapin adds, " that from him came all the blows aimed at the non-conform ills fince " the beginning of this reign. His immoderate paffion againft prefuy- " terianifm was this great man's foible. He gloried in his hatred of '' that people; and perhaps, contribufed more than any other perfon cc to that excefs of animofity which fublifl:s againfl them at this day, among " the followers of his maxims and principles." Mr. Eachard fays, " his " removal was a great fatisfadion to the diifenters;" direttly contrary to Mr. Baxter, " who obferves a remarkable providence of God, that he Baxter, pa~ " who had dealt fo cruelly by the non-conformifl:s ihould be baniilied III. P· 2o, " by his own friends, while the others, whom he had perfecuted, were 2 r. " mofl: moderate in his caufe, and many of them for him. It was a " great eafe that befel good men by his fall (fays he); for his way was " to decoy men into co1!JPiracies, or pretended plots, and upon thqfe rumours, " innocent people were laid in prifon, Jo that no man kne1v when he ~vas "fofe; wbereasjince bis time, though the laws have been made more fevere, " yet men are more fafi. His lord!hip was undoubtedly a perfon of very confiderable abilities, which have been fufficienly celebrated by his admirers, but I have not been able to difcover any great or generous exploits for the fervice of the public; and how far his condua with regard to the non-conformifl:s, was confiftent with humanity, religion, .or honour, mufl: be left with the reader, 4 p 2 CHAP.
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