. Historical portraits ... the lives of Fletcher .. . had helped to his death ; also thathe held somewhat ultra-conservative views of the relations betweenKing and minister. Yet the essential moderation of the Restora-tion Settlement was largely his work, and, though he stood stifflyfor the repression of Dissenters, from which fact the Acts againstthem have obtained the name of the Clarendon Code, he washimself as strongly averse to all persecution as he was to allschemes of Comprehension, which would only have ruined thePrayer-book without satisfying the Nonconformists. But the firstye
. Historical portraits ... the lives of Fletcher .. . had helped to his death ; also thathe held somewhat ultra-conservative views of the relations betweenKing and minister. Yet the essential moderation of the Restora-tion Settlement was largely his work, and, though he stood stifflyfor the repression of Dissenters, from which fact the Acts againstthem have obtained the name of the Clarendon Code, he washimself as strongly averse to all persecution as he was to allschemes of Comprehension, which would only have ruined thePrayer-book without satisfying the Nonconformists. But the firstyears of Charles II saw a run of ill luck, including the (perhapsnecessary) sale of Dunkirk, the fruitless marriage of the King, theDutch war, the Plague, and the Great Fire of London. A recklessand immoral Court and a disappointed public opinion fixed upon theupright and rigid Earl of Clarendon as responsible for these things;and Charles was only too ready to sacrifice a man whose life andtalk continually held up to him the traditions of a more serious and. EDWARD IIVDL, KIRST EARL OF CLARENDUXFrom the portrait by G. Soest in the National Portrait Gallery Face p. 136 EDWARD IIVDE 137 honourable age. Thus Clarendons downfall was due quite as muchto his defects as a courtier as to his mistakes as a minister. Hisisolation in the management of affairs and his promotion to anearldom, the signs of his power, had won Clarendon manyenemies, whose influence with the King he was unable to mimic the Chancellor became an easy path to roj-al favour, andhis fate was finally sealed by his attempt to frustrate Charless designson Miss Stewart. Thus after years of unremitting and faithfulserxice. Clarendon was dismissed in 1667, the object of universaldislike. The fact that his daughter Anne was married to the heir-apparent could not save him, and indeed his .son-in-law was one ofhis worst enemies. He was impeached and banished. The rest ofhis life was spent in FVance,
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