Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon

Edward Hyde began his career as a lawyer and a member of Parliament, initially critical of the king's policies before becoming one of Charles I's most trusted counselors. His moderate constitutionalism put him at odds with both radical Parliamentarians and hardline royalists, a precarious position that defined his life. After the king's execution, Hyde became the architect of the exiled Charles II's government-in-waiting, masterminding the diplomatic maneuvers that led to the monarchy's return in 1660. As Lord Chancellor, he was the dominant political figure of the early Restoration, but his influence waned as court factions turned against him. His final act was perhaps his most lasting: banished to France in 1667, he spent his last years writing 'The History of the Rebellion,' a magisterial and partisan account of the civil wars that established him as England's first great modern historian.