"This great historian is always too free with his judgments. But the
piety is more eminent than the superstition in this great man's
foibles."--Bishop Warburton, note, last edition, vol. vii. p. 590.
"It is to be hoped no more chancellors will write our story, till
they can divest themselves of that habit of their profession,
apologising for a bad cause."--H. Walpole, Note in _Historic
Doubts_.
"Clarendon was unquestionably a lover of truth, and a sincere
friend to the free constitution of his country. He defended that
constitution in Parliament, with zeal and energy, against the
encroachments of prerogative, and concurred in the establishment of
new securities for its protection."--Lord Grenville, Note in
_Chatham Correspondence_, vol. i. p. 113.
"We suffer ourselves to be delighted by the keenness of Clarendon's
observations, and by the sober majesty of his style, till we forget
the oppressor and the bigot in the historian."--Macaulay, _Essays_,
vol. ii. p. 281.
"There is no historian, ancient or modern, with whose writings it
so much behoves an Englishman to be thoroughly conversant, as
Lord Clarendon."--Southey, _Life of Cromwell_.
"The genuine text of the history has only been published in 1826,"
says Mr. Hallam, who speaks of "inaccuracy as habitual to him;" and
further, "as no one, who regards with attachment the present system
of the English constitution, can look upon Lord Clarendon as an
excellent minister, or a friend to the soundest principles of civil
and religious liberty, so no man whatever can avoid considering his
incessant deviations from the great duties of an historian as a
moral blemish on his character. He dares very frequently to say
what is not true, and what he must have known to be otherwise; he
does not dare to say what is true, and it is almost an aggravation
of this reproach, that he aimed to deceive posterity, and poisoned
at the fountain a stream from which another generation was to
drink. No defence has ever been set up for the fidelity of
Clarendon's history; nor can men, who have sifted the authentic
material, entertain much difference of judgment in this respect;
though, as a monument of powerful ability and impressive eloquence,
it will always be read with that delight which we receive from many
great historians, especially the ancient, independent of any
confidence in their veracity."--Hallam, _Constitutional History_,
8vo. vol. ii. p.502.
"His style is a little long-winded; but, on the other hand, his
characters may match those of the ancient historians; and one
thinks they would know the very men if you were to meet them in
society. Few English writers have the same precision, either in
describing the actors in great scenes, or the deeds which they
performed; he was himself deeply engaged in the scenes which he
depicts, and therefore colours them with the individual feeling,
and sometimes, doubtless, with the partiality of a partisan. Yet, I
think he is, on the whole, a fair writer; for though he always
endeavours to excuse King Charles, yet he points out his mistakes
and errors, which certainly were neither few nor of slight
importance."--Scott, _Life by Lockhart_, vol. v. p. 146.
Other opinions as to the noble writer will be found in the _Life of
Calamy_, and in Lord Dover's _Essay_; but I have perhaps trespassed too
much on your space.