the new parliament, when your favour of the 5-15th instant came hither, which hindered me from receiving it till my return on Saturday last, and consequently from paying you the thanks due for
Orange. In 1679, he was made one of the Commissioners of the Treasury, and soon afterwards the First Lord, and as such he was at this period associated with Lord Sunderland and Godolphin in the chief management of the King's affairs.
In 1681, he was created Viscount and Baron Hyde; in 1683, Earl of Rochester; and upon the accession of James II. he was made Lord High Treasurer. From this post he was removed in 1686, through the intrigues of Lord Sunderland and Father Peter the Jesuit, who represented to the King that he must never expect to carry his measure, the Abolition of the Test Act, so long as the opposition was led by one of his own ministers. James was as reluctant to part with his old servant as the servant was to leave his master, and employed two Roman Catholic divines to convert him. Rochester, though he allowed that "they had discoursed learnedly, and that he would attentively consider their arguments," adhered to his own religious creed. James parted with his old favourite with tears, and granted him an estate of £1700 a year, and an annuity of £4000. In the convention parliament, he strongly maintained the doctrine of hereditary right; he was one of the strenuous advocates for a Regency, and would certainly have lost his pension, but for the intercession of Bishop Burnet. In 1700, he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, but, having been dismissed from his employment by Queen Anne, he entered strongly into opposition to the Court, and was long considered the head of the High Church party. With him originated the proposal of bringing over the Princess Sophia in 1705; the opposition to the Regency Bill, and the Union Bill in 1707. In 1710, through the influence of Harley, the Queen became reconciled to him; he was appointed
