December 1650. Hyde arrived at Antwerp
in January 1651, and in December rejoined Charles at Paris after the
latter's escape from Worcester. He now became one of his chief advisers,
accompanying him in his change of residence to Cologne in October 1654
and to Bruges in 1658, and was appointed lord chancellor on the 13th of
January 1658. His influence was henceforth maintained in spite of the
intrigues of both Romanists and Presbyterians, as well as the violent
and openly displayed hostility of the queen, and was employed
unremittingly in the endeavour to keep Charles faithful to the church
and constitution, and in the prevention of unwise concessions and
promises which might estrange the general body of the royalists. His
advice to Charles was to wait upon the turn of events, "that all his
activity was to consist in carefully avoiding to do anything that might
do him hurt and to expect some blessed conjuncture."[5] In 1656, during
the war between England and Spain, Charles received offers of help from
the latter power provided he could gain a port in England, but Hyde
discouraged small isolated attempts. He expected much from Cromwell's
death. The same year he made an alliance with the Levellers, and was
informed of their plots to assassinate the protector, without apparently
expressing any disapproval.[6] He was well supplied with information
from England,[7] and guided the action of the royalists with great
ability and wisdom during the interval between Cromwell's death and the
Restoration, urged patience, and advocated the obstruction of a
settlement between the factions contending for power and the fomentation
of their jealousies, rather than premature risings.

The Restoration was a complete triumph for Hyde's policy. He lays no
stress on his own great part in it, but it was owing to him that the
Restoration was a national one, by the consent and invitation of
parliament representing the whole people and not through the medium of
one powerful faction enforcing its will upon a minority, and that it was
not only a restoration of Charles but a restoration of the monarchy. By
Hyde's advice concessions to the inconvenient demands of special
factions had been avoided by referring the decision to a "free
parliament," and the declaration of Breda reserved for parliament the
settlement of the questions of amnesty, religious toleration and the
proprietorship of forfeited lands.

Hyde entered London with the king, all attempt