Arlington, Henry Bennet, 1st earl of, 1618–85, English statesman. He fought for the royalists in the English civil war and, after going into exile, served as an envoy in Spain for the future Charles II. After the Restoration, Charles made him a secretary of state (1662), and he became one of the king's closest advisers, a member of the Cabal. He knew of the king's secret agreement with Louis XIV in the Treaty of Dover (1670) and seems to have encouraged Charles in promulgating the Declaration of Indulgence (1672) and in instigating the third Dutch War. He was made earl of Arlington in 1672. Impeached (1674) for corruption, betrayal of trust, and pro-Catholic activities, he was acquitted, resigned, and became lord chamberlain (1674).
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