BENNET, HENRY, earl of Arlington, was born of an ancient family in Middlesex. In the beginning of the civil war, he was appointed under-secretary to George Lord Digby, secretary of state; afterward entered himself as a volunteer for the royal cause, and did his majesty good service, especially at Andover in Hampshire, where he received several wounds. When the wars were ended, he left not the king when success did, but attended his interest in foreign parts. He was made secretary to the duke of York; received the honour of knighthood from Charles II. at Bruges, in 1658: and was sent envoy to the court of Spain. His majesty, upon his return to England, called him home, made him keeper of his privy purse, and principal secretary of state. He had always a peculiar hatred to the lord chancellor Hyde; who on the other hand considered him as a concealed Papist. In 1670 he was one of the council distinguished by the title of the Cabal, and one of those who advised shutting up the exchequer. In 1672 he was made Earl of Arlington and Viscount Thetford, and soon after knight of the garter. In 1673, he was appointed one of the three plenipotentiaries from the court of Great Britain to Cologne, to mediate a peace between the emperor and the king of France. The house of commons, in 1673, drew up articles of impeachment against him. In 1674 he was made chamberlain of his majesty's household, with this public reason, that it was in recompense of his long and faithful service, and particularly for his having performed the office of principal secretary of state for the space of 12 years, to his majesty's great satisfaction. But afterward his interest began to decline, while that of the earl of Danby increased; for upon his return from his unsuccessful journey to Holland in 1675, his credit was so much sunk, that several persons at court diverted the king with mimicking his person and behaviour; yet he held his lord chamberlain's place to the day of his death in 1685. His esteemed letters to Sir William Temple were published after his death.