[2] Harbottle disliked taking up arms against the king, but remained nominally an adherent of the parliamentary party during the Civil War.
Grimston does not appear to have taken the Solemn League and Covenant, but after the conclusion of the first period of the war he again became more active.
[3] As Speaker he visited Charles II at Breda, and addressed him in very flattering terms on his return to London;[4] but he refused to accede to the King's demand that he should dismiss Burnet from his position as chaplain to the Master of the Rolls, and in parliament he strongly denounced any relaxation of the laws against papists.
[2] Grimston did not retain the office of Speaker after the dissolution of the Convention Parliament, but he was a member of the commission which tried the regicides, and in November 1660 he was appointed Master of the Rolls.
His friend and chaplain, Burnet, speaks very highly of his piety and impartiality, while not omitting the undoubted fact that he was much sharpened against popery.
[3] Harbottle translated the law reports of his father-in-law, the judge Sir George Croke (1560–1642), which were written in Norman-French, and five editions of this work appeared.
[2] His son George married Sarah (later fourth duchess of Somerset Seymour) but he died in 1655.