The authors examine relations between Crown and Parliment during the Stuart period. Topics include the nature and functions of parliments in the seventeenth century, changes in the balance of power as Parliment appeared first to take the intiative then lose it to resurgent monarchy, and the evolution of Parliment into a permanent institution. Includes a number of case studies to illustrate the issues studied.
The fruit of intensive collaboration among leading international specialists on the literature, religion and culture of early modern England, this volume examines the relationship between writing and religion in England from 1558, the year of the Elizabethan Settlement, up until the Act of Toleration of 1689. Throughout these studies, religious writing is broadly taken as being 'communicational' in the etymological sense: that is, as a medium which played a significant role in the creation or consolidation of communities. Some texts shaped or reinforced one particular kind of religious identity, whereas others fostered communities which cut across the religious borderlines which prevailed in other areas of social interaction. For a number of the scholars writing here, such communal differences correlate with different ways of drawing on the resources of cultural memory. The denominational spectrum covered ranges from several varieties of Dissent, through via media Anglicanism, to Laudianism and Roman Catholicism, and there are also glances towards heresy and the mid-seventeenth century's new atheism. With respect to the range of different genres examined, the volume spans the gamut from poetry, fictional prose, drama, court masque, sermons, devotional works, theological treatises, confessions of faith, church constitutions, tracts, and letters, to history-writing and translation. Arranged in roughly chronological order, Writing and Religion in England, 1558-1689 presents chapters which explore religious writing within the wider contexts of culture, ideas, attitudes, and law, as well as studies which concentrate more on the texts and readerships of particular writers. Several contributors embrace an inter-arts orientation, relating writing to liturgical ceremony, painting, music and architecture, while others opt for a stronger sociological slant, explicitly emphasizing the role of women writers and of writers from different sub-cultural backgrounds.
When Sir William Waad became Lieutenant of the Tower of London in August 1605, only three months before the Gunpowder Plot, it was the culmination of a lifetime of service to the Crown. For the previous 22 years he had been a constant visitor to the Tower. As secretary of the Privy Council, he had interrogated numerous prisoners on behalf of the State, several of them under torture. Many of those incarcerated owed their unfortunate position to his skill as an interrogator. He had risen from inquisitor to gaoler With a known hatred of Catholics and an extensive inside knowledge of almost all previous plots against Queen Elizabeth, Waad's experience as both an 'intelligencer' and inquisitor made him the ideal candidate for the post of Lieutenant of the Tower of London shortly before the Gunpowder Plot. His early life and experiences produced a loyal servant of the State who was capable of dealing with foreign kings as well as common villains. He had been closely involved with the intelligence network operating in Elizabethan England and continued this association when James came to the throne. With years of experience dealing with informers, Waad knew how to extract information and how to discern plot from counter-plot. Waad's role in the Gunpowder Plot and in the capture, interrogation and execution of the culprits are explored in detail. Proud of his achievements in bringing the perpetrators to justice, he erected a huge commemorative monument in his Governor's house at the Tower, which still exists today. Yet, despite his obvious success as Lieutenant of the Tower, he was eventually ousted from his post on suspicion of embezzlement, and narrowly escaped being indicted for murder. He retired to his 'farm' near the village of Manuden, Essex and was buried there in 1623.
In this timely and important work, eminent political theorist John Dunn argues that democracy is not synonymous with good government. The author explores the labyrinthine reality behind the basic concept of democracy, demonstrating how the political system that people in the West generally view as straightforward and obvious is, in fact, deeply unclear and, in many cases, dysfunctional. Consisting of four thought-provoking lectures, Dunn’s book sketches the path by which democracy became the only form of government with moral legitimacy, analyzes the contradictions and pitfalls of modern American democracy, and challenges the academic world to take responsibility for giving the world a more coherent understanding of this widely misrepresented political institution. Suggesting that the supposedly ideal marriage of liberal economics with liberal democracy can neither ensure its continuance nor even address the problems of contemporary life, this courageous analysis attempts to show how we came to be so gripped by democracy’s spell and why we must now learn to break it.
"This study analyses in detail how James fashioned and refashioned political regimes in England to further this agenda between 1603 and 1625. In so doing, it treats crown finance as a study in kingship which reveals the dynamic, sometimes fraught, interaction of political ideas and practice. By moving beyond older stereotypes and treatments of crown finance as an institutional topic, Dr. Cramsie provides fundamental insights into James himself and into his personal rule."--BOOK JACKET.
The Stuart Age provides an accessible introduction to England's century of civil war and revolution, including the causes of the English Civil War; the nature of the English Revolution; the aims and achievements of Oliver Cromwell; the continuation of religious passion in the politics of Restoration England; and the impact of the Glorious Revolution on Britain. The fifth edition has been thoroughly revised and updated by Peter Gaunt to reflect new work and changing trends in research on the Stuart age. It expands on key areas including the early Stuart economic, religious and social context; key military events and debates surrounding the English Civil War; colonial expansion, foreign policy and overseas wars; and significant developments in Scotland and Ireland. A new opening chapter provides an important overview of current historiographical trends in Stuart history, introducing readers to key recent work on the topic. The Stuart Age is a long-standing favourite of lecturers and students of early modern British history, and this new edition is essential reading for those studying Stuart Britain.
