The English Revolution of the seventeenth century was driven by lawyers. The struggle between the monarchy and Parliament was legal in its character and impact. `The Rule of Law' explores this central theme in early modern history.
This book measures contemporary attitudes to the law - within and outside of the legal profession - to see how c17th century Englishmen defined the role of law in their society, to see what their expectations were of the law and how these expectations helped shape political debate - and ultimately determined political decisions - over the course of a very turbulent century.
'Thorough, free of too much academic jargon, and up to speed with recent scholarship, this is a valuable...work for serious students of the period.' BBC History
SECTION I: FOUNDATIONS OF LAW. Introduction. 1. The Structure and Machinery of the Law. 2. The Judiciary. SECTION II: ROYAL GOVERNMENT. 3. James I: of Kings and Kingdoms. 4. Charles I: New Solutions for Old Problems. SECTION III: PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT. 5. The High Court of Parliament. 6. The Great Council. SECTION IV: CROMWELLIAN GOVERNMENT. 7. Law and the New Republic. 8. The Good Constable. Conclusion.