Originally published in 1991, this book traces the evolution of the House of Lords as a court for private litigation during the critically important years from 1621 to 1675. It offers new insights into contemporary politics, government and religion, adding an important dimension to our understanding of the House of Lords. This book is primary reading for advanced undergraduates and postgraduate students on courses on early Stuart England, the Civil War and Restoration history.

Originally published in 1991, this book traces the evolution of the House of Lords as a court for private litigation during the critically important years from 1621 to 1675. It offers new insights into contemporary politics, government and religion, adding an important dimension to our understanding of the House of Lords. This book is primary reading for advanced undergraduates and postgraduate students on courses on early Stuart England, the Civil War and Restoration history.

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.

• Stuart England and the English Revolution is a major undergraduate course - students will use this book.
• Rule of Law is central to Civil War and all major seventeenth century debates.
• Wide appeal: discusses long term political significance of the legal issues.
• Considerable success of books on Stuart history - e.g. The Stuart Age/Coward.
• Will establish itself as the standard work of reference in this area.

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.