A History of the Early Part of the Reign of James the Second

The narrative traces political events and constitutional tensions in late Stuart England, beginning with the preceding reign and setting the Restoration, the Cabal ministries and foreign wars as background. It follows parliamentary struggles over the Popish Plot, Habeas Corpus, the Exclusion crisis, and measures used to suppress dissent—fines, arbitrary prosecutions and forfeitures—leading to increasing royal authority. The account treats key episodes such as Strafford's impeachment and the outbreak of civil war in its causes, and stops with the execution of Monmouth, combining chronological narration with analysis of causes and likely consequences.