Discourse on History, Law, and Governance in the Public Career of John Selden, 1610-1635

by Paul Christianson

Paul Christianson analyses the relevant books and public speeches of Selden from 1610 to 1635 as a means of understanding the genesis of constitutional conflict in seventeenth-century England. He discusses Selden's early histories of English and European institutions, showing how Selden's interpretations changed over time in relation to his scholarship, his politics, and his view of the English constitution as a 'mixed monarchy.' Christianson also analyses Selden's historical method and demonstrates how Titles of Honor (1631) provided his most mature scholarly portrayal of European constitutions and how Mare Clausum marked his first major move toward a natural law theory of politics.

451 pages, Hardcover

First published December 4, 1996