[BURGHLEY] | The execution of justice in England, London, 1583, modern buckram

The Property of the Downside Abbey General Trust

[BURGHLEY, WILLIAM CECIL, BARON]

The execution of justice in England for maintenaunce of publique and Christian peace, against certeine stirrers of sedition, and adherents to the traytors and enemies of the realme, without any persecution of them for questions of religion. London: [Christopher Barker], 1583

small 4to (168 x 117mm.), woodcut device on title-page, woodcut initials, modern brown buckram, title-page somewhat soiled and laid down, final leaf slightly damaged and remargined with loss of a few letters, quire D misbound

An anonymous work, purporting to be by an English Catholic but one that is loyal to the queen, in which Burghley sought to differentiate between religious dissention and treason, in the wake of the execution of Edmund Campion. He argued that the government of Elizabeth I was more moderate than those of her father or brother, and that the queen exercised her authority over her people rightly without the interference of the pope. The publication of the text in French, Dutch, Italian and Latin shortly afterwards indicates that it was composed for a foreign readership as well as an English one. For another (official) work justifying the events of 1581, see lot 11 [Campion].

LITERATURE:

STC 4902