A Treatise of Monarchy

'In the midst of the English Revolution Philip Hunton provided a sophisticated theory of the dissolution of government and the right of resistance. Yet he also set out a moderate vision of the shared sovereignty of crown-in-parliament, which ensured his treatise a lasting influence. In this new edition Ian Gardner has richly supported the text by explanatory notes and by a deft and authoritative introduction.'
--Dr. Mark Goldie

This is a new, complete and unabridged critical edition of Hunton's Treatise of Monarchy (1643). Written during the crisis of the English Civil War, Hunton's Treatise recognized the fundamental shift that was occuring between King and Parliament. On one level the Treatise attempted to provide an effective, statesmanlike solution that aimed to end hostilities between the Crown and the State. On another, however, it developed an explicit and novel theory regarding the ultimate locus of sovereign authority. Hunton invoked the concept of the inalienable moral right, a radical principle that could be used to justify revolution and the wider doctrines of political individualism. A Treatise of Monarchie is then both the work of a conservative moderator and also an early harbinger of modernity, exploring the frontiers of a future liberal society.

Edited and introduced by Ian Gardner, this new edition, with extensive new editorial matter, makes available a seminal text that captures the temper and dynamics of its age. It will be welcomed by academics and students of political thought and history, particularly scholars of the seventeenth century and the civil war.

--the only modern edition of this important but scarce text
--an unabridged newly annotated version of the text
--extensive introduction places the text in its historical and intellectual context
--includes a comprehensive bibliography and name and subject index