Memorials of the English affairs: or, an historical account of what passed from the beginning of the reign of King Charles the First, to King Charles the Second his happy restauration. Containing the publick transactions, civil and military. Together with the private consultations and secrets of the cabinet

London: printed for Nathaniel Ponder, 1682. FIRST EDITION. Woodcut initials. Contemporary calf, rebacked spine label; other than a paper repair on p. 433, interior in excellent condition. From the library of Sir Charles Wolseley Bart, one of the Wolseley baronets in Staffordshire, with his bookplate on the paste-down. . First edition. This late seventeenth-century text covers the reigns of Charles I, Oliver Cromwell, and Charles II from 1625 to 1660. It is essentially a history of the Puritan Revolution and the English Civil War, describing the major events of the time like the trial and execution of Charles I, Cromwell’s self-appointment as Lord Protector and the Restoration of Charles II. Initially published anonymously, the text was derived from Whitlocke’s personal diary. Arthur, Earl of Anglesey (1614-1686), edited the diaries to such an extent that Whitlocke’s personal narrative was lost in place of a more historical text. Anglesey then issued Memorials posthumously. It is an invaluable resource for the study of one of the most important periods in English history. An unedited edition of Whitlocke’s diary was published in 1990.

Whitlocke (1605–1675) was a lawyer and politician. He was a parliamentarian during the English Civil War, and Cromwell appointed him Lord Whitlocke under the Protectorate. Like many who survived both the Civil War and the Restoration, historians view Whitlocke as a complicated individual who adapted to political situations while still maintaining his personal belief system.