Historical collections of private passages of state. Weighty matters in law. Remarkable proceedings in five Parliaments. Beginning the sixteenth year of King James, anno 1618. And ending the fifth year of King Charls, anno 1629 …

London: Printed by J.A. [James Astwood] for Robert Boulter, 1682. Third edition of the first part. Complete including index. With frontispiece and 2 engraved plates (1 folding). Title with engraved portrait (possibly the author dressed in Turkish costume), woodcut headpieces and initials. Contemporary calf, rebacked with the original spine laid down, marbled fore-edges; interior clean and bright. Early inscription of Henry Brackhouse (?) on title. An excellent copy. Third edition of Part 1 only (of 4 parts published). This first part was first printedin 1659, with the second part in 1680, Part 3 in 1692 and the final part in 1701. Each part covers the history of England over a certain period; this first part covers the decades leading up to the first English Civil War from 1618 to 1629. Rushworth, always sympathetic to the Parliamentarian cause through the years, set out to write an impartial account of the events and issues preceding the war. In the preface of the present copy he states that he wrote the account as “a bare narrative of matter of fact, digested in order of time” with no commentary or opinions. However, this did not prevent Royalist historians of accusing Rushworth of Parliamentarian bias. He did manage to survive the Restoration in 1660, but not without severe scrutiny. The fine and detailed engravings include portraits of James I and Charles I as well as a folding map of England and Ireland bordered with framed vignettes of events during the period covered in the book.

Rushworth (c. 1612–1690), also Rushforth, was a historian and politician. He began his career in 1630’s when he took diligent notes in shorthand of his observations while working in Parliament. He also began collecting pamphlets and periodicals at the outset of the war; all of these form the basis of Historical collections making it a unique and insightful narrative of this tumultuous period of English history.