ABSTRACT

When the century opened, a theory of power that was involved with magic prevailed; at the end of the century an ideal of a social contract had emerged that was based on a pragmatic balance of forces within the realm. Almost exactly at the mid-point of the century, the axe that severed the King’s neck struck an emphatic political blow: it demonstrated that the King was under the law, not above it; that divine right had to give way to the sovereignty of Parliament, and that henceforth the initiative in political matters lay with Parliament. The sudden cease of majesty in 1649 was the signal for an excited debate about what form of government might best succeed monarchy, and how authority might be reconciled with personal rights. A form of republicanism was experimented with, and failed. The Stuart monarchy returned, but the nation had become so accustomed to discuss and criticize the political scene during the Interregnum that thereafter the structure of power would remain under continuous scrutiny, so that the monarchy’s attempt to recover its former authority would soon meet a firm check.