This is a study of English central government and the royal court from the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 to the death of Charles II in 1685. The author looks at the institution, its personnel, and the regime, relating this to the process of state formation and the impact on society.

This volume examines English central government and the royal court under King Charles II (1660-1685). The author focuses on the structure of government and its methods, as well as its policies, tasks, successes, and failures. A sequel to two earlier books by the same author, this study makes a crucial contribution to our understanding of later seventeenth-century history and the development of English government.

Oxford empiricism at its best, a deep mine of information ... students of almost any Restoration topic will want constantly to refer to it.