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James I and the Historians: Toward a Reconsideration

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 January 2014

Marc L. Schwarz
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Journal of British Studies , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , May 1974 , pp. 114 - 134
Copyright
Copyright © North American Conference of British Studies 1974

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References

1. This is a slightly revised version of a paper delivered at the annual meeting of the New England Branch of the Conference on British Studies in Boston, Massachusetts on May 6, 1972.

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6. Wilson, Arthur, The History of Great Britain, Being the Life and Reign of King James the First (London, 1653)Google Scholar. A good selection of contemporary views of James I may be conveniently found in Ashton, Robert (ed.), James I by his Contemporaries (London, 1969)Google Scholar. Professor Ashton's commentary is generally unfavorable to King James.

7. See SirScott's, WalterSecret History and his novel The Fortunes of Nigel (1822)Google Scholar. For modern criticism of Scott, see Carter, Charles H., The Secret Diplomacy of the Hapsburgs 1598-1625 (New York, 1964), pp. 110–11Google Scholar.

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9. Tanner, J. R., English Constitutional Conflicts of the Seventeenth Century (Cambridge, 1928), p. 51Google Scholar. Like Gardiner, however, Tanner has some very interesting and illuminating things to say in defense of James (pp. 1-50).

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26. Ibid., V, 572-73. I am indebted for these references from Fuller to Professor W. Brown Patterson of Davidson College who kindly provided me with a copy of his paper, “Thomas Fuller's Interpretation of the English Revolution,” which was presented at the December, 1971 meeting of the American Historical Association in New York City. Fuller's view of James is discussed on pp. 3-4. Patterson notes (p. 3) that Fuller thought “James I … a remarkably successful king.”

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29. Despite James's tirades against “Puritans,” it seems to me that he generally meant those who favored “parity” or engaged in sedition. Unlike McIlwain, I do not believe the King was necessarily being hypocritical in this regard. See Mcllwain's, C. H. introduction in The Political Works of James I (Cambridge, Mass., 1918), p. xciGoogle Scholar. In fact, most Puritans themselves opposed the same groups.

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47. An interesting question, however, is why James supported the Arminian Richard Montagu in 1624 when the cleric was attacked in Parliament and opposed by Archbishop Abbot for his outspoken views. See Russell, , Crisis of Parliaments, pp. 213–14Google Scholar. One may hope that Dr. Tyacke's long-awaited study will illuminate this point.

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