Freedom of Speech in Early Stuart England

By David Colclough

Book Overview

This book discusses a central chapter in the history of free speech in the Western world. The nature and limits of freedom of speech prompted sophisticated debate in a wide range of areas in the early seventeenth century; it was one of the 'liberties of the subject' fought for by individuals and groups across the political landscape. David Colclough argues that freedom of speech was considered to be a significant civic virtue during this period. Discussions of free speech raised serious questions about what it meant to live in a free state, and how far England was from being such a state. Examining a wide range of sources, from rhetorical handbooks to Parliamentary speeches and manuscript miscellanies, Dr Colclough demonstrates how freedom of speech was conceived positively in the period c.1603-28, rather than being defined in opposition to acts of censorship.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 052112042X
• ISBN13: 9780521120425
• Release Date: October 2009
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 316 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"