Court Patronage and Corruption in Early Stuart England

Private alliances and exchange of favors permeated political, social, economic, and artistic life in early modern Europe. These informal patronage relationships, which helped construct ties between monarchs and political elites, were especially strong in early Stuart England. As court patronage grew, so did opportunities for betrayal and corruption. But was early Stuart government really more corrupt than Tudor government? Were the structures of governance becoming unworkable, or were they badly managed by the Stuarts? Did corruption aid modernization? In Court Patronage and Corruption in Early Stuart England , Linda Levy Peck tackles these and other questions about the patronage that structured early modern society. She analyzes the language and common metaphors of patronage as well as the structures and networks that made patronage function. She then applies this analysis to studies of factions, favorites, naval venality, impeachment, monopolies, and more. Finally, Levy Peck argues that the increase in royal bounty in the early seventeenth century redefined the corrupt practices that characterized early modern administration. This wide-ranging and thoroughly researche volume goes to the heart of the revisionist debate about the crisis of government that led to the English Civil War. A major contribution to Stuart studies, it is, equally, essential reading for scholars of early modern history, literature, politics, and economics.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: The Fountain of Favour The Language of Patronage: a Discourse of Connection The Structures of Patronage and Corruption: Access and Allocation Court Patronage Networks Court Connections and County Associations: the Case of Buckinghamshire Corruption and Early Modern Administration: the Case of the Navy Corruption and the Economy Corruption and Political Ideology The Language of Corruption: a Discourse of Political Conflict Conclusion; Notes; Selected bibliography; Index

Review :
` ... an important, learned and valuable book that every student of the period should read.' - American Historical Review ` ... this is an elegant and important book, which ... provides scholars with a lot of food for thought.' - Esther C. Cope, Albion `This readable and challenging book re-opens the question of corruption in early modern English government and political life ... Peck's book is a success.' - The Sixteenth Century Journal ` ... a finely wrought book which makes an important contribution to our understanding of English history. Peck weaves the results of her extensive research into a text which not only adds to our knowledge about how patronage worked but also addresses some of the central questions of early Stuart historiography. Linda Peck has presented her material with an admirable elegance.' - 1991 John Ben Snow Prize Committee ` ... there is much fascinating material here, including some excellent case-studies.' - Renaissance Quarterly ` ... there is much fascinating material here, including some excellent case-studies.' - Renaissance Quarterly