Secrets of the kingdom

This volume completes a trilogy that explores the history of British political and religious radicalism - in England, Scotland, Ireland, and British exile communities on the Continent - from the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 to the Revolution of 1688-89. The trilogy underscores both the continuity and the geographical range of dissident activity in all three kingdoms over nearly three decades. Much of the present volume deals with the controversial conspiracies. Collectively (and misleadingly) known as the Rye House Plot. Whether these conspiracies actually existed has been disputed since the 1680's, and the problem of evaluating the evidence regarding them is complicated by the fact that both Whigs and Tories freely engaged in subornation, severely undermining the credibility of many accounts, not to mention the integrity of the judicial system. The book traces the complete history of the Rye House Plot, including the general. Uprising planned by Monmouth and his associates, the schemes to assassinate Charles and James, and the trials of a number of the conspirators. The author concludes that, on balance, the evidence affirms the existence of conspiracies against the crown.