Milton (John) The Tenure Of Kings And Magistrates: Proving, That it is Lawfull, and hath been held so through all Ages, for any, who have the Power, to call to account a Tyrant, or wicked King, and after due conviction to depose, and put him to death; if the ordinary Magistrate have neglected, or deny'd to doe it. And that they, who of late, so much blame Deposing, are the Men that did it themselves, first edition, title within woodcut border, trimmed closely touching border and with loss to some catchwords and headlines, bookseller's description tipped onto title verso, final two ff. browned, numerous ink underlinings and marginal notes in a late-17th century hand, attractive modern antique-style calf, gilt, red morocco label to spine, [Pforzheimer 727; Wing M2181], small 4to, printed by Matthew Simmons, at the Gilded Lyon in Aldersgate Street, 1649.

⁂ Rare in commerce. Published less than two weeks after the execution of Charles I, The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates did not address the specifics of the case but rather argued that parliament had the right to prosecute the King in principle. It was, in Milton's own words, "written to reconcile men's minds, rather than to determine anything about Charles." The numerous annotations appear to be those of a copy-editor or similar preparing the work for a new edition.