NALSON, John (1638?-86)

An Impartial Collection of the Great Affairs of State, From the Beginning of the Scotch Rebellion in the Year 1639. To the Murther of King Charles I. Wherein The first Occasions, and the whole Series of the late Troubles in England, Scotland, & Ireland, are faithfully Represented. Vol. I (II)

      London : Printed for S. Mearne, T. Dring, B. Tooke, T. Sawbridge, and C. Mearne. 1682-83 Folio, 2 vols, v.1. engr. front., [8], lxxix, [1], 817, [17] pp : v.2. engr. front., [8], xii pp, engr. port., 920, [22] pp, early inscription "Jos. Greedy his Book" on first leaf, later bookplate of "Grant of Litchborough" on pastedown of v.1., cont. calf, lacking labels on spines, somewhat worn but joints sound. An extensive and important chronicle of the beginning of the Civil War, regretably never continued past the beginning of 1642. Nalson, a royalist, set out to produce an antidote to Rushworth's Collections which he saw as blackening the memory of Charles I. Consequently he acquired the patronage of Charles II and was allowed free access to the various repositories of state papers. He seems to have taken many of these documents away with him and after his death a very valuable collection of papers was disposed of by his family. Some portions are now in the Bodleian and the British Library.