Cabala: Sive Scrinia Sacra. Mysteries of State & Government: in Letters of Illustrious Persons, and great Agents; in the Reigns of Henry the Eighth, Queen Elizabeth, K: James, and the late King Charls. In Two Parts. In which the Secrets of the Empire, and Publique manage of Affairs are contained.

[Bedell, Gabriel; Collins, Thomas].

Printed for G. Bedel and T. Collins, and are to be sold at their shop at the Middle-Temple-gate in Fleetstreet, 1654.

2 Vols in 1.  Bound in modern leather.    Good binding and cover.  ([16], 347, [21]; [12], 355 [i.e. 255], [6 ads] (lacking last ad leaf).  An early English account of the reigns of Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth, James I, and Charles I compiled in a series of letters from English ministers.   This book "Professes to give impartially all the materials of the secret history of the last years of James, and the earliest of Charles, and especially those concerning the actions of Buckingham, the 'Subtleties of Spain', and the 'Practises of our Home-Roman Catholics, and of some of those who were called Puritans then.' Among the papers of interest new to the public were Bacon's Considerations concerning the Queen's Service in Ireland (undated) and a large number of letters from him and others to Buckingham. The whole is a curious medley of foreign, home, Irish, and even university affairs" (Cambridge History of English Literature VII, 489).  The curious title, "Cabal" took its meaning from a group of ministers of Charles II (Thomas Clifford, Lord Arlington, the Duke of Buckingham, Lord Ashley, and Lord Lauderdale), whose initial letters spelled CABAL.  E Refs: Wing C184 (entire work), C183 (Cabala) and S2110 (Scrinia sacra).  ESTC R21971. Lowdnes I, 343 (1691 ed.).   Second part entitled: Scrinia Sacra; Secrets of Empire, in Letters of Illustrious Persons. A Supplement of the Cabala, title in red and black, G.Bedel and T.Collins, 1654.