Citt and Bumpkin (1680)

In the heated atmosphere of late‑17th‑century England, this pamphlet offers a vivid snapshot of the political showdown that gripped the nation. Written amid the frenzy of the Popish Plot, it presents Sir Roger L’Estrange’s vigorous defense of King Charles II, arguing that the alleged Catholic conspiracy is being wielded by opposition forces to dismantle the monarchy’s authority. The author frames the crisis as a clash between royal prerogative and an increasingly organized parliamentary faction eager to curtail hereditary power.

Through sharp rhetoric and pointed appeals to loyalist sentiment, the work chronicles how Whig leaders, particularly the Earl of Shaftesbury, mobilized public opinion and petitions to press for the exclusion of the Catholic Duke of York from the throne. Readers will hear the urgent pleas, the fear of foreign interference, and the tactics employed to keep Parliament in check—all rendered in the polemical style of a contemporary pamphleteer. The text captures a pivotal moment when England’s future hung in the balance between absolute rule and emerging constitutional ideas.