The Life of John Milton, Volume 5 (of 7), 1654-1660 / Narrated in Connexion with the Political, Ecclesiastical, and Literary History of His Time

A detailed biography that follows the subject's life and official service under the Protectorate while placing those years within a close account of parliamentary struggle over constitutional settlement and the Protector's assertion of authority. It reconstructs debates about prerogative and reform, episodes of political arbitrariness between Parliaments, and government measures such as arrests, suppression of plots, and regional rule by major-generals. The narrative also surveys religious ferment—new sects, controversies over toleration, and the rise of groups like the Quakers—and treats foreign and colonial policy, fiscal penalties on opponents, and the subject's concurrent literary and secretarial activities.