This volume examines the selection and promotion of bishops within ecclesiastical politics at the Elizabethan court, drawing on the correspondence of leading politicians as well as the Exchequer records of the financial arrangements accompanying each appointment. The book picks up the narrative where Usher's previous book left off, and situates the dominance of the Cecils in ecclesiastical affairs as the key continuity between the two halves of Elizabeth's reign. Providing a fresh analysis of the Burghley's long and influential role within Elizabethan government, Usher illuminates court politics and the workings of the Exchequer, as well as the practical operation of Elizabeth's supremacy.

Brett Usher: a tribute; Preface; Introduction: episcopal roles and reputations, 1577-1603; The struggle for mastery of the episcopal bench, 1576-83; Taming Whitgift, 1583-89; Burghley undaunted, 1589-94; The transformation of the bench, 1594-98; Conclusion: the end of the reign, 1599-1603; Appendices; Brett Usher: publications, 1992-2010; Bibliography; Index.

A former Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Reading in History and author of William Cecil and Episcopacy, 1559-1577 (Ashgate, 2003), Brett Usher died in June 2013.