With its roots in Crompton, Fitzherbert and Lambard, the book offers advice on a wide range of issues including levying customs, highways, prisons, riots, soldiers, murder, felonies, rogues, vagabonds, wool and high treason.

The alphabetical listing of topics was groundbreaking and was a model for the structure of other books that came later.

The simple, direct writing style contributed to the book's popularity in England and the colonies.

There was an earlier handbook, also alphabetized, written by William Lambarde, called the Eirenarcha.

Dalton emphasized the need for body searches to find evidence of demonic contacts.