
The History of England from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution of 1688, Volume 1A
by David Hume
'The History of England from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution of 1688, Volume 1A' Summary
The work can perhaps be best discussed as four separate histories in the order in which he wrote them.
The History of Great Britain Part 1
The book begins auspiciously with James VI of Scotland peacefully assuming the title of first King of Great Britain. He immediately began a series of attempts to promote a Union between his two kingdoms, and found for this a staunch ally in Francis Bacon. These came to nothing, curiously more because of opposition in the English Parliament than in the Scottish one. On the whole, Hume portrays this complex king, who had grown up with the same predicament as Orestes, as a beneficent ruler keeping Britain at peace, notably by staying out of the Thirty Years' War.
However an epic of unintended consequences was unravelling. As the King was dying, his son's wooing of the Spanish Infanta turned into a jilting, and the two countries drifted into a war, spurred on by Protestant extremists in the House of Commons. Charles I's attempt following the Petition of Right (1628) to rule without a Parliament in England collapsed after he provoked the revolution of the National Covenant in Scotland (1638). Irish Catholics led by Felim O'Neill seized the opportunity to rebel (1641). Civil War broke out in England. The king was defeated, tried, and executed (1649). Thus Hume's first volume ends at the start of England's short-lived experiment with republicanism.
Of the book's reception, Hume wrote:
I was assailed by one cry of reproach, disapprobation, and even detestation; English, Scotch, and Irish, Whig and Tory, churchman and sectary, freethinker and religionist, patriot and courtier, united in their rage against the man, who had presumed to shed a generous tear for the fate of Charles I, and the Earl of Strafford.
Book Details
Authors

David Hume
Scotland
David Hume was a Scottish Enlightenment philosopher, historian, economist, librarian and essayist, who is best known today for his highly influential system of philosophical empiricism, scepticism, an...
Books by David HumeDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

History of the Great War, Volume One by John Buchan
This book provides a comprehensive overview of the first part of World War I, covering the period from the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand t...

Porto Rico: The Land of the Rich Port by Joseph B. Seabury
It offers an insightful and comprehensive look into the history, culture, and society of Puerto Rico. The book was first published in 1899, shortly af...

Chronicles of Canada Volume 08 - Great Fortress: A Chronicle of Louisbourg 1720-1760 by William Charles Henry Wood
Louisbourg was no mere isolated stronghold which could be lost or won without affecting the wider issues of oversea dominion. On the contrary, it was...

History of the Rise, Progress and Termination of the American Revolution Vol. 1 by Mercy Otis Warren
Mercy Otis Warren's 'History of the Rise, Progress and Termination of the American Revolution' is a comprehensive account of the American Revolution,...

Von der Gnade - An den Kaiser Nero (De Clementia) by Lucius Annaeus Seneca
In "De Clementia" (On Clemency), Seneca, a Roman Stoic philosopher and advisor to Emperor Nero, explores the concept of clemency as a virtue of good g...

Queen Elizabeth by Mandell Creighton
This biography by historian Mandell Creighton explores the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England. It details the turbulent period of her asce...

Caesar and Cleopatra by George Bernard Shaw
Caesar and Cleopatra is a historical play by George Bernard Shaw. It depicts the relationship between Julius Caesar and Cleopatra VII of Egypt. Shaw's...

History of the United States, Volume 5 by Charles A. Beard
In 1921, Charles and Mary Beard published their textbook: History of the United States. A contemporaneous review stated: The authors… assume enough ma...

Nero by Jacob Abbott
This biography delves into the life and reign of Nero, one of the most notorious emperors of ancient Rome. It captures his rise to power, his controve...

History of England from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution of 1688, Volume 1F by David Hume
This is Volume 1F which covers the reign of Charles II and James II. The History of England is David Hume's great work on the history of England (al...
Reviews for The History of England from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution of 1688, Volume 1A
No reviews posted or approved, yet...