The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol. I., Part B.

Hume, David, 1711-1776Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 4.0
Word count
1.3M words
Chapters
129

Tags

English Originals World History Historical ReappraisalModern PoliticsRise and FallCivic AwarenessAcademic MonographConstitutional TraditionSocial Observation

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol. I., Part B. by David HumeAuthor: Hume, David, 1711-1776,Language: English, Class: DA: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Great Britain, Ireland, Central Europe, Release Date: Sep 8, 2006

Editor's review

This is the public-domain English electronic text of Part B of Volume I of Hume's History of England, released free by Project Gutenberg. Continuing from Part A of Volume I, it carries the narrative of early English history forward, focusing on dynastic change, the contest between Parliament and the Crown, and the shifting fortunes of religious forces. Hume's historical writing bears a distinct Enlightenment stamp: he excels at explaining political change in terms of human nature and interest, and his elegant prose is interspersed with argument, making the work both historical narrative and intellectual text. Its value as a primary text lies not in offering the latest scholarship but in showing how an eighteenth-century historian understood English history and how that understanding shaped later generations. It is best read in sequence with Parts A and C for a complete thread; it can be read alone, but some familiarity with prior events is helpful. The electronic edition is portable and easy to search, but lacks modern annotation, so readers must supply background knowledge themselves.

Who it's for

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Reading tips

  1. Read in sequence with Parts A and C to keep the threads of events and figures continuous.
  2. Note dynastic changes and parliamentary events as you read to build your own timeline.
  3. Excerpt Hume's argumentative passages separately to appreciate his philosophical style of historical commentary.
  4. Pair the reading with a modern textbook of English history to check facts and historical context.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
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  30. 30
  31. 31
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  33. 33
  34. 34
  35. 35
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  37. 37
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  40. 40
  41. 41
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  50. 50
  51. 51
  52. 52
  53. 53
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  55. 55
  56. 56
  57. 57
  58. 58
  59. 59
  60. 60
  61. 61
  62. 62
  63. 63
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  71. 71
  72. 72
  73. 73
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  76. 76
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  81. 81
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  113. 113
  114. 114
  115. 115
  116. 116
  117. 117
  118. 118
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  120. 120
  121. 121
  122. 122
  123. 123
  124. 124
  125. 125
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  129. 129

FAQ

What is the difference in content between Part B and Part C? They are successive chapter divisions within the same volume, with Part B first and Part C after it, the narrative advancing chronologically. They are not separate topics but different stretches of a continuous historical account, and reading them in order is recommended.
Is Hume's history still worth reading today? Yes. Its value lies mainly at the level of intellectual and historiographical history: it shows how an Enlightenment historian explained English political change, and displays his prose and manner of argument. For specific facts, consult modern scholarship; it should not be the sole authority.
On what devices can I read a public-domain ebook? Public-domain electronic texts are usually offered in several formats and can be read on computers, tablets, phones, or e-readers. The formats available depend on the release page; once downloaded, they can be read offline.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Hume, David, 1711-1776 Author

David Hume (1711–1776) was a Scottish philosopher, historian and essayist whose thought had a profound influence on modern philosophy and historiography. The collection contains fifteen of his works, covering philosophy, religion, morality, knowledge and history. His representative works include A Treatise of Human Nature, which systematically examines understanding, the passions and morals and lays the foundation of his empiricist position; An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding and An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals, which restate these ideas in a clearer style; Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, which explores religious belief through reasoned debate; and The History of England, which represents another side of his historical writing. His prose is clear, cautious and sceptical, and he excels at turning abstract questions into readable discussion. Public information is limited, so biographical details are not developed here; this introduction focuses on the subjects and influence of his works.