The History of England: From the Accession of James I to the Elevation of the House of Hanover.

MACAULAY, Catharine.

Edité par London: Printed for the author [and sold by various booksellers], 1766-71

A propos de cet article

First edition of Volumes III to V, second editions of Volumes I to II: a smartly bound set of the first history of England by a woman. Its unabashed republican sentiments established Macaulay's political reputation and led to her acquaintance with Benjamin Franklin, Mercy Otis Warren, and the like. Its episodic publication history means that sets are usually found as mixed editions. Macaulay's longest work became more outspokenly republican as the volumes proceeded. In Volume IV, she spoke of "the rise of the republicans" who "looked forward to the reformation of the principles, as well as the executive, of the government" (p. 160). In Volume V, she celebrated the English Commonwealth as "the brightest age that ever adorned the page of history" (p. 382). The History was popular in America and played a significant role in influencing the course of the American War of Independence. Macaulay consequently met many leading political figures in London and during her visit to America (1784-5). Besides Franklin and Warren, these included Josiah Quincy, John and Abigail Adams, and the Washingtons. Conversely, the English reception of the History became chillier with each new instalment. Volumes IV and V alienated Macaulay's circle of Rockingham Whig friends, and her work received partisan criticism. Her health was badly affected by the exertion of writing, and she left London for Bath in 1774 to recuperate. The move resulted in a ten-year hiatus in the publication of the History: Volumes VI and VII were finally published in 1781, and Volume VIII followed in 1783. Perhaps because of her political sympathies or her gender, Macaulay's History has been accused of lacking academic rigour. Examining the contents of her library (detailed in her 1790 Catalogue of Tracts) and the sources she used for the History contradicts this judgement. She engages with the standard authorities of her time, including the histories by Clarendon and Hume with whom she fundamentally disagreed. "Determined that her work should surpass Hume's recent publication, she undertook archival work in 17th-century pamphlets" (Orlando); her collection ultimately numbered over 5,000 tracts and sermons, particularly focused on the period 1640 to 1650. She also used the British Museum's archives, drawing on the manuscripts and state papers of political figures. Provenance: Castle Freke Library, with its engraved armorial bookplates dated 1807. Castle Freke, in West Cork, Ireland, was for generations the home of the Barons Carbery. The estate was sold by the 10th Baron in 1919 and is now in ruins. ESTC T147991, T106230; Grub Street 194449, 159397. 5 vols, quarto (257 x 200 mm). Engraved medallion portrait frontispiece in vol. I, typically bound at front of vol. III. Contemporary sprinkled calf, spines with five raised bands, full gilt panels, red and green morocco labels lettered in gilt, gilt rolls to board edges, marbled endpapers. Contemporary ownership signature on title page of vol. IV trimmed in binding process. Binding minimally restored, corners bumped, a few small wormholes to boards, contents generally clean and crisp: a very good set.

N° de réf. du vendeur 177213

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: The History of England: From the Accession of James I to the Elevation of the House of Hanover.
• Éditeur: London: Printed for the author [and sold by various booksellers], 1766-71