The History of England
Six volumes narrate political and constitutional history from antiquity to the revolution of 1688, analyzing religious conflict, institutions and changing manners.
Understanding the text
Hume began with the Stuarts and then worked backward, so publication dates do not follow narrative chronology.
Key points
- 01
Constitution
Liberties result from conflictual history rather than an already completed immemorial system.
- 02
Parties
The historian seeks distance from partisan narratives while retaining judgments of his own.
- 03
Sources
Narrative combines available documents with interpretation, within eighteenth-century historiographical limits.
How to read it
Choose one period and compare it with your edition’s introduction. The six volumes form a revised work; modern editions may redistribute them physically.
Editions & sources
Summaries and key points are original editorial interpretations. They accompany reading the work and do not replace an edition of the text. Editorial method ↗