The History of England, from the Accession of James II — Volume 2
1849
The History of England, from the Accession of James II — Volume 2
1849
A historical account written during the mid-19th century. This volume focuses on the political and social upheaval in England during the late 17th century, specifically examining the reign of James II and his struggles with Parliament, the church, and various factions within the country. At the start of this volume, Macaulay outlines the turbulent political landscape James II faced as he attempted to solidify his power amidst growing discontent. He discusses the king's aspirations to form a standing army, the repeal of the Habeas Corpus Act, and his attempts to promote Roman Catholicism, which were met with severe opposition from Parliament and the Protestant populace. The tension escalates as political factions align in defense of their interests, leading to significant events such as parliamentary debates, public unrest, and the eventual downfall of James II as he confronted the reality of a divided nation amid foreign pressures and internal dissent. This opening sets the stage for a rich exploration of the complexities of governance, religion, and identity in a pivotal period of British history.
Editions
X-Ray
“There are two opposite errors into which those who study the annals of our country are in constant danger of falling, the error of judging the present by the past, and the error of judging the past by the present. The former is the error of minds prone to reverence whatever is old, the latter of minds readily attracted by whatever is new. The former error may perpetually be observed in the reasonings of conservative politicians on the questions of their own day. The latter error perpetually infects the speculations of writers of the liberal school when they discuss the transactions of an earlier age. The former error is the more pernicious in a statesman, and the latter in a historian.”
— Thomas Babington Macaulay
“The highest eulogy which can be pronounced on the revolution of 1688 is this, that it was our last revolution. Several generations have now passed away since any wise and patriotic Englishman has mediated resistance to the established government. In all honest and reflecting minds there is a conviction, daily strengthened by experience, that the means of effecting every improvement with the constitution requires may be found within the constitution itself.”
— Thomas Babington Macaulay
“First, a man of sense would have known that a single experiment is not sufficient to establish a general rule even in sciences much less complicated than the science of government; that, since the beginning of the world, no two political experiments were ever made of which all the conditions were exactly alike; and that the only way to learn civil prudence from history is to examine and compare an immense number of cases.”
— Thomas Babington Macaulay
“with that very large part of mankind who have religion enough to make them uneasy when they do wrong, and not religion enough to keep them from doing wrong, he followed a very different system.”
— Thomas Babington Macaulay
