History of Britain (John Milton)
Encyclopedia
The History of Britain, that Part especially now called England; from the first traditional Beginning, continued to the Norman Conquest. Collected out of the antientest and best Authours thereof, a prose work by the English poet John Milton
, was published in 1670. Milton, who had supported the revolutionary cause during the English Civil War
, mixed history based on a wide range of sources with comments on the restored monarchy of his time. He admitted the unreliability of many of his sources, but justified his use of popular fables "be it for nothing else but in favour of our English poets and rhetoricians, who by their art will know how to use them judiciously".
Milton began work on the History around 1649, completing four books in the first phase, then continued in the 1650s with a further two books. The History was first printed at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's
Church-yard.
John Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
, was published in 1670. Milton, who had supported the revolutionary cause during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, mixed history based on a wide range of sources with comments on the restored monarchy of his time. He admitted the unreliability of many of his sources, but justified his use of popular fables "be it for nothing else but in favour of our English poets and rhetoricians, who by their art will know how to use them judiciously".
Milton began work on the History around 1649, completing four books in the first phase, then continued in the 1650s with a further two books. The History was first printed at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
Church-yard.
Contents
The six books are untitled in the free on-line version of the text. The titles below have been added to give an idea of the content.- Book I - Antiquity
- "[T]he Caesarean invasions are told with remarkable spirit; and the use of the historic present in the account of the war between Brutus and the Greeks is excellently vivid."
- Book II - The Roman eraRoman BritainRoman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
- Book III - Rise of the SaxonsAnglo-SaxonsAnglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
- Includes a digression, that was suppressed in early editions, on the relationship between Parliament and the Crown.
- Book IV - The seven Saxon kingdoms
- Such bickerings to recount, met often in these our writers, what more worth is it than to chronicle the wars of kites or crows flocking and fighting in the air?
- Book V - The unification of England: EcbertEgbert of WessexEgbert was King of Wessex from 802 until his death in 839. His father was Ealhmund of Kent...
to EdgarEdgar of EnglandEdgar the Peaceful, or Edgar I , also called the Peaceable, was a king of England . Edgar was the younger son of Edmund I of England.-Accession:... - Book VI - Edward the YoungerEdward the MartyrEdward the Martyr was king of the English from 975 until he was murdered in 978. Edward was the eldest son of King Edgar, but not his father's acknowledged heir...
to HaroldHarold GodwinsonHarold Godwinson was the last Anglo-Saxon King of England.It could be argued that Edgar the Atheling, who was proclaimed as king by the witan but never crowned, was really the last Anglo-Saxon king...
Editions
- First edition 1670
- Second edition 1677 or 1678
- Third edition 1695
- Fourth edition 1818