Macaulay's History, Chapter I: A Brief History of England from the Earliest Times to 1660 ; with Biography, Critical Opinions, and Explanatory NotesMaynard, Merrill, & Company, 1895 - 154 pages |
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administration ancient Anglican Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Arminian arms army authority battle battle of Hastings became began Bishop called Calvinistic Cavaliers cents century Charles chief Christian Church of England Church of Rome civil clergy command constitution Continent court Cromwell crown declared despotism dignity divine doctrine ecclesiastical Elizabeth enemies English Europe favour force France French Henry Hist honourable House of Commons House of Stuart Ireland island justly King kingdom language liberty London Long Parliament Lords Macaulay middle ages military ministers monarchy nation never Norman numbers opposition oppressed pages text Papists Parliament party Petition of Right Plantagenets political prerogative Presbyterians princes Protestant provinces Puritans race realm Reformers regarded reign religion religious Revolution Richard Roman Catholic Roundheads royal Royalists Saxon scarcely Scotland seemed soldiers soon sovereign spirit Star Chamber struggle subjects succession sword throne Tudors tyranny victorious villenage violent Westminster whole zealous
Popular passages
Page 43 - But during the last three centuries, to stunt the growth of the human mind has been her chief object. Throughout Christendom, whatever advance has been made in knowledge, in freedom, in wealth, and in the arts of life, has been made in spite of her, and has everywhere been in inverse proportion to her power.
Page 89 - Everywhere there is a class of men who cling with fondness to whatever is ancient, and who, even when convinced by overpowering reasons that innovation would be beneficial, consent to it with many misgivings and forebodings. We find also everywhere another class of men, sanguine in hope, bold in speculation, always pressing forward...
Page 2 - Those who compare the age on which their lot has fallen with a golden age which exists only in their imagination, may talk of degeneracy and decay; but no man who is correctly informed as to the past will be disposed to take a morose or desponding view of the present.
Page 14 - The greatgrandsons of those who had fought under William and the greatgrandsons of those who had fought under Harold began to draw near to each other in friendship ; and the first pledge of their reconciliation was the Great Charter, won by their united exertions, and framed for their common benefit Here commences the history of the English nation.
Page 47 - Saintly in his professions, unscrupulous in his dealings, zealous , for nothing, bold in speculation, a coward and a time-server in action, a placable enemy and a lukewarm friend, he was in every way qualified to arrange the terms of the coalition between the religious and the worldly enemies of popery.
Page 16 - ... through all changes, preserved its identity ; that constitution of which all the other free constitutions in the world are copies, and which, in spite of some defects, deserves to be regarded as the best under which any great society has ever yet existed during many ages. Then it was that the House of Commons, the archetype of all the representative assemblies which now meet, either in the Old or.
Page 76 - ... perfidious, not only from constitution and from habit, but also on principle. He seems to have learned from the theologians whom he most esteemed that between him and his subjects there could be nothing of the nature of mutual contract; that he could not, even if he would, divest himself of his despotic authority ; and that, in every promise which he made, there was an implied reservation that such promise might be broken in case of necessity, and that of the necessity he was the sole judge.
Page 3 - It will be my endeavour to relate the history of the people as well as the history of the government, to trace the progress of useful and ornamental arts, to describe the rise of religious sects and the changes of literary taste, to portray the manners of successive generations, and not to pass by with neglect even the revolutions which have taken place in dress, furniture, repasts, and public amusements.
Page 16 - Then was formed that language, less musical indeed than the languages of the south, but in force, in richness, in aptitude for all the highest purposes of the poet, the philosopher, and the orator, inferior to the tongue of Greece alone. Then too appeared the first faint dawn of that noble literature, the most splendid and the most durable of the many glories of England.
Page 32 - The calamities of civil war were confined to the slaughter on the field of battle, and to a few subsequent executions and confiscations. In a week the peasant was driving his team and the esquire flying his hawks over the field of Towton or of Bosworth, 35 as if no extraordinary event had interrupted the regular course of human life.