ABSTRACT
Duncan Forbes famously remarked that Hume’s History of England “is a masterpiece; it is essential and vintage Hume. No one can say he knows Hume who is ignorant of the History.” This chapter sketches the creation, contents, and reception of Hume’s History and asks what Hume aimed to accomplish with it. Hume, we find, aimed to present England’s history from the perspective of an enlightened observer; his preferred perch was not an identifiable agenda linked to a particular sectarian or political party. It was a novel approach, casting new light on England’s past, and present, while attracting more and different sorts of readers.
