Originally published 1670 Genre History | ||
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Similar John Milton books, History books | ||
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, an unfinished 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".
Contents
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.
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 Book II - The Roman era Book III - Rise of the Saxons Book IV - The seven Saxon kingdoms Book V - The unification of England: Ecbert to Edgar Book VI - Edward the Younger to Harold