The Unpublished Letters of Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke

Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke (1678–1751) enjoyed varied political and literary careers. He was the friend and correspondent of leading figures across the political and religious spectrum; Hanoverian and Jacobite, Whig and Tory, Protestant and Catholic, Episcopalian and Presbyterian are all represented in his correspondence. Bolingbroke’s letters therefore constitute one of the most fascinating and articulate sources of eighteenth-century European politics and culture available to modern scholars.

In an age distinguished for the excellence of its letter-writing, Bolingbroke was regarded by his contemporaries as a model prose stylist. His letters are extraordinarily wide-ranging in scope and contain discussions on contemporary politics, philosophy, ancient culture, literary criticism, European history, empire, foreign policy, the textual history of the Bible, deism, theatre, travel and education. His letters to his half-sister, Henrietta Knight, shed light on his personal relationships, whilst his letters to the 1st Duke of Marlborough contain information on diplomacy and military movements during the War of the Spanish Succession, when Britain first emerged as a leading European and colonial power.

This five-volume critical edition draws together Bolingbroke’s unpublished letters, now scattered in public and private archives around the world. It will appeal to scholars of eighteenth-century history, philosophy and literature.

• New editorial apparatus includes a general introduction, explanatory notes, biographical index and a consolidated index in the final volume.
• Contains almost 2,000 letters, drawn from over twenty archives worldwide
• All letters are previously unpublished or unpublished in their entirety
• Will provide valuable insight into the political, diplomatic and religious situation at the time
• Will allow a deeper understanding of Bolingbroke’s interests and commitments
• Diplomatic letters relating to the Treaty of Utrecht will be relevant to the history of the United States

Related titles

• Eighteenth-Century Political Biographies

Leaflets

• Bolingbroke: Colour leaflet

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