The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.II. Continued from the Reign of William and Mary to the Death of George II. — Story, Setting & Ideas

A Novelist's Eye for the Decisive Moment

Smollett, best known for Roderick Random, brings a novelist's instincts to historiography. The Prestonpans passage is a set piece: the highlanders charge 'sword in hand', the king's troops are 'broken and totally routed', and the colours, artillery, and military chest fall to the victor. He lingers on Colonel Gardiner, who 'disdained to save his life at the expense of his honour' and died 'in sight of his own threshold'. This is not a dry recitation of troop movements; it is a scene built for pathos. Readers should watch for similar moments throughout—sieges, debates, royal entries—where Smollett compresses complex events into a single, memorable image.

The Texture of Political Faction

The chapter headings reveal a relentless sequence of parliamentary disputes: 'violent disputes about the bill for a comprehension', 'heats and animosities about the bill of indemnity', 'the whigs obstruct the indemnity bill'. Smollett does not merely record votes; he conveys the temperature of debate. The king 'takes umbrage' at the Whigs; the Commons address him to summon a convocation. These are not neutral summaries. Smollett's language—'heats', 'animosity', 'obstruct'—frames faction as a driving force of history. A first-time reader should note how often the narrative pauses for parliamentary manoeuvring: the real battles, in Smollett's telling, are often fought in Westminster, not on the battlefield.

Scotland as a Separate Theatre

Though the volume covers the whole of Great Britain, Scotland receives sustained attention. The table of contents lists 'prelacy abolished in Scotland', 'Scotch parliament adjourned', 'the castle of Edinburgh besieged'. In the 1745 excerpt, Edinburgh falls without a fight: the highlanders enter 'the capital', and the Chevalier de St. George's manifesto promises to 'dissolve the union'. Smollett treats the Scottish theatre as a distinct, often tragic, narrative. He notes that Prince Charles 'prohibited all rejoicings' after Prestonpans and that the wounded were 'treated with humanity'—details that complicate any simple reading of the rebels as villains. Readers should track how Smollett balances English and Scottish perspectives.

The Rhythm of the Table of Contents

Smollett's chapter summaries are themselves a guide to his method. They are not neutral lists but compressed narratives: 'Schomberg lands with an army. The Inniskilliners obtain a victory. Schomberg censured.' The passive voice ('censured') and active verbs ('lands', 'obtain') create a rhythm of action and reaction. The summaries often end with a reversal: 'The king resolves to finish the Irish war in person' is followed by 'Ludlow arrives in England, but is obliged to withdraw.' A reader can trace the arc of a reign simply by scanning these headings. They reward attention: Smollett's judgments are embedded in what he chooses to highlight—and what he omits.

Smollett's history is best read as a partisan chronicle, not a balanced survey. He writes with the conviction that events have clear causes and moral weights. A first-time reader should pay attention to his verbs—'obstruct', 'irritated', 'triumph'—which carry his judgments. The excerpts suggest that the most vivid passages are often set pieces: battles, sieges, and royal entries. Use the table of contents as a map, and expect the narrative to move quickly from crisis to crisis, with little time for reflection. The pleasure is in the momentum.

That rainy afternoon, Smollett’s account of Prestonpans left me restless—the sheer weight of men and causes colliding. I set it down, and my gaze drifted to another volume on the shelf. I found myself hours later in Gaza: A City of Many Battles (from the Family of Noah to the Present Day) — A Closer Reading, struck by how the same old story repeats itself, only the names changed.