The History of England

Written in 1791, this short satirical chronicle runs from the reign of Henry IV to the death of Charles I. Austen, calling herself a partial, prejudiced, and ignorant Historian, awards praise and blame by Tory and family liking rather than by Whig schoolbook rule: she scorns Elizabeth, pities Mary Queen of Scots, and treats the Stuarts with open favour. Reigns are reduced to a few pointed anecdotes and jokes about wives, favourites, and executions. Cassandra Austen's portraits originally faced the text. The work is a juvenile parody of textbook history, not a scholarly survey and not one of the later novels.

Quarter bound in cream vegetable parchment with Ann Muir hand-marbled paper boards. Pale yellow endleaves. Cream vegetable parchment slipcase with the title repeated in gold.