Public-domain ebook
by John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton
Language: en3,165 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Essays, Letters & Speeches·History - Other·Philosophy & Ethics
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #31278.
The work is a curated anthology of Lord Acton’s essays, drawn from a range of nineteenth‑century periodicals such as The Quarterly Review, The English Historical Review, The Rambler and The Home and Foreign Review. The editors open with a detailed acknowledgment of the family papers and scholarly assistance that made the compilation possible, then lay out a contents list that spans topics from “The History of Freedom in Antiquity” to “The Vatican Council” and a history of the Inquisition. The introductory essay explains that the volume offers only a sampling of Acton’s prolific output, emphasizing his reputation as a rigorous scholar whose articles combine erudition with a sharp, often ironic, critical voice.
Acton writes in a learned yet vigorous prose style characteristic of Victorian intellectuals, blending meticulous documentary research with a moral clarity that reflects his commitment to liberty and historical truth. Readers who enjoy dense, argument‑driven essays on the interplay of politics, religion and philosophy, especially those interested in the intellectual currents of 19th‑century Europe, will find this collection rewarding. It also appeals to scholars of historiography and to anyone seeking a window into the mind of one of the era’s most incisive public intellectuals.
The opening · free to read
The Editors desire to thank the members of the Acton family for their help and advice during the preparation of this volume and of the volume of Historical Essays and Studies. They have had the advantage of access to many of Acton's letters, especially those to Doellinger and Lady Blennerhasset. They have thus been provided with valuable material for the Introduction. At the same time they wish to take the entire responsibility for the opinions expressed therein. They are again indebted to Professor Henry Jackson for valuable suggestions.
This volume consists of articles reprinted from the following journals: The Quarterly Review, The English Historical Review, The Nineteenth Century, The Rambler, The Home and Foreign Review, The North British Review, The Bridgnorth Journal. The Editors have to thank Mr. John Murray, Messrs. Longmans, Kegan Paul, Williams and Norgate, and the proprietors of The Bridgnorth Journal for their kind permission to republish these articles, and also the Delegacy of the Clarendon Press for allowing the reprint of the Introduction to Mr. Burd's edition of Il Principe. They desire to point out that in Lord Acton and his Circle the article on "The Protestant Theory of Persecution" is attributed to Simpson: this is an error.
J.N.F. R.V.L.
August 24, 1907.
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