The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Introduction
• Bibliography
• Memoirs of My Life and Writings
• Beriton, April 14, 1761. ( In a Short Excursion From Dover. )
• Beriton, August 4, 1761. ( In a Week’s Excursion From Winchester Camp. )
• Beriton, January 1762. ( In a Month’s Absence From the Devizes. )
• Beriton, July 26, 1762. ( During My Summer Residence. )
• Last Illness and Death of Gibbon
• “ From Gibbon to Lord Sheffield
• “ Gibbon to Lord Sheffield At Brighton
• “ Gibbon to Lord Sheffield

Beriton, August 4, 1761.

(In a week’s excursion from Winchester camp.)

“After having long revolved subjects for my intended historical essay, I renounced my first thought of the expedition of Charles VIII. as too remote from us, and rather an introduction to great events than great and important in itself. I successively chose and rejected the crusade of Richard I., the barons’ wars against John and Henry III., the history of Edward the Black Prince, the lives and comparisons of Henry V. and the Emperor Titus, the life of Sir Philip Sidney, and that of the Marquis of Montrose. At length I have fixed on Sir Walter Raleigh for my hero. His eventful story is varied by the characters of the soldier and sailor, the courtier and historian; and it may afford such a fund of materials as I desire, which have not yet been properly manufactured. At present I cannot attempt the execution of this work. Free leisure, and the opportunity of consulting many books, both printed and manuscript, are as necessary as they are impossible to be attained in my present way of life. However, to acquire a general insight into my subject and resources, I read the Life of Sir Walter Raleigh by Dr. Birch, his copious article in the General Dictionary by the same hand, and the reigns of Queen Elizabeth and James I. in Hume’s History of England.”