The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol. I., Part F.: From Charles II. to James II

In Short

David Hume’s history of late seventeenth-century England details the volatile reigns of Charles II and James II, tracing the nation's journey from the jubilation of the 1660 Restoration to the transformative settlement of the 1688 Glorious Revolution. Hume analyzes the deep-seated conflicts over royal prerogative, religious dissent, foreign intrigue, and party faction that repeatedly pushed the kingdom to the brink of tyranny or civil war. Combining political analysis with psychological insight, the work illuminates how arbitrary governance, anti-Catholic hysteria, and constitutional impasses ultimately forced the nation to redefine the limits of monarchy. It has lasted as a masterpiece of Enlightenment historiography, praised for its elegant prose, skeptical clarity, and balanced critique of both royal overreach and parliamentary fanaticism.

The Story

Hume begins with the Restoration of 1660, portraying a nation weary of civil strife welcoming the thirty-year-old Charles II back to the throne of his ancestors. Charles arrives with immense personal popularity, possessing an engaging wit, easy manners, and a natural lenity that promises to heal old wounds. Parliament re-establishes the Church of England and restores traditional royal prerogatives, going so far as to renounce the right of defensive arms against the crown. Yet this era of harmony is brief. Parliament’s zealous affection for monarchy and church leads to harsh measures against religious dissenters through acts suppressing conventicles, while aggressive commercial rivalries pull England into a costly and ambiguous war with the Dutch.

As Charles’s reign progresses, the underlying tensions of his administration deepen. Behind the scenes, financial pressures and royal ambition lead Charles to enter into secretive, dishonorable dealings with Louis XIV of France. In exchange for French subsidies, Charles aligns English policy with French territorial designs, embarking on another war against the United Provinces that brings the Dutch Republic to the verge of collapse under the onslaught of French forces and the rising Prince of Orange. Domestically, Charles’s repeated attempts to circumvent parliamentary supply and his push toward absolute authority breed profound public mistrust.

This mistrust explodes into widespread panic with the fabrications of Titus Oates and the alleged Popish Plot. Fanning the flames of anti-Catholic hysteria, parliamentary factions led by Shaftesbury attempt to exclude Charles’s brother, the openly Catholic Duke of York, from the royal succession. The nation splits into fierce partisan factions, witnessing the execution of innocent men, the impeachment of royal ministers like Danby, and bitter disputes over parliamentary privilege and the power of the crown. Charles manages the crisis with notable dexterity; by retrenching his expenses, dissolving recalcitrant parliaments, and asserting royal authority over municipal charters through writs of quo warranto, he crushes the exclusionist opposition and leaves the crown in an apparently absolute position by his death in 1685.

The accession of James II rapidly undoes this delicate balance. James mounts the throne with a compliant parliament and widespread public submission, further strengthened when the rash invasion of the Duke of Monmouth is easily crushed. However, James misjudges the nature of his authority. Driven by unyielding religious zeal and a rigid commitment to absolute power, he aggressively employs the controversial royal dispensing power to place Catholics in military and civil offices, defying established penal laws. He attacks the legal foundations of the constitution, court-martialing officers and eventually prosecuting seven Anglican bishops for humbly petitioning against his royal declarations.

James’s alienation of the church, the gentry, and the military creates an unprecedented unity among his opponents. Leading nobles secretly invite William, Prince of Orange, to intervene. Landing at Torbay with a Dutch fleet and army, William advances as James’s support completely evaporates. Nobles, officers, and entire counties declare for the invader without firing a shot. James flees the realm, leaving the throne vacant. Parliament convenes in extraordinary tranquility to settle the crown upon William and Mary, successfully erecting a limited, constitutional monarchy and reconciling ancient prerogative with modern public liberty.

How It Unfolds

The king returns Charles II ascends the throne amid widespread national rejoicing, using his charm and easy manners to reconcile a divided public. Parliament eagerly restores traditional royal authorities and re-establishes the Anglican Church while enacting strict penalties against religious dissenters.

Conflict on the seas Commercial jealousy leads England into war with the Dutch United Provinces, triggering complex diplomatic maneuvering, secret French negotiations, and devastating naval battles that strain the resources of the crown.

Secret alliances and French intrigues Charles enters into covert arrangements with Louis XIV, receiving financial subsidies to advance French interests, while the young Prince of Orange valiantly defends the Dutch Republic against overwhelming French invasions.

The Popish Plot and Exclusion crisis Fabricated revelations of a Catholic conspiracy spark national panic, leading to political persecution, the impeachment of Danby, and a fierce parliamentary struggle to exclude the Catholic Duke of York from the succession.

The crown strikes back Charles outmaneuvers his parliamentary opponents by dissolving assemblies, cutting household expenditures, and revoking municipal charters across England to secure absolute royal influence over future elections.

A short-lived triumph James II inherits a stable throne and easily suppresses Monmouth's ill-fated rebellion, but he quickly alienates his supporters by using the royal dispensing power to bypass parliamentary statutes.

The bishops on trial James tries seven Anglican prelates for seditious libel after they petition against his religious declarations, provoking massive public outrage and a decisive loss of legitimacy for the crown.

The Glorious Revolution Invited by English leaders, William of Orange lands at Torbay with an invading army, causing James’s authority to collapse and resulting in a peaceful constitutional settlement that permanently limits royal power.

The People

• Charles II starts his reign as an immensely popular, charm-filled monarch seeking national reconciliation, but his indolence, financial extravagance, and hidden desire for absolute authority drive him to make secretive pacts with France and aggressively undermine parliamentary independence, ultimately securing royal power through political cunning before his death.
• James II (Duke of York) begins as an uncompromising naval commander and heir to the throne whose open conversion to Catholicism sparks the Exclusion crisis; upon becoming king, his obstinate zeal to introduce Catholicism and expand royal prerogative alienates every major institution in England, driving him to flee his kingdom in utter defeat.
• William, Prince of Orange emerges as a cool, calculating, and austere leader who defends the Dutch Republic against French invasion, expertly navigates European diplomacy, and ultimately leads the successful bloodless invasion of England to secure both his wife’s inheritance and a Protestant alliance against Louis XIV.
• The Earl of Danby serves as Charles II's chief minister who attempts to manage parliamentary supply and royal finances, only to end up impeached and imprisoned in the Tower of London as the country party suspects him of promoting popery and French interests.
• Titus Oates acts as an unprincipled impostor whose wild fabrications regarding a Jesuit plot to assassinate the king spark rampant paranoia, leading to the execution of numerous innocent men before his perjury is finally exposed and punished.
• The Duke of Monmouth exists as Charles II's beloved but impressionable illegitimate son who becomes the figurehead for the Protestant exclusionists, eventually launching a premature and fatal rebellion against his uncle James II that ends on the scaffold.

In Its Own Voice

"Accustomed during his exile, to live among his courtiers rather like a companion than a monarch, he retained, even while on the throne, that open affability which was capable of reconciling the most determined republicans to his royal dignity."

Hume describes the personal charm and unpretentious demeanor that initially allowed Charles II to ease the political bitterness of the Restoration.

"The parliament had only in their eye the malignity of the sectaries; they should have carried their attention further, to the chief cause of that malignity, the restraint under which they labored."

Hume reflects on the short-sighted severity of parliamentary legislation against religious dissenters following the return of the monarchy.

"The monstrous inconsistence, so visible between the ancient Gothic parts of the fabric and the recent plans of liberty, was fully corrected; and, to their mutual felicity, King and people were finally taught to know their proper boundaries."

Hume assesses how the settlement of 1688 resolved the long-standing constitutional contradictions between ancient royal prerogatives and modern civil rights.

What It's Really About

Hume’s history is fundamentally an inquiry into the mechanics of political power, the evolution of constitutional law, and the destructive nature of ideological fanaticism. Rather than framing the era as a simple moral tale of liberty fighting tyranny, Hume exposes how both royal ambition and parliamentary passion repeatedly undermined national stability. He demonstrates that the English constitution was historically imprecise, containing ancient features like the royal dispensing power that were fundamentally incompatible with modern concepts of civil liberty. The narrative demonstrates how fear—whether of papal plots or republican anarchy—can distort justice, corrupt courts, and subvert the rule of law. Ultimately, Hume argues that lasting political freedom is rarely achieved through ideological purity or violent factionalism, but rather through pragmatism, balance, and the clear, deliberate establishment of legal boundaries between the sovereign and the subject.

Why Read It Today

Readers drawn to constitutional history, political theory, and prose crafted with Enlightenment clarity will find Hume’s narrative deeply rewarding. Unlike modern histories that often lean heavily on specialization or hyper-focused archive retrieval, Hume offers a sweeping, highly integrated view of statecraft, human psychology, and legal evolution. His writing possesses a calm, measured rhythm that treats historical actors with dispassionate analysis rather than partisan praise or blame.

The book does present certain challenges for the contemporary reader. Its sentences are lengthy, balanced, and formal, reflecting eighteenth-century syntax. Furthermore, Hume assumes a general familiarity with European geography and period terminology, moving swiftly through complex diplomatic negotiations and parliamentary maneuvers. His philosophical detachment can occasionally feel icy, particularly when analyzing religious enthusiasm or legal abuses. Yet these very qualities make the text enduring. Hume’s keen eye for the unintended consequences of political extremism, his skepticism toward zealots of every stripe, and his masterly account of how a society transitions from autocratic instability to legal order remain startlingly relevant to modern political life.