Miscellaneous Works and Commentaries

The works reprinted in this invaluable newly-gathered collection cover the length of Robertson's career, from his student days in 1737 to his closing years in 1789, and show his intellectual and stylistic evolution. They add depth, perspective, and complexity to our sense of Robertson's intentions and final achievement.

Part I of Robertson's contains his lesser known writings and speeches, several of them previously unpublished. Subjects explored range from Greek translation to architectural history to university fund-raising to geological speculation to church politics. Part II consists of the earliest biographical commentaries on Robertson's life, written by five men who knew him personally. Together these items reveal details of Robertson's life and career more fully than before, and gives the reader a wider picture of Robertson's character and career. The study of these miscelleneous writings is essential for understanding the contributions of one of the most important historians of the eighteenth century.