{\b Thomas Babington Macaulay (Lord Macaulay)}.

{\b Date of Birth}.: 1800

{\b Date of Death}.: 1859

{\b Works}.

English essayist and historian. He began his literary career with 
contributions to Knight's Quarterly Magazine (1823) and, later, the Edinburgh 
Review (1825-45) where his article on Milton brought him fame. His is chiefly 
remembered for his two historical works Lays of Ancient Rome (1842) and 
History of England from the Accession of James II ( vols 1-2 1849; vols 3-4 
1855). They enjoyed huge popularity, especially as school text books, but are 
now seen as outdated, prejudiced and inaccurate.

Essays Critical and Historical (1834), another success, sold steadily until 
the turn of the century.

{\b Featured Works}.

'A Jacobite's Epitaph', 'The Spanish Armada', 'Lays of Ancient Rome: 
Horatius', 'Lays of Ancient Rome: Virginia', 'The Prophecy of Capys', 'The 
Battle of the Lake Regillus'.

{\b General Comment}.

Thomas Babington Macaulay was born in Rothley Temple, Lancashire, son of 
Zachary Macaulay who had become well known as a reformer. He entered Trinity 
College, Cambridge in 1818.

A brilliant but precocious young scholar, he won prizes in English and Latin, 
before taking his degree and being elected to a fellowship in 1822. Following 
a brief period at the bar he began to concentrate on what he loved most, 
literature. His regular contributions to the Edinburgh Review soon earned him 
the reputation as one of the leading intellectual lights of his age.

He became a Whig MP in 1830 and was involved in the passing of the 1834 Reform 
Bill. Financial necessity then forced him to accept a position on the Supreme 
Council of India and he sailed for Bengal in 1834. 

After his return in 1838 he was elected MP for Edinburgh (1839 and 1852). By 
this time, however, his literary fame had begun to take off. Lays of Ancient 
Rome was the first in a series of immensely popular publications which were 
characterised by a highly readable, rhythmic prose style which enchanted 
generations of school children. His History of England was to earn him a 
peerage and its two volumes became the best selling histories ever.

He has since come under severe criticism for the overbearing self-confidence 
and shallowness of his work. As a proud Victorian he was intent on showing 
that the events of 1688 meant that a revolution such as the one recently 
witnessed in France could never happen in England. Despite the many criticisms 
levelled at him, Macaulay remains a narrator of unparalleled genius as well as 
a skilful manipulator of sources, and a masterful reconstructor of events. He 
is buried in Westminster Abbey.