Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay

Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay of Rothley, ( born October 25, 1800 Rothley Temple, Leicestershire, † December 28 1859 in Kensington ) was a British historian, poet and politician.

Life

He was the son of Zachary Macaulay, a rich, coming from Scotland merchant, which abolished slavery in Jamaica met in his younger years and later became an opponent of slavery and the Clapham sect co-founded, a circle in which banded together social reformer. His parents and his two sisters Hannah and Margaret, he had a close connection, which is documented by hundreds of the preserved letters. So he wrote about Margaret:

Macaulay studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, and then at the Gray 's Inn in London, one of four English Bar Association, admitted to the bar. He joined in 1826 in London as a lawyer, but devoted himself almost exclusively to literary career.

Even at the university he had with his poems Pompeii ( Cambridge 1819) and Evenlug (ibid. 1821) prices gained. His treatise on Milton in the Edinburgh Review (1825 ), and other literary and political portraits of Bacon, Machiavelli, Lord Clive, Warren Hastings, Horace Walpole and Lord Chatham made ​​Macaulay quickly known.

They appeared first collected without his authorization under the title Critical and miscellaneous essays (Philadelphia 1841) and then by himself as Critical and historical essays (London 1843, 3 vols ). You lined up later at the Biographical Essays (London 1851).

Since Macaulay in his political views the Whigs approached, so got him on this in the borough Calne 1830 an election to the British House of Commons. Macaulay played in the debates, which showed the Reform Bill, a prominent part. The Government Grey appointed him in 1834 as a member of the Council in Calcutta, the capacity in which Macaulay wrote the Draft Code, which was published in 1838.

Then returned to Britain, he was elected in 1839 to Edinburgh again into Parliament and received in 1839 by Lord Melbourne, the Office of Secretary of State in the Ministry of War, asserted itself in this position until the resignation of Whigministeriums in 1841 and was during the Second Peel Ministry of eminent speakers from the Whigopposition.

In 1842 he gave his Lays of ancient Rome out old Roman legends in ballad form, which are characterized by dramatic plot, scenic descriptions and force of style.

From July 1846 to the end of 1847 Macaulay held the post of Paymaster General with a seat and vote in the Cabinet. In the elections of 1847 he was not re-elected by the strict Protestant minded voters Edinburgh because of the made ​​by him in favor of a state support of the Catholic seminary in Maynooth vote.

Then he withdrew from the political careers to undisturbed preparing its 1841 to 1702 and started reaching History of England from the accession of James II (London 1848-55, Vol 1-4; vol 5, 1861 ) to devote that, with enthusiasm, experienced five editions in six months and immediately translated into several languages ​​was ( among other German by Friedrich Bülau, Leipzig 1849-1861, 11 vols, by Wilhelm Beseler, Brunswick from 1852 to 1861, 12 vols, in various editions, by Heinrich Paret, Stuttgart 1850-1861, 11 vols ). Macaulay's English history was compared in the German historiography in the 19th century with that of Leopold von Ranke. That alone makes it clear that he had an extraordinary importance as a historian and was perceived accordingly.

The most accurate knowledge of the facts, unsurpassed talent representation in the portrayal of characters and historical events, artistic arrangement of the material, a wealth happily selected quotes, elegance of style and efficient disposition make this work a classic of English literature. Macaulay had all the advantages of a historian: Criticism, diligence, method, Fantasy, Style, political maturity and philosophical judgment, even if only to a moderate degree. But it is this justified the huge success of his work.

Even as politicians Macaulay has more wrought by his eloquence, the unity of his thought and the loyalty of his mind than by deep ideas. His views are based on the Utilitätsgrundsatz and are often superficial.

In the fall of 1848 the University of Glasgow chose him for their Lord Rector, and 1849 he was appointed Professor of Ancient History at the Royal Academy.

In July 1852 he was sent to the House of Edinburgh again, but gave in 1856 the seat back on. On September 16, 1857, he was raised as Baron Macaulay of Rothley, in the county of Leicester, to the peer, but he's never entered the House of Lords. His title became extinct with his death.

He died on 28 December 1859 in Kensington and was on 9 January 1860 " Poet angle" Westminster Abbey ceremoniously buried.

A complete edition of his works appeared in 1860 in London in 25 volumes; recent editions are the 1866 by his sister Lady Trevelyan got in 8 volumes and the last in 18 volumes ( 1880).

Editions of her work in German translation

• Speaking Th B. Macaulay 's speeches. Translated by Friedrich Bülau. Weigel, Leipzig 1854 (2 volumes).
• Thomas Babington Macaulay speeches. Translated by Friedrich Steger. Westermann, Braunschweig 1854 (2 volumes).

• The history of England since the accession of James II Translated by Friedrich Bülau. Weigel, Leipzig 1849-1861 ( 11 volumes ).
• History of England since the reign of James II sprinted to the death of William III. Translated by William Beseler ( last volume of Theodor Stromberg ). Westermann, Braunschweig 1852-1861 ( 12 volumes ).
• History of England from the Accession of Jacobs II Translated by Henry Paret. Metzler, Stuttgart 1850-1861 ( 11 volumes ).

• First Section (Vol. 1-12): History of England ( in the translation by William Beseler ).
• Second division (Volume 13-25 ): Selected writings (in translation by Friedrich Steger ).