The History of England

What it is

This is a manuscript written in 1791 by Jane Austen at age fifteen, part of her notebook of early writings now held at the British Library. It parodies textbook histories such as Oliver Goldsmith's, mocking their claims to objectivity, and was illustrated with coloured portraits of monarchs by her sister Cassandra, to whom it is dedicated.

Why it matters

The work shows Austen's sharp satirical talent developing years before her published novels. She deliberately avoids facts and dates, favours royal women like Mary, Queen of Scots over the accepted heroes of history, and openly declares herself