The History of Henry Esmond
by William Makepeace Thackeray
The History of Henry Esmond, Esq.: A Colonel in the Service of Her Majesty, Queen Anne is an historical novel by Thackeray, in which Henry Esmond tells his own story as a memoir. While the author credits state, "Written By Himself" it is clearly Thackeray's authorship, and a fine example of a Victorian historical novel with interwoven events and characters, both real and imagined, from 17th- and 18th-century England. Oscar Wilde observed: "Thackeray's Esmond is a beautiful work of art because he wrote it to please himself."
Preface - The Esmonds of Virginia
Book I - The Early Youth of Henry Esmond
Chapter I - An Account of the Family of Esmond of Castlewood Hall
Chapter II - Relates How Francis Fourth Viscount Arrives at Castlewood
Chapter III - Whiter in the Time of Thomas, Third Viscount
Chapter IV - I Am Placed Under a Popish Priest and Bred to That Religion
Chapter V - My Superiors are Involved in Plots for the Restoration of King James II
Chapter VI - The Issue of the Plots
Chapter VII - I Am Left at Castlewood an Orphan
Chapter VIII - After Good Fortune Comes Evil
Chapter IX - I Have the Smallpox, and Prepare to Leave Castlewood
Chapter X - I Go to Cambridge, and Do But Little Good There
Chapter XI - I Come Home for a Holiday to Castlewood
Chapter XII - My Lord Mohun Comes Among Us for No Good
Chapter XIII - My Lord Leaves Us and His Evil Behind Him
Chapter XIV - We Ride After Him to London
Book II - Mr. Esmond's Military Life, and Other Matters
Chapter I - I Am In Prison, and Visited, But Not Consoled There
Chapter II - I Come to the End of My Captivity, But Not of My Trouble
Chapter III - I Took the Queen's Pay in Quin's Regiment
Chapter V - I Go on the Vigo Bay Expedition, Taste Salt, and Smell Powder
Chapter VI - The 29th December
Chapter VII - I Am Made Welcome at Walcote
Chapter IX - I Make the Campaign of 1704
Chapter X - An Old Story About a Fool and a Woman
Chapter XI - The Famous Mr. Joseph Addison
Chapter XII - I Get a Company in the Campaign of 1706
Chapter XIII - I Meet an Old Acquaintance in Flanders
Chapter XIV - The Campaign of 1707, 1708
Chapter XV - General Webb Wins the Battle of Wynendael
Book III - Containing the End of Mr. Esmond's Adventures
Chapter I - I Come to An End of My Battles and Bruises
Chapter II - I Go Home and Harp on the Old String
Chapter III - A Paper Out of the "Spectator."
Chapter IV - Beatrix's New Suitor
Chapter V - Mohun Appears for the Last Time in This History
Chapter VII - I Visit Castlewood Once More
Chapter VIII - I Travel to France and Bring Home a Portrait of Rigaud
Chapter IX - The Origin of the Portrait Comes to England
Chapter X - We Entertain a Very Distinguished Guest at Kensington
Chapter XI - Our Guest Quits Us as Not Being Hospitable Enough
Chapter XII - A Great Scheme, and Who Balked It
Chapter XIII - August 1st, 1714