James Heath (1629–1664?) was an English royalist historian.

Life

He was a Student of Christ Church, Oxford, but deprived by Parliament. He went into exile with the future Charles II of England. On the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

of 1660 he was prevented from returning to his Christ Church studentship by his status as a married man, and he became a professional author.

Writings

Heath's ''Chronicle of the Late Intestine Warr'', published in 1661 and dedicated to

General Monck George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle JP KG PC (6 December 1608 – 3 January 1670) was an English soldier, who fought on both sides during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A prominent military figure under the Commonwealth, his support was cruc ...

, portrays events similar to those of the

English Revolution The English Revolution is a term that describes two separate events in English history. Prior to the 20th century, it was generally applied to the 1688 Glorious Revolution, when James II was deposed and a constitutional monarchy established unde ...

to come. It took aim at John Milton and

Marchamont Nedham Marchamont Nedham, also Marchmont and Needham (1620 – November 1678), was a journalist, publisher and pamphleteer during the English Civil War who wrote official news and propaganda for both sides of the conflict. A "highly productive propagand ...

, among other Parliamentarians, and depicted the course of events as a cyclical change, returning to the status quo. It was used by

Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes ( ; 5/15 April 1588 – 4/14 December 1679) was an English philosopher, considered to be one of the founders of modern political philosophy. Hobbes is best known for his 1651 book ''Leviathan'', in which he expounds an influ ...

as a basic source for his '' Behemoth''. Heath was the first biographer of

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three K ...

, earning himself the name “Carrion” Heath for his ''Flagellum'' (1663). John Morrill, in a 2003 article ''Rewriting Cromwell: a case of deafening silences'', describes it as "scurrilous, mendacious, malicious"; but he commends the historical value of some additions made by an anonymous editor to the third edition, prepared after Heath's death.http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3686/is_3_38/ai_n29061232/pg_8?tag=content;col1 Heath wrote also elegies for

Thomas Fuller Thomas Fuller (baptised 19 June 1608 – 16 August 1661) was an English churchman and historian. He is now remembered for his writings, particularly his ''Worthies of England'', published in 1662, after his death. He was a prolific author, and ...

and the royalist bishops

John Gauden John Gauden (died 20 September 1662) was an English cleric. He was Bishop of Exeter then Bishop of Worcester. He was also a writer, and the reputed author of the important Royalist work '' Eikon Basilike''. Life He was born at Mayland, Essex, ...

and Robert Sanderson.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heath, James 1629 births 1664 deaths 17th-century English historians English poets English biographers