City Readers Digital Historic Collections at the New York Society Library

Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke (/ˈsɪndʒᵻn/, /ˈbɒlɪŋbrʊk/ 16 September 1678 – 12 December 1751) was an English politician, government official and political philosopher. He was a leader of the Tories, and supported the Church of England politically despite his antireligious views and opposition to theology. In 1715 he supported the Jacobite rebellion of 1715 which sought to overthrow the new king George I. Escaping to France he became foreign minister for the Pretender. He was attainted for treason, but reversed course and was allowed to return to England in 1723. He is best known as the philosopher of the Country Party.