quarter of the 20th century that his writings were assessed with any critical enthusiasm. The History of the Dividing Line is Byrd's most influential piece of literary work and is now featured regularly in textbooks of American Colonial literature. Through The Secret History, the societal stereotypes and attitudes of the time are revealed. According to Pierre Marambaud, Byrd "had first prepared a narrative, The Secret History of the Line, which under fictitious names described the persons of the surveying expedition and the incidents that had befallen them." Major works Many of his works were in manuscript form and published after his death. His major works include: A Discourse Concerning the Plague (1721) The Westover Manuscripts: Containing the History of the Dividing Line Betwixt Virginia and North Carolina; A Journey to the Land of Eden, A.D. 1733; and A Progress to the Mines; Written from 1728 to 1736, and Now First Published (1841) The Secret Diary of William Byrd of Westover, 1709–1712 (1941) Another Secret Diary of William Byrd of Westover, 1739–1741, with Letters & Literary Exercises, 1696 (1942) The London Diary, 1717–1728 and other Writings (1958) The Prose Works of William Byrd of Westover: Narratives of a Colonial Virginian (1966) The Commonplace Book of William Byrd II of Westover (2001) Death William Byrd II died on August 26, 1744, and was buried at Westover Plantation in Charles City County. Notes References Sources Published UNCG Further reading Katheder, Thomas, "Provenance of William Byrd's Copy of Britannia Illustrata: Byrd's London Bookseller Identified" (August 29, 2011). (Discussion of Byrd's private library and discovery of one of his principal London booksellers.) [Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1919240] External links 1674 births 1744 deaths 18th-century American male writers 18th-century American non-fiction writers American colonial writers American diarists American planters American slave owners William Byrd II Fellows of the Royal Society People educated at Felsted School People from Charles City County, Virginia Virginia Governor's Council members Virginia lawyers Writers from Virginia Writers of American Southern literature