The Wars of Religion in France 1559-1576

The Wars of Religion in France 1559-1576 - The Huguenots, Catherine de Medici and Philip II

No one acquainted with the history of historical writing can have failed to observe how transitory are its achievements. Mark Pattisons aphorism that history is one of the most ephemeral forms of literature has much of truth in it. The reasons of this are not far to seek. In the first place, the most laborious historian is doomed to be superseded in course of time by the accumulation of new material. In the second place, the point of view and the interpretation of one generation varies from that which preceded it, so that each generation requires a rewriting of history in terms of its own interest. These reasons must be my excuse for venturing to write a new book upon an old subject. It is now nearly thirty years since the appearance of the late Professor Henry M. Bairds excellent work, The Rise of the Huguenots (New York, 1879), and little that is comprehensive has since been written upon the subject in English, with the exception of Mr. A. W. Whiteheads admirable Gaspard de Coligny, Admiral of France (London, 1904). But the limitations imposed by biographical history compel an author inevitably to ignore movements or events not germane to his immediate subject, which, nevertheless, may be of great importance for general history. Moreover, a biography is limited by the term of life of the hero, and his death may not by any means terminate the issue in which he was a factoras indeed was the case with Coligny. An enumeration of the notable workssources and authoritieswhich have been published since the appearance of Professor Bairds work may serve to justify the present volume. First and foremost must be mentioned the notable Lettres de Catherine de Mdicis, the lack of which Ranke deplored, edited by the late Count Hector de la Ferrire and M. Baguenault de la Puchesse (9 vols.), the initial volume of which appeared in 1880. Of diplomatic correspondence we have the Ambassade en Espagne de Jean Ebrard,[viii] seigneur de St. Sulpice de 1562 1565 (Paris, 1902), edited by M. Edmond Cabi, and th Dpches de M. Fourquevaux, ambassadeur du roi Charles IX en Espagne, 1565-72, in three volumes, edited by the Abb Douais (Paris, 1896). Other sources which have seen the light within the last three decades are M. Delabordes Vie de Coligny (3 vols., 1877-), the title of which is somewhat misleading, for it is really a collection of Colignys letters strung upon the thread of his career; the Baron Alphonse de Rubles Antoine de Bourbon et Jeanne dAlbret (4 vols., 1881); M. Ludovic Lalannes new annotated edition of DAubign (1886), and the new edition of Bezas Histoire ecclsiastique (ed. of Baum, 1883). Finally, among sources should be included many volumes in the Calendar of State Papers. Professor Baird has rightly said that Too much weight can scarcely be given to this source of information and illustration. His praise would probably have been even greater if he could have used the correspondence of Dale and Smith as freely as he did that of Throckmorton and Norris. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 49266
Author: Thompson, James Westfall
Release Date: Jun 23, 2015
Format: eBook
Language: English