The French Court Historical Writing as a Form of Manifestation of the Royal Power (Late 16th — First Half of 17th Century)

Abstract

The present paper argues that the French historical writing in the late sixteenth and in the first half of the seventeenth century became a form of manifestation of the French royal power. The integrated scientific approach chosen in this research permits the author to draw several new conclusions concerning the multiplicity of forms of publicity of the French absolute monarchy. Three main aspects are in question: the institutional (or socio-political) one, the aspect of publishing specific in early modern Europe, and the substantial aspect of the historical discourse of the epoch. The existence of the court office of the royal historiographer (historiographe du roi) itself was a form of manifestation of the French royal power as it symbolized the special assignment of historical knowledge to the crown. Another visible form of manifestation of the French royal power connected with the historical writing of the epoch was the form of existence of works consecrated to historical subjects, i.e. the peculiarities of design of the editions of historical writings. Finally, the subject area of historical works in question were also related to the manifestation of the strengthening absolute monarchy. The court historical writing in early modern France evolved in tight connection with the erudite intellectual movement. Thus, however diverse the erudite movement had been, its massive current was deeply connected with the crown and its different ambitions — from uniting territories and gaining fidelity of its subjects to glorifying the French kings and controlling all the spheres of political and cultural life in the kingdom.