History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, Volume 1

Merle d‘Aubigné, J. H. (Jean Henri), 1794-1872Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 4.2

Word count: 859K words
Chapters: 86

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, Volume 1 by Merle d'AubignéAuthor: Merle d'Aubigné, J. H. (Jean Henri), 1794-1872,Language: English, Class: BR: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Christianity, Release Date: Sep 25, 2012

Editor's review

This is the public-domain English edition of Volume 1 of Merle d'Aubigné's History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, prepared and released by Project Gutenberg. A classic narrative work in the nineteenth-century Protestant historiographical tradition, it traces the background and early course of the Reformation through personalities and events, in a style marked by the convictions and oratorical tone of its age. Its value lies first in its organization of source material and narrative completeness, making it a useful introductory framework for the history of the Reformation; second, it is itself a primary text for studying nineteenth-century historiography and religious narrative, and thus has significance for the history of historical writing. Readers should note the author's clearly Protestant stance and his far-from-neutral judgments of figures, and should read him alongside later academic scholarship. This electronic edition gives the original English text without modern notes or introduction; background reading is recommended.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in the history of the European Reformation who want a basic outline
Scholars studying nineteenth-century Protestant historiography and modes of historical writing
Learners who want to train historical English reading through an original English text
Teachers who need public-domain source material for lesson preparation or reading groups

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking neutral, multi-perspective contemporary scholarship
Beginners whose English is not yet strong and who need Chinese translation and notes
Tool-oriented readers who only want a quick chronology of events and conclusions

Reading tips

Begin with the introductory chapters of the volume to grasp the author's starting point in time and his central figures, then proceed in order.
Note as you go the language the author uses to judge Luther, the papacy, and other parties, so as to recognize his stance.
After each stage, check the facts against the corresponding chapters of a modern general history, reading the two in parallel.
The English sentences are often long; read slowly in sections, marking proper names first and checking them together afterwards.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is the book's narrative stance neutral?

No. Merle d'Aubigné belongs to the nineteenth-century Protestant historiographical tradition; he evaluates Reformation figures largely favorably and takes a critical attitude toward the papacy. Readers should treat the book as a classic narrative with a pronounced stance rather than as an objective general history in the contemporary academic sense, and should preferably read it alongside works taking a neutral view.

There is no Chinese translation or annotation. Is it hard to read?

This is the public-domain English electronic text released by Project Gutenberg, with no modern introduction, notes, or glossary of names. Readers with a good command of English can read it through, but sixteenth-century personal names, place names, and theological terms are numerous. Prepare background material or a general history for support, check proper names in batches, and avoid stopping over every word, which would slow your progress.

Is this edition suitable for academic citation?

It can be cited as a primary text for studying nineteenth-century historical narrative, but it should not be used as a factual authority on contemporary Reformation history. The electronic edition has no page numbering system or editorial notes; when citing it, state that the source is the Project Gutenberg electronic text, and verify specific historical facts against an authoritative edition.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Merle d‘Aubigné, J. H. (Jean Henri), 1794-1872 Author

J. H. Merle d’Aubigné (Jean Henri, 1794–1872) was a nineteenth-century historical writer. Six of his works are held in this collection, all centred on the Reformation of the sixteenth century. His representative works include the multi-volume History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century (Volumes 1, 2, 3 and 5), the first volume of History of the Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin, and Volume 4 of History of the Great Reformation. These works are noted for their detailed narrative and clear structure, setting out the rise and spread of the reform movement by period and region and attending to both persons and events, which makes them highly readable. Because public information is limited, the details of his life cannot be reliably established; but the scale and subject matter of his works show that he devoted himself over many years to compiling and writing the history of the Reformation. His works circulated widely in the English-speaking world and remain a useful reference for understanding the sixteenth-century Reformation.