Memoirs of Jean François Paul de Gondi, Cardinal de Retz — Volume 2
Jean François Paul de Gondi, Cardinal de RetzProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019
Rating 4.0- Word count
- 270K words
- Chapters
- 28
Tags
English Originals World HistoryGeneral Biography Historical TestimonyChurch and PoliticsPolitical ConspiracyPalace IntrigueClerical MemoirPower GameAntiheroComplex HumanityFrondeFrench HistorySummary
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.Memoirs of Jean François Paul de Gondi, Cardinal de Retz — Volume 2 by RetzAuthor: Retz, Jean François Paul de Gondi de, 1613-1679,Language: English, Class: DC: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: France, Andorra, Monaco, Release Date: Dec 2, 2004Editor's review
This volume is the second volume of Cardinal de Retz's memoirs, a public-domain English translation from Project Gutenberg. It continues the author's firsthand account of political events surrounding the Fronde in seventeenth-century France and has value as a primary source. Readers see how a high-ranking churchman and political figure observed court intrigue, factional conflict, and urban unrest, in prose that has the composure and wit of classical memoirs. For readers studying early modern French history, political culture, or noble–ecclesiastical relations, this is primary material worth close reading. As a free e-book, it suits supplementary course reading or as a foundational text for specialized research. Note that the English version carries the language style of its period and unfolds through people and events rather than as a modern general history; newcomers should first grasp the basic background of the Fronde.Who it's for
A good fit for
- University students and scholars studying seventeenth-century French history and the Fronde
- Readers interested in early modern European political memoirs and court politics
- Teachers and students needing public-domain English primary sources for supplementary course reading
- Advanced readers accustomed to classical English narrative and willing to check historical background
Not a good fit for
- Beginners seeking a modern general history or introductory overview
- Readers who prefer plain, simple prose and do not want to adapt to seventeenth-century English style
- Casual readers who want only a quick account of major events in French history
Reading tips
- Read a brief history or chronology of the Fronde first, then enter this volume's narrative to reduce confusion about people and factions.
- Take notes on relationships every few chapters, marking the main figures in court, church, and urban factions.
- Slow down at long classical English sentences; prioritize the sequence of events rather than parsing every word.
- Read alongside other volumes in the series and note how the author emphasizes the same events differently across volumes.
About the publisher
Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971Project 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.
Contents
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
FAQ
Do I need to read Volume 1 before this second volume?
It is advisable to read Volume 1 first or at least know the earlier context. The memoirs continue volume by volume, and many people and events in Volume 2 are set up in the previous volume. If time is limited, you can review background on the Fronde and read this volume directly, but you may need to check relationships separately.Can I read this book if my English is not strong?
This is a public-domain English translation in the classical style of seventeenth-century memoirs, with many long sentences and old-fashioned expressions. Readers with modest English will find it demanding; consider pairing it with French history books in Chinese or reading a modern English general history first before attempting the original.Is this book suitable for citation in historical research?
As a participant's memoir, it has value as a primary source for studying political culture, factional struggle, and the author's personal perspective. But memoirs carry the author's stance and later reconstruction; when citing, compare with other contemporary sources and do not treat it as an objective factual record.What are the features of the Project Gutenberg edition?
This edition is a free e-book in the public domain, easy to download and search. It is based on an existing English translation and includes no modern scholarly notes or introduction, so readers must supply historical background themselves. It suits use as a foundational text rather than a scholarly edition with detailed annotation.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
Jean François Paul de Gondi, Cardinal de Retz Author · French · 1613–1679Jean François Paul de Gondi de Retz (1613–1679), commonly known as Cardinal de Retz, was a French churchman, politician, and memoirist from the Florentine-descended Gondi family. He served as coadjutor archbishop of Paris, took an active part in the Fronde, and later became a cardinal. In his later years he lived in retirement and devoted himself to writing; his Memoirs are noted for their vivid narrative and sharply drawn characters and are regarded as a classic of seventeenth-century French literature. The collection holds the complete Memoirs and Volumes 1 to 4, along with a selection of quotes and images from the Cardinal de Retz Memoirs, six titles in all. Public information is limited, so further biographical details are omitted here.