An Anatomy of the Historical Revolution in Renaissance France*
Zachary S. Schiffman
In his Dessein de l'histoire nouvelle des françois , Lancelot Voisin La Popelinière offered a blueprint for French history of broader range and deeper reach than any previous effort. He divided proposed work into three parts: pre-Roman Gaul, Roman the kingdom France from Merovingians to present. Part one would concern “the form government, public private, Gauls living in liberty before Romans had envied, undermined, eventually seized their dominion.” It detail religion (its priests rituals), nobility composition, privileges, lifestyle), lesser social orders (merchants, artisans, commoners), institutions (laws, magistrates, other officials) — “in brief, everything notable about so little-known state.” two follow same pattern but even greater detail, examining changes introduced by “religion, administration, justice, military discipline, finances, business, ” as well changes.
Renaissance Quarterly