Trevor Aston - Crisis in Europe 1560 - 1660

Past and Present began publication in 1952. It has established itself as one of the leading historical journals, publishing in lively and readable form a wide variety of scholarly and original articles.

Much important work by English and foreign scholars on the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries first appeared in the form of articles in the journal. Originally published in 1965, this collection brings together a broad selection of these articles which have much common ground in the questions they discuss. Together they cover many aspects of crisis and change in most European countries in society, government, economics, religion and education. The book will be welcomed by all interested in this much debated period.

Each [essay] is a piece of concentrated research, vigorously written and full of challenge in its conclusions. The book is quite indispensable for all libraries, all history dons and all history teachers. The Times Educational Supplement

First published in 1965
by Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd

This edition first published in 2011 by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN

Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017

1965 Trevor Aston & Kegan Paul Ltd

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Publishers Note
The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this reprint but points out that some imperfections in the original copies may be apparent.

Disclaimer
The publisher has made every effort to trace copyright holders and welcomes correspondence from those they have been unable to contact.

A Library of Congress record exists under LC Control Number: 65015638

ISBN: 978-0-415-69476-6 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-0-203-14524-1 (ebk)

CONTRIBUTORS

John Bossy
Alan Cole
Mark H. Curtis
J. H. Elliott
Pierre Goubert
E. J. Hobsbawm
V. G. Kiernan
Brian Manning
Roland Mousnier
Terence Ranger
Michael Roberts
Keith Thomas
H. R. Trevor-Roper

ROUTLEDGE & PAUL
London

Christopher Hill, Balliol College, Oxford

E. J. Hobsbawm, Birkbeck College, London

H. R. Trevor-Roper, Oriel College, Oxford

Roland Mousnier, Sorbonne, Paris, J. H. Elliott and H. R. Trevor-Roper

V. G. Kiernan, University of Edinburgh

VI. THE FRENCH PEASANTRY OF THE SEVENTEENTH
CENTURY: A REGIONAL EXAMPLE

Pierre Goubert, University of Rennes

J. H. Elliott, Trinity College, Cambridge

Michael Roberts, The Queen's University, Belfast

John Bossy, University of London, Goldsmiths' College

Brian Manning, University of Manchester

Terence Ranger, The University College, Dar es Salaam

Mark H. Curtis, University of California, Los Angeles

Keith Thomas, St. John's College, Oxford

Alan Cole, University of Bristol

MR. CHRISTOPHER HILL, in his Introduction, explains the general background to these articles and the journal from which they are drawn. The actual selection of the articles was done by the Editorial Board of the journal. In making our selection, we omitted all articles which had already been reprinted or incorporated in books by their authors, with the sole exception of the article by Professor Pierre Goubert which may be more accessible to readers than his two volumes on Beauvais et le Beauvaisis de 1600 1730 (Paris, 1960). The collection thus presents a good deal less than the sum of work which appeared on its subject in Past and Present 195262; and (in addition to articles mentioned by Mr. Hill on page 2), it may be worth drawing attention to the following (issue number, and date being given in brackets): Christopher Hill, Puritans and the Poor (No. 2, Nov. 1952); S. F. Mason, Science and Religion in Seventeenth-Century England (No. 3, Feb. 1953); W. G. Hoskins, The Rebuilding of Rural England (No. 4, Nov. 1953); Eric Mercer, The Houses of the Gentry (No. 5, May 1954); Lawrence Stone, The Inflation of Honours (No. 14, Nov. 1958); Francis Haskell, The Market for Italian Art in the Seventeenth Century (No. 15, Apr. 1959); and C. B. Macpherson, Harringtons Opportunity State (No. 17, Apr. 1960).

Since the volume was planned, further important contributions have appeared in Past and Present, closely bearing on themes in the anthology. In particular may be mentioned: W. T. MacCaffrey, Elizabethan Politics: the First Decade, 15581568 (No. 24, Apr. 1963); the debate on Harrington between John F. H. New and C. B. Macpherson (in Nos. 24 and 25, Apr. and July 1963); Joan Simon, The Social Origins of Cambridge Students 16031640 (No. 26, Nov. 1963); Christopher Hill, William Harvey and the Idea of Monarchy (No. 27, Apr. 1964); Lawrence Stone, TheEducational Revolution in England, 15601640 (No. 28, July 1964); and H. F. Kearney, Puritanism, Capitalism and the Scientific Revolution (ibid.).

The articles here appear for the most part in their original form. All authors were invited to make necessary corrections and minor alterations in the text and notes; and a few additions have been made to references in the footnotes, but no attempt was made to bring these generally up to date. Some preliminary matter in Dr. Mannings article has been omitted in this reprinting. Otherwise the substantial alterations are twofold. First, it was impossible to reprint all the contributions to the symposium on Professor Trevor-Ropers article on the General Crisis; this necessarily involved the author adjusting his reply to the contributions. Second, Dr. Hobsbawm has added a short postscript to his two original articles.