Traitédes invectives au temps de la Reforme (review)

The tensions between Catholics and Protestants in sixteenth-century France caused unspeakable atrocities and produced a series of civil wars that tore the country apart. But these tensions also manifested themselves in writing through the countless pamphlets that Catholics and Protestants exchanged during the period considered in this book (1510–84). It is these pamphlets that Claude Postel analyzes in his Traitédes invectives, allowing us to understand better, and to see firsthand, the battle of words fought by the intellectuals of the two camps. The texts examined do not belong to religious controversy, but were rather written on the spur of the moment, and in conjunction with the political developments occurring both in France and in Europe. Indeed, one of the author's merits is to have carefully situated the production of these pamphlets in their historical and political contexts.

The book is divided in two major parts: a first part retraces the history of these tensions, starting with the spreading of the ideas of the Reformation, and the threat they posed to the Roman Catholic Church, the reaction of the Church, and the period of civil wars that ensued. In the second part, the author examines the persons, the objects, the practices, and the beliefs generally targeted in these pamphlets, as well as the vocabulary used by each party to attack and discredit their adversary. At the end of the book, a glossary presents the words most frequently employed in these name-calling tactics, while copious quotations and bibliographical information complete the presentation.

The war of words and the accusations that flourished between 1510 (the last years of Louis XII's reign) and 1584 (death of the Duke of Anjou) had different targets and varied in intensity depending on the events and the debates of the moment. At first, the fight was not between Protestants and Catholics, but actually took place within the Roman Catholic world itself. Some criticized the practices and the behavior of the clergy, and called for a reformation of a Church that was plagued by too many scandals. Such was already the case of the monk Eloy d' Amerval, who published in 1508 his satirical poem Le Livre de la déablerie. Others followed, such as Noël Béda (or Bédier) (La Petite Dyablerie dont Lucifer est le chef), Laurent Desmoulins (Le Cymetière des malheureux), and Jean Bouchet (La Déploration de l'église militante). The Gallicans were also active, and questioned the authority of the popes over French monarchs. Violent pamphlets against the papacy were composed, such as those written by Pierre Gringore, La Chasse au cerf des cerfs (1511) (directed at Julius II) and Le Jeu du prince des sots (1512). Soon, however, the contestation of the Church came from outside, fueled by a new humanist philosophy, the spreading of Lutheran ideas in France, and the establishment of Calvinism. Their circulation was favored by increased traveling between countries, and the publications and translations of books that were to have an enormous impact on European mentalities. Luther's works were translated in French as early as 1520–22, while Calvin published in Latin his Institution in 1536 (which he translated, expanded, and published in French in 1541), the same year Geneva embraced the Reformation.

As the years went by and the Wars of Religion were under way, pamphlets became much more political in nature. Depending on their beliefs and positions, the targets of invectives were now the leaders of the powerful families of Guise and Bourbon, for example. Even the king and the queen (Charles IX, Catherine of Medici, and Henry III) were not spared by the doctrine of the Monarchomaques, who threatened the authority of the king.

Overall, this book is a wonderful contribution to the study of religious and political life in sixteenth-century France. By examining the pamphlets written at the time, Postel demonstrates how a battle of words and ideas that was originally religious...