History of Civilization in England, Vol. 2 of 3
CHAPTER VI.
STATE OF HISTORICAL LITERATURE IN FRANCE FROM THE END OF THE SIXTEENTH TO THE END OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.
Historical literature in France before the end of the sixteenth century 261-265
Improvement in the method of writing history late in the sixteenth century 266-267
Still further progress early in the seventeenth century 268-270
Which became more marked in Mezeray's history in 1643 271-272
Retrograde movement under Louis XIV. 273-279
Illustration of this from the work of Audigier 279-282
And from that of Bossuet 282-291
Immense improvements introduced by Voltaire 292-313
His History of Charles XII. 292-295
His Age of Louis XIV. 296-297
His Morals, Manners, and Character of Nations 297-298
His views adopted by Mallet, Mably, Velly, Villaret, Duclos, and Hénault 299-300
His habit of looking at epochs 301
A remark of his adopted by Constant 302
He advocated free trade 304
His anticipation of Malthus 304-305
His attack on the Middle Ages 305-306
And on the pedantic admirers of antiquity 306-308
He weakened the authority of mere scholars and theologians 308-309
Who had repeated the most childish absurdities respecting the early history of Rome 309-310
In attacking which Voltaire anticipated Niebuhr 310-313
Ignorant prejudice against him in England 313
His vast labours were aided by Montesquieu 314
The works of Montesquieu, and value of his method 314-319
The discourses of Turgot, and their influence 320-321
All this hastened the advance of the French Revolution 321-322