Abstract

Etienne Pasquier's Recherches de la France have been praised as the most important monument of sixteenth-century French historiography. But Pasquier's concern for moral instruction makes his concept of historiography different from ours. He proposes verifiable historical anecdotes analogously to contemporary moral issues. These historical parallels are "...exemples qui deussent servir d'un bon miroir et enseignement a nous autres..." . His notion of ethical ideals moreover, is shaped by his experience as a parliamentarian and his belief in the orderly, hierarchical processes of government. ;My dissertation shows how Pasquier uses commonplaces from the tradition of the Mirrors for the Prince to structure ethical themes. As president of the chambre des comptes, Pasquier counseled kings towards moderation. His Mirror commonplaces emphasize the king's duty to seek counsel as a means of safeguarding the continuity of the state. ;The chapters of my dissertation portray Pasquier in his time, analyze examples of his historiography and present an overview of his moral Mirror for the prince. Chapter one offers Pasquier's ideal self-portrait for emulation by his peers and for instruction of the king. Chapter two presents Pasquier's use of historical parallels: an instructive comparison between the ancient Gauls and the France of his time. He recommends independence, which the Gauls had lost to the Romans. Pasquier casts the Gauls as a warlike people who abided by an unwritten system of law interpreted by the Druids. Parliamentarians are successors of the Druids, wise counselors to kings. ;Chapters three and four study commonplaces of advice: kings must temper their anger; trustworthy counselors should direct kings, minorities. Such Mirror discourse is commonly found in works by Pasquier's contemporaries and near contemporaries. Pasquier does not write a formal treatise, but couches themes in historical parallels or in direct statements. Pasquier's Mirror sets out that the king's duty is to embody law as understood by parliament. ;Pasquier uses history to teach ethics. Like the Essais of Montaigne, the Recherches are a free-flowing composition by an author who is neither a thorough historian nor a systematic political thinker. He is a patriot who records his insights for his king