Abraham Nicolas Amelot de la Houssaye (1634–1706) was a French historian and political critic.

Life

He was born at

Orléans Orléans (;"Orleans"
(US) and embassy A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually den ...

from the French court to the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

Works

In his ''Histoire du gouvernement de Venise'', he undertook to explain, and above all to criticize, the administration of that republic, and to expose the causes of its decadence. The work was printed by the king's printer and dedicated to Louvois, which suggests that the government did not disapprove of it. It appeared in March 1676 and drew a heated protest from the Venetian ambassador, Marcantonio Giustinian, later the doge of Venice. The author was sent to the

Bastille The Bastille (, ) was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. It was stor ...

, where he remained for six weeks. A second edition with a supplement, published immediately after, drew fresh protestations, and the edition was suppressed. This persecution gave the book such notoriety that it passed through twenty-two editions in three years and was translated into several languages; there is an English translation by

Lord Falconbridge Baron Fauconberg (also Falconberg or Falconbridge) is an hereditary title created twice in the Peerage of England. First created in 1295 when Sir Walter de Fauconberg, an Anglo-Norman, was summoned to parliament. Between 1463 and 1903 the peerag ...

, son-in-law of

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three K ...

. Amelot next published in 1683 a translation of Paolo Sarpi's ''History of the

Council of Trent The Council of Trent ( la, Concilium Tridentinum), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation, it has been described a ...

''. This work, and especially certain notes added by the translator, so offended advocates of the unlimited authority of the

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

that three memorials were presented asking for its repression. Under the pseudonym of ''La Motte Josseval'', Amelot later published ''Discours politique sur Tacite'', in which he analysed the character of

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...

. A 21st-century interpretation of Amelot's role argues that Amelot, having been jailed for his political criticism expressed in his ''History of the Government of Venice'', turned to annotated editions of classic and renaissance texts in order to continue his critique of the absolutist government of

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ver ...

by indirect means. Amelot's versions of Tacitus' account of Tiberius and other sections of the ''Annales'', along with his influential translation of Machiavelli's ''

The Prince ''The Prince'' ( it, Il Principe ; la, De Principatibus) is a 16th-century political treatise written by Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli as an instruction guide for new princes and royals. The general theme of ''The ...

'', became crucial elements in the development and expansion of critical political analysis during the

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for "ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for ...

. To function under conditions of censorship, Amelot thinly veiled his political views as comments on other writers. In doing so, he exposed the absolutist claims of monarchy to examination by the literate bourgeoisie.Jacob Soll, ''Publishing The Prince: History, Reading & the Birth of Political Criticism'' (Ann Arbor 2005)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Houssaye, Abraham Nicolas Amelot de la 1634 births 1706 deaths Writers from Orléans 17th-century French historians French male writers