Samuel Smiles

The Huguenots in France (eBook, ePUB)

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

Though the greatest number of Huguenots banished from France at the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes were merchants and manufacturers, who transferred their skill and arts to England, which was not then a manufacturing country; a large number of nobles and gentry emigrated to this and other countries, leaving their possessions to be confiscated by the French king. The greater number of the nobles entered the armies of the countries in which they took refuge. In Holland, they joined the army of the Prince of Orange, afterwards William III., King of England. After driving the armies of Louis XIV. out of Ireland, they met the French at Ramilies, Blenheim, and Malplacquet, and other battles in the Low Countries. A Huguenot engineer directed the operations at the siege of Namur, which ended in its capture. Another conducted the siege of Lille, which was also taken. But perhaps the greatest number of Huguenot nobles entered the Prussian service. Their descendants revisited France on more than one occasion. They overran the northern and eastern parts of France in 1814 and 1815; and last of all they vanquished the descendants of their former persecutors at Sedan in 1870. Sedan was, prior to the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, the renowned seat of Protestant learning; while now it is known as the scene of the greatest military catastrophe which has occurred in modern history. The Prime Minister of France, M. Jules Simon, not long ago recorded the fateful effects of Louis XIV.'s religious intolerance. In discussing the perpetual ecclesiastical questions which still disturb France, he recalled the fact that not less than eighty of the German staff in the late war were representatives of Protestant families, driven from France by the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Blackmore Dennett
• Erscheinungstermin: 9. August 2018
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9788828371977
• Artikelnr.: 53520277

Autorenporträt

Samuel Smiles (1812-1904) was a Scottish author and government reformer, widely recognized for his promotion of self-help and individual responsibility. His works transcended literary boundaries to become iconic in the arenas of self-improvement and social philosophy. Born on December 23, 1812, in Haddington, East Lothian, Smiles pursued a career in medicine after graduating from the University of Edinburgh but soon shifted his focus towards journalism and political reform. A prolific writer, Smiles is most renowned for his 1859 book 'Self-Help; with Illustrations of Character and Conduct,' which laid the groundwork for the self-help literary genre and is considered a seminal work in Victorian literature. However, his oeuvre includes an array of historical and biographical works, reflecting his belief in the instructive power of history. Among these is 'The Huguenots in France' (1867), wherein Smiles delves into the history of the French Protestants, detailing their struggles and the influences of their character, industry, and faith on society. This piece is a testament to his literary style that often illuminates the triumph of perseverance and moral integrity against adversity. Smiles's influence extended beyond his many publications, as his ideas on self-reliance and the ethic of hard work became ingrained in Victorian culture and, by extension, the broader capitalist ethos of the 19th and 20th centuries. His works continue to be referenced for their contribution to the understanding of Victorian society and the development of the self-help movement.