Ideas of Monarchical Reform: Fénelon, Jacobitism and the Political Works of the Chevalier Ramsay

249 Pages·2015·6.916 MB·English

by  Andrew Mansfield

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STUDIES IN EARLY MODERN
EUROPEAN HISTORY e Ideas of monarchical reform
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s
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This book examines the political works of Andrew Michael Ramsay (1683–1743) f Fénelon, Jacobitism and the political
within the context of early eighteenth-century British and French political
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thought.In the first monograph on Ramsay in English for over sixty years,the works of the Chevalier Ramsay
author uses Ramsay to engage in a broader evaluation of the theory in the two o
countries and the exchange between them. n
a
After the Glorious Revolution (1688),Britain had rejected James II’s absolutist
r
pretensions in favour of a monarch that governed through Parliament,while in c
France Louis XIV ruled a seemingly absolute state.Yet in the first three decades h ANDREW MANSFIELD
of that century,the growing impetus towards mixed government in Britain i
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influenced the political theory of its long-standing enemy.Shaped by experiences
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and ideologies of the seventeenth century,thinkers in both states expressed a l
desire to stimulate change by integrating past wisdom with modern knowledge.
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A Scottish Jacobite émigré living in Paris,Ramsay employed a synthesis of British
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and French principles to promote a Stuart restoration.He offered a daring vision o
of European co-operation that would allow Britain to claim its place as the ‘capital r
of the universe.’Adapting a range of philosophies,including his mentor m
Archbishop Fénelon’s opposition to Louis XIV,Ramsay created a compelling image
of the future that grappled with key political ideas extant in Britain and France.
Mansfield reveals that Ramsay was an important intellectual conduit for the two
countries,whose contribution to the history of political thought has been greatly
under appreciated. M
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With extensive analysis of Britain and France between the 1660s and 1730s,this
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book will be of interest to scholars,students and those with an interest in the
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history of political thought,religious,intellectual,political and cultural history, F
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as well as the early Enlightenment. E
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ANDREW MANSFIELDis Lecturer in Historyat Goldsmiths,University of London,
and a member of the Sussex Centre for Intellectual History (University of Sussex)
James II (1633–1701) King of England,and VII of
Scotland (both from 1685–1701) being received by
Louis XIV of France at St Germains,7th January 1689.
(Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
ISBN 978-0-7190-8837-7
9 780719 088377
www.manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk
Ideas of monarchical reform
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STUDIES IN EARLY MODERN
EUROPEAN HISTORY
This series aims to publish
challenging and innovative research in all areas
of early modern continental history.
The editors are committed to encouraging work
that engages with current historiographical
debates, adopts an interdisciplinary
approach, or makes an original contribution
to our understanding of the period.
series editors
Joseph Bergin, William G. Naphy, Penny Roberts and Paolo Rossi
Also available in the series
Jews on trial: The papal inquisition in Modena,
1598–1638 Katherine Aron-Beller
Sodomy in early modern Europe ed. Tom Betteridge
Princely power in the Dutch Republic:
Patronage and William Frederick of Nassau (1613–64)
Geert H. Janssen, trans. J. C. Grayson
Representing the King’s splendour: Communication and reception
of symbolic forms of power in viceregal Naples
Gabriel Guarino
The English Republican tradition and eighteenth-century France:
between the ancients and the moderns Rachel Hammersley
Power and reputation at the court of Louis XIII:
the career of Charles d’Albert, duc de Luynes (1578–1621) Sharon Kettering
Absolute monarchy on the frontiers: Louis XIV’s military occupations of
Lorraine and Savoy Phil McCluskey
Catholic communities in Protestant states: Britain and the Netherlands c.1570–1720
eds Bob Moore, Henk van Nierop, Benjamin Kaplan and Judith Pollman
Orangism in the Dutch Republic in word and image, 1650–1675
Jill Stern
The great favourite: the Duke of Lerma and the court
and government of Philip III of Spain, 1598–1621
Patrick Williams
Full details of the series are available
at www.manchesteruniversitypress.com
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Ideas of monarchical
reform
Fénelon, Jacobitism and the political works
of the Chevalier Ramsay
ANDREW MANSFIELD

Manchester University Press
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Copyright © Andrew Mansfield 2015
The right of Andrew Mansfield to be identified as the author of this work has been
asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
Published by Manchester University Press
Altricham Street, Manchester M1 7JA, UK
www.manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data applied for
ISBN 978 0 7190 8837 7 hardback
First published 2015
The publisher has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for any external or
third-party internet websites referred to in this book, and does not guarantee that any content
on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
Typeset in Perpetua with Albertus display
by Koinonia, Manchester
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For Samantha
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Contents
Acknowledgements page viii
Note on the text ix
Introduction 1
1 Division and unity I: revolution and party 14
2 Division and unity II: fear and corruption 51
3 The political principles of Fénelon 83
4 The reign of Louis XIV: absolute monarchy 105
5 Confronting the legacy of Louis XIV: government reform and Britain 129
6 Ramsay and his associations 152
7 A mythical conversation: an Essay and a Vie 166
8 A mythical education: Ramsay’s Cyrus and Plan 190
Conclusion 216
Select bibliography 223
Index 233
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Acknowledgements
This book developed from my D.Phil. thesis at the University of Sussex and has
morphed into something much larger, and much improved. As a consequence
I have accrued a number of debts of gratitude that are both professional and
personal. On a professional level I would like to thank the editors at MUP for
their support and help in the writing of this monograph, as well as the anony-
mous reviewer whose advice was perspicacious and most helpful. To those
involved in the process of formulating ideas and writing the monograph I would
particularly like to thank Cesare Cuttica for his invaluable advice and comrade-
ship over the past few years. I would also like to single out Doohwan Ahn, Sophie
Bisset, Nick Funke, Knud Haakonssen, Rob Iliffe, Jim Livesey, Amanda McKeever,
Mia Saugman, Norman Vance, and Richard Whatmore for their support. I am
grateful to the Sussex Centre for Intellectual History, plus my colleagues in the
Department of History, and former students. For other assistance and answering
repeated email queries Eveline Cruickshanks, Peter van den Dungen, Miriam
Eliav-Feldon, Anna Lazzarino Del Grosso, Colin Kidd, Enrico Pasini, Murray
Pittock, Paul Schuurman, Christoph Schmitt-Maaß, Koen Stapelbroek, Daniel
Szechi, Paul Wood, as well as Richard Bourke, Quentin Skinner, and those who
participated in the Popular Sovereignty Project.
Most of all I would like to thank my family and friends, some of whom
have lived the book and Ramsay with me, especially Kay and Lee who allowed
me to invade their house to write sections of the monograph. I wish to dedicate
the book to my daughters Charlotte and Lana who have endured my obsessive
hours working, but principally I dedicate this to my wife Samantha (Sam). She
has managed the highs and lows as I worked on the project with great tolera-
tion, and taken on the lion’s share of duties at home to make it possible, while
supporting me throughout.
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Note on the text
The spelling, punctuation, italicisation and use of capital letters in quotations
has followed the original in both English and French. All translations are my own
unless stated.
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