Histoire, erudition et sentiment national au temps des guerres de religion: Claude Fauchet et la recherche des 'antiquites' francaises

Claude Fauchet (1530--1602) was considered by his contemporaries as one of the most erudite historians of his time. His works, focused exclusively on the study of French "Antiquities," employed a rigorous historical method. By creating standards for the collection and verification of historical sources, Fauchet attempted to establish the "historical truth" and purge French history of all the "fables" and "tales" which had corrupted it since the Middle Ages. Fauchet shared this new vision for French history with figures like Etienne Pasquier and Pierre Pithou. He is considered within this group of French "antiquarians" as one of the founders of modern historical scholarship in France. Indeed, Janet Girvan Espiner-Scott, in particular, presents the historian as a precursor of nineteenth century erudite historiography. This portrait is still commonly accepted today.; This study revisits both Fauchet's life and historical works to nuance and redefine the portrait of the historian. Although Fauchet's work and methods anticipate those of modern historiography, he is also a man of his time. Consequently, this study analyzes Fauchet's historical works in their context and devotes substantial attention to both the historian's career and his unflagging commitment to the integrity of royal power. During his tenure as a magistrate of the Cour des Monnaies, Fauchet remained faithful to the monarchy, despite the tensions created by the Wars of Religion.; This study explores how this loyalty features prominently in the historian's production. His Origines des dignites et magistrats de France, Traicte des Libertes de l'Eglise Gallicane and Pour le couronnement de Henri IV each seek to safeguard royal power from the attacks from Protestants, Catholic Leaguers or the Pope. As a loyalist magistrate, Fauchet displayed a strong sense of national sentiment. His contribution to monetary debates and his domestic missions unfailingly defended monetary national sovereignty against foreign influence. This national consciousness manifests itself in his major historical work Les Antiquitez gauloises et francoises, where he employs the Gallic origins of the French nation to minimize Roman or German cultural borrowings. Both as a historian and a magistrate, Fauchet dedicated himself to the service of king and country.