Modern history

The Age of Louis XIV: 1648-1715

The Age of Louis XIV: 1648-1715

The eighth volume of Will Durant's acclaimed ''Story of Civilization'' series, The Age of Louis XIV chronicles the history of European civilization from 1648 to 1715. In this masterful work, listeners will encounter the tumultuous rule of the Louis XIV, who ruled France for over seventy years; the artists and leaders of England, including Milton, Jonathan Swift, and the Merry Monarch, Charles II; the tragic heroism of Swedens Charles XII and Peter the Greats reign in Russia; the persecution of Jews across Europe; and the intellectual adventure of the European mind from superstition and intolerance to science and philosophy. This volume ends with the death of Louis XIV, who left his people both destitute and disillusioned.

BOOK I: THE FRENCH ZENITH: 1643–1715

Chapter I. THE SUN RISES: 1643–84

I. Mazarin and the Fronde

II. The King

III. Nicolas Fouquet

IV. Colbert Rebuilds France

V. Manners and Morals

VI. The Court

VII. The King’s Women

VIII. Le Roi S’en Va-t-en Guerre

Chapter II. THE CRUCIBLE OF FAITH: 1643–1715

I. The King and the Church

II. Port-Royal: 1204–1626

III. The Jansenists and the Jesuits

IV. Pascal

V. Port-Royal: 1656–1715

VI. The King and the Huguenots

VII. Bossuet

VIII. Fénelon

Chapter III. THE KING AND THE ARTS: 1643–1715

I. The Organization of the Arts

II. Architecture

III. Decoration

IV. Painting

V. Sculpture

Chapter IV. MOLIÈRE: 1622–73

I. The French Theater

II. Apprenticeship

III. Molière and the Ladies

IV. L’Affaire Tartuffe

V. The Amorous Atheist

VI. Meridian

VII. Curtain

Chapter V. THE CLASSIC ZENITH IN FRENCH LITERATURE: 1643–1715

I. Milieu

II. Corneille Postscript

III. Racine

IV. La Fontaine

V. Boileau

VI. The Romantic Protest

VII. Mme. de Sévigné

VIII. La Rochefoucauld

IX. La Bruyère

X. For Good Measure

Chapter VI. TRAGEDY IN THE NETHERLANDS: 1649–1715

I. The Spanish Netherlands

II. The Dutch Republic

III. The Flowering of Genre

IV. Jan de Witt

V. William III of Orange

BOOK II: ENGLAND: 1649–1714

Chapter VII. CROMWELL: 1649–60

I. The Socialist Revolt

II. The Irish Revolt

III. The Scottish Revolt

IV. Oliver Absolute

V. Puritan Heyday

VI. The Quakers

VII. Death and Taxes

VIII. The Road Back

IX. The King Returns

Chapter VIII. MILTON: 1608–74

I. John Bunyan

II. The Young Poet

III. The Reformer

IV. Marriage and Divorce

V. Freedom of the Press

VI. The Latin Secretary

VII. The Old Poet

VIII. The Final Years

Chapter IX. THE RESTORATION: 1660–85

I. The Happy King

II. The Religious Caldron

III. The English Economy

IV. Art and Music

V. Morals

VI. Manners

VII. Religion and Politics

VIII. The “Popish Plot”

IX. Comoedia finita

Chapter X. THE GLORIOUS REVOLUTION: 1685–1714

I. The Catholic King

II. Deposuit potentes de sede

III. England under William III

IV. England under Queen Anne

Chapter XI. FROM DRYDEN TO SWIFT: 1660–1714

I. A Free Press

II. The Restoration Drama

III. John Dryden

IV. A Catalogue

V. Evelyn and Pepys

VI. Daniel Defoe

VII. Steele and Addison

VIII. Jonathan Swift

BOOK III: THE PERIPHERY: 1648–1715

Chapter XII. THE STRUGGLE FOR THE BALTIC: 1648–1721

I. Adventurous Sweden

II. Poland and Sobieski

III. Russia Turns West

IV. Peter Learning

V. Charles XII and the Great Northern War

Chapter XIII. PETER THE GREAT: 1698–1725

I. The Barbarian

II. The Petrine Revolution

III. Aftermath

Chapter XIV. THE CHANGING EMPIRE: 1648–1715

I. The Reorganization of Germany

II. The German Soul

III. The Arts in Germany

IV. Austria and the Turks

Chapter XV. THE FALLOW SOUTH: 1648–1715

I. Catholic Italy

II. Italian Art

III. The Christine Odyssey

IV. From Monteverdi to Scarlatti

V. Portugal

VI. The Collapse of Spain

Chapter XVI. THE JEWISH ENCLAVES: 1564–1715

I. The Sephardim

II. The Dutch Jerusalem

III. England and the Jews

IV. The Ashkenazim

V. The Inspirations of Faith

VI. Heretics

BOOK IV: THE INTELLECTUAL ADVENTURE: 1648–1715

Chapter XVII. FROM SUPERSTITION TO SCHOLARSHIP: 1648–1715

I. Impediments

II. Education

III. The Scholars

Chapter XVIII. THE SCIENTIFIC QUEST: 1648–1715

I. The International of Science

II. Mathematics

III. Astronomy

IV. The Earth

V. Physics

VI. Chemistry

VII. Technology

VIII. Biology

IX. Anatomy and Physiology

X. Medicine

XI. Results

Chapter XIX. ISAAC NEWTON: 1642–1727

I. The Mathematician

II. The Physicist

III. The Genealogy of Gravitation

IV. The Principia

V. Evening

Chapter XX. ENGLISH PHILOSOPHY: 1648–1715

I. Thomas Hobbes

II. Harrington’s Utopia

III. The Deists

IV. Defenders of the Faith

V. John Locke

VI. Shaftesbury

VII. George Berkeley

Chapter XXI. FAITH AND REASON IN FRANCE: 1648–1715

I. The Vicissitudes of Cartesianism

II. Cyrano de Bergerac

III. Malebranche

IV. Pierre Bayle

V. Fontenelle

Chapter XXII. SPINOZA: 1632–77

I. The Young Heretic

II. Theology and Politics

III. The Philosopher

IV. God

V. Mind

VI. Man

VII. Reason

VIII. The State

IX. The Chain of Influence

Chapter XXIII. LEIBNIZ: 1646–1716

I. The Philosophy of Law

II. Wanderjahre

III. Leibniz and Christianity

IV. Locke Reviewed

V. Monads

VI. Was God Just?

VII. Paralipomena

BOOK V: FRANCE AGAINST EUROPE: 1683–1715

Chapter XXIV. THE SUN SETS

I. Mme. de Maintenon

II. The Grand Alliance: 1689–97

III. The Spanish Problem

IV. The Grand Alliance: 1701–2

V. The War of the Spanish Succession

VI. Twilight of the God

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL GUIDE

NOTES

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