The author commences by analyzing the extent, population, and military strength of France under Francis the First, detailing the organization of the monarchy, the parliaments, the university, and the Gallican Church. The first volume traces the genesis of the French Reformation within the Sorbonne and the diocese of Meaux, where Bishop Guillaume Briçonnet invited Jacques Lefèvre d'Étaples and Guillaume Farel to preach the Gospel and translate the Scriptures into French. The narrative details the subsequent opposition of the monastic orders, the defection of the timid bishop, and the martyrdom of such early figures as Jean Leclerc and Jacques Pauvan.
The volume proceeds to describe the complex political and religious policies of Francis the First, who was torn between the necessity of allying with the Protestant princes of Germany and his desire to conciliate the papacy. The narrative covers the establishment of the new inquisitorial commission, the dramatic trials and executions of Louis de Berquin, and the increasing severity of the laws against heretics. The author chronicles the repeated efforts of Margaret of Angoulême to protect evangelical teachers, the famous affair of the placards, and the growing organization of the reformed churches under John Calvin and his contemporaries.
Throughout the work, the author portrays the wide diffusion of the reformed doctrines among all classes of the population, despite the barbarous punishments inflicted for heresy. The narrative reaches its climax with the death of Francis the First, the short and turbulent reign of Francis the Second, and the regency of Catharine de' Medici. The volume concludes with the events leading up to the historic Assembly of Notables at Fontainebleau, the first National Synod, and the preliminary discussions of the Colloquy of Poissy, culminating in the promulgation of the Edict of January.
The text rests upon an extensive array of original chronicles, contemporary correspondence, and state papers from the archives of Europe. The author demonstrates how the religious movement became inextricably bound up with the history of the French state itself. The volume offers an exhaustive foundation for understanding the subsequent wars of religion that shook the kingdom.
