The accession of a Protestant King was hailed with delirious joy by the
Huguenots, and with corresponding rage by Catholic France. The one
looked forward to redressing of wrongs and avenging of injuries; and the
other flatly refused submission unless Henry should recant his heresy,
and become a convert to the true faith. -from Chapter IX American writer
MARY PLATT PARMELE (1843-1911) believed that in the typically dry
presentation of her day, the reading of history was a "dreary task," and
so she set out to remedy that with a series of sprightly chronicles of
the past and accounts of the present that encompassed the essential
facts necessary for appreciating the state of the world as she saw it.
With this 1894 book, an abridgement of her A Brief Historical Sketch of
France, she outlines for American readers the evolution and the
revolution of France, a reminder to those familiar with her story and a
basis for students to begin expanding their scholarship. From the
"hideous orgies" of the earliest Celtic tribes of Gaul to the allied
camps Europe was drawing itself ominously into as the 20th century was
about to dawn, this is a concise retelling of the tale of a country that
has shared America's dreams of liberty. As Parmele herself said, "A
little, thoroughly comprehended, is better than much imperfectly
remembered and understood." OF INTEREST TO: readers of European and
classical history Parmele's books available from Cosimo Classics
include: * The Evolution of an Empire: A Brief Historical Sketch of the
United States * A Brief Historical Sketch of France * A Short History
of Germany * A Short History of Spain * A Short History of Rome and
Italy * A Short History of England, Ireland and Scotland
