Medievalism and Political Rhetoric in Humanist Historiography from the Low Countries (1515–1609) by Coen Maas

Abstract

Reviewed by: Medievalism and Political Rhetoric in Humanist Historiography from the Low Countries (1515–1609) by Coen Maas Christian Thorsten Callisen Maas, Coen, Medievalism and Political Rhetoric in Humanist Historiography from the Low Countries (1515–1609) (Proteus: Studies in Early Modern Identity Formation, 7), Turnhout, Brepols, 2018; hard cover; pp. xix, 541; 25 b/w illustrations; R.R.P. €125.00; ISBN 9782503557113. In this book, Coen Maas takes 'the apparent contradiction between the humanist aversion to the Middle Ages on the one hand, and the meticulous study of the period by humanist historians on the other' (p. 4) as his starting point, and undertakes a critical review of medievalism among sixteenth-century humanists in the Low Countries. Maas focuses his analysis on the political context in which these authors worked, exploring how medieval practices and ideas were [End Page 239] redeployed in the service of contemporary political objectives. In so doing, Maas provides valuable insights into early modern humanist practice, and challenges the commonplace view that early modern humanists saw the Middle Ages almost exclusively as an unproductive, 'dark' period of history, and their role as 'the saviours of the classical heritage' (p. 32). Maas undertakes his analysis through several case studies. To each of these he brings a comprehensive arsenal of analytical tools, variously deploying rhetorical, comparative, and intertextual analyses to interpret the texts at hand. He carefully avoids anachronistic readings of his subjects, taking into account early modern genre conventions; reading and writing practice; and political, educational, and scholarly contexts. Maas establishes the groundwork for this work in Chapters 1 and 2, which introduce the concepts and tools of textual analysis used in the rest of the book, and provide a useful overview of early modern humanist historical practice. Maas's writing is clear and unambiguous, with signposts that support his reader on the journey. Through his case studies, Maas argues that, far from the Middle Ages being an unproductive, barren wasteland for early modern humanists, this period in history served as a rich and adaptable source that could be drawn on and put into service for a contemporary audience. Of course, the classical topoi that are so recognizable in early modern humanist writings continue to be found, and ancient Roman and Greek authors maintain a definitive influence over these texts, yet Maas shows us convincingly that medieval authors also had a significant part to play in shaping his subjects' rhetorical and historiographical practice. Chapters 3 to 7 present Maas's case studies: Reynier Snoy's Historia Hollandie (c. 1516–17); Adrianus Barlandus's Cronica Brabantiae ducum (1526); Petrus Divaeus's manuscript writings on the history of Brabant (c. 1563); Janus Dousa Sr's verse history of Holland (1599); and the Dousas' (Sr and Jr) prose history of Holland (1601). In each of these, Maas demonstrates a thorough knowledge of the contexts in which these men were writing, as well as the contemporaneous practices that shaped their work. He explores each of their political environments, taking into account their professional backgrounds, work, and patronage relationships. Maas also demonstrates how these authors redeployed medieval tropes and ideas in service of their own political objectives. Traversing the better part of the sixteenth century, these case studies illustrate, on a micro scale, the evolution of historiographical practice in the Low Countries during this time. As one progresses from one case study to the next, one sees clear links between the various texts under consideration, and Maas effectively demonstrates how Snoy, Barlandus, Divaeus, and the Dousas deployed different textual and rhetorical techniques to present their preferred view of history. Unsurprisingly, this view evolved in line with the circumstances of the authors and the changing political landscape in the Low Countries. Chapter 8 complements this implicit chronological comparison with an excursus on the evolution of Latin and vernacular languages during this time. [End Page 240] The texts that Maas has analysed in this book used Latin to communicate with their audiences, and Maas is interested in understanding the specific affordances that Latin provided compared to vernacular languages. He is careful to avoid reductionist ideas about the relationship between Latin and the vernacular, using this chapter to explore broader questions around the audience...