Political Prophecy in Elizabethan England
This thesis examines political prophecy in England during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603). The belief that foreknowledge of events could be attained through means such as the practice of astrology, revelation from God, or the interpretation of supposedly prophetic texts was widespread in English society during the early modern period. This thesis discusses how those both within and outside of the government used prophecy in their engagement with the political issues which faced England during Elizabeth’s reign, especially in relation to religion and the succession. Because prophecy offered a source of authority for political change it was often employed in opposition to established authorities, prompting legislation criminalising seditious prophecies and printed works condemning them. By examining a wide range of primary sources, including assize records, Privy Council reports, depositions, diplomatic and administrative correspondence, and printed tracts and sermons, this thesis reveals how prophecy pervaded the political culture of Elizabethan England.
Political protest and prophecy under Henry VIII
Part 1 The political prophecy in England: origin and development methods influence. Part 2 Trials and examinations of the 1530s: background early warnings and strange doings dangerous precedents the gathering storm the storm breaks threats from the Continent the government's counter-offensive. Part 3 The texts of the prophesies of the 1530s: "The Prophesies of Rhymer, Bede and Merlin" "The Marvels of Merlin" "The Cock of the North" "France and Flanders Then Shall Rise" "The Sayings of the Prophets" "The Prophecy of the Lily, the Lion and the Son of Man" "A Prophecy of a New World Emperor" "When Rome Is Removed into England" "A Prophecy by the Dice" "A Prophecy by the Stars". Part 4 The place of political prophecy in the 1530s. Appendix: Manuscript sources and textual variations.
The Bastille: A History of a Symbol of Despotism and Freedom
This book is both an analysis of the Bastille as cultural paradigm and a case study on the history of French political culture. It examines in particular the storming and subsequent fall of the Bastille in Paris on July 14, 1789 and how it came to represent the cornerstone of the French Revolution, becoming a symbol of the repression of the Old Regime. Lusebrink and Reichardt use this semiotic reading of the Bastille to reveal how historical symbols are generated; what these symbols’ functions are in the collective memory of societies; and how they are used by social, political, and ideological groups.

To facilitate the symbolic nature of the investigation, this analysis of the evolving signification of the Bastille moves from the French Revolution to the nineteenth century to contemporary history. The narrative also shifts from France to other cultural arenas, like the modern European colonial sphere, where the overthrow of the Bastille acquired radical new signification in the decolonization period of the 1940s and 1950s. The Bastille demonstrates the potency of the interdisciplinary historical research that has characterized the end of this century, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, and taking its methodological tools from history, sociology, linguistics, and cultural and literary studies.