La fête imprimée: Spectacles et cérémonies politiques (1549–1662). Benoît Bolduc. Lire le XVIIe siècle 39. Paris: Classiques Garnier, 2016. 392 pp. €38.
deur, was then the last stroke of the king, whose cunning and intelligence exploded after his enemies were destroyed completely by the strength of justice. Indeed, the proceedings of the trials were not only meant to become pieces of evidence of their downfall and the victory and intelligence of the king, but also testimonies that remained for future generations. Blanchard provides excellent work in the presentation of the two trials. Each one is organized around the same model: first, a historical and political context, in which he addresses the origins, history, and downfall of the accused and their relation to the king. The different texts related to the trials are then presented, with references to the manuscript, the folios, and the different variants that might have been present. A fascinating component of this edition are the abundant notes with which Blanchard provides the reader. Not only are they crucial to understanding the numerous references, sometimes obscure, but they also help the reader further understand how the trials were intricately linked to the very fabric of the French kingdom by underlining the different interconnections between Jean, Charles, and the nobility of France. Following the notes, Blanchard includes a bibliography of the manuscripts and the studies used for the edition, as well as a chronology of the events; a glossary helps readers understand Middle French words that differ from modern French. Finally, an index of people and places completes this excellent publication. This book is of high importance for many reasons. First, it allows a general audience to have access to these critical texts of French history. Through them, readers can understand how these trials constituted a social, cultural, historical, and literary bubble in which the king presented himself as a powerful ruler, whose power over his enemies he delivered through firm but fair justice. This volume is by itself very relevant and exciting, but it takes an even bigger dimension when it is made as one part of a whole collection that will evaluate and present judiciary and political lives in the reign of Louis XI, offering for the first time different approaches to the power of the universelle araigne. Because of Blanchard’s great work, scholars of history will find an asset in their analysis of the reign of the king; literary scholars will also find in these texts tools in analyzing and deciphering the literary power of royal justice. This great edition is therefore highly recommended for students and professors.