(Vol. viii., pp. 272. 346.)
The _Histoires_ of Theodore Agrippa d'Aubigné were condemned, by an arrêt
of the parliament of Paris, to be burnt by the common hangman. The charge
against the works was, that D'Aubigné had spoken too freely of princes; and
it may be added, too freely also of the Jesuits, which was probably the
greatest crime. D'Aubigné said upon the occasion, that he could not be
offended at the treatment given to his book, after having seen the Holy
Bible ignominiously hanged upon a gibbet (for thus some fiery zealots used
the Bible which had taken from the Huguenots, to show their pious hatred to
all translations of that book into their native tongue), and fourscore
thousand innocent persons massacred without provocation.
The _Histoire_ of James Augustus de Thou (a Roman Catholic, though a
moderate one) met with the same fate at Rome that D'Aubigné's had at Paris,
and it was even debated in council whether the like sentence should not
pass against it in France. D'Aubigné, however, spoke strongly in its
favour, affirming that no Frenchman had ever before given such evident
proofs of solid {79} judgment and steady application, qualities not
generally allowed to be the characteristic of the nation. (Scott's _Life of
Theodore Agrippa d'Aubigné_, p. 419.)
In 1762 the _Emilie_ of Jean Jacques Rousseau was burnt at Geneva by the
common hangman. _Le Contrat Social_ had soon afterwards the same fate.
(_Biographie Universelle_, article "J. J. Rousseau.")
On June 17th, 1553, nearly the whole of the edition of the _De
Christianismi Restitutione_ of Servetus, which had been seized at Lyons,
was cast into the flames, and Servetus burnt in effigy at Vienne in
Dauphiné. (_Biographie Universelle_, art. "Servetus.")
In 1538 the English Bible, printed by Grafton at Paris, was (with the
exception of a few copies) burnt by the order of the Inquisition. During
the reign of Henry VIII. (observes Mr. D'Israeli in _Amenities of
Literature_, vol. iii. p. 358.), the Bishop of Durham had all the unsold
copies of Tindal's Testament bought up at Antwerp and burnt. In this age of
unsettled opinions, both Roman Catholic and Protestant books were burnt. In
the reign of Edward VI. Roman Catholic works fed the flames.
"All red-lettered illuminated volumes were chopped in pieces with
hatchets, and burned as superstitious. The works of Peter Lombard, Duns
Scotus, and Thomas Aquinas, carried on biers, were tumbled into
bonfires. In the reign of Mary pyramids of Protestant volumes were
burnt. All the Bibles in English, and all the commentators upon the
Bible in the vernacular idiom (which we are told from their number
seemed almost infinite), were cast into the flames at the market-place,
Oxford."--D'Israeli's _Amenities of Literature_, vol. ii. pp. 164, 165.
In Strype's _Memorials_ (3rd part, 2nd ed., p. 130.) is a proclamation of
Philip and Mary, "that whoever finds books of heresy and sedition, and does
not forthwith _burn_ the same, shall be executed for a _rebel_."
The Stationers' Company (who were granted a charter of incorporation during
the reign of Philip and Mary) had power to seize, take away, and burn books
which they deemed obnoxious to the state or to their own interests.
"When Elizabeth was upon the throne, political pamphlets fed the
flames, and libels in the reign of James I. and his son."--D'Israeli's
_Curiosities of Literature_, "Licensers of the Press."
"In the first year of the reign of King William III., A.D. 1688, a
grand _auto-da-fé_ was performed by the University of Oxford on certain
political works. Baxter's _Holy Commonwealth_ was amongst those
condemned to the flames."--D'Israeli's _Amenities of Literature_, vol.
iii. p. 325.
Perhaps some correspondent of "N. & Q." may furnish other instances of
books burnt.