Author: [ANONYMOUS]
Title: Les Divines Revelations Et Promesses Faites a Sainct Denys Patron de la France, Et a Sainte Geneviefve Patrone de Paris en Faveur Des Francois. Contre le Tyran Mazarin. Apportées Du Ciel en Terre par L'Archange S. Michel
Description: A Paris: Fleurissant, 1649. First Edition. Disbound. With wood-engraved title vignette Water stain to bottom of all pages. A few discrete wormholes not affecting legibility. Slight wear to pages. ; The Mazarinades were a significant form of political propaganda during the Fronde, a series of civil wars in France between 1648 and 1653. These pamphlets, named after Cardinal Mazarin, were a response to widespread dissatisfaction with his financial policies, foreign origins, and perceived corruption during the regency of Anne of Austria and the minority of Louis XIV. Over several thousand Mazarinades were published, blending satire, personal attacks, and political critique to challenge Mazarin’s authority. They became a powerful tool for expressing the grievances of various factions, including the parlement of Paris and discontented nobles, against what they saw as centralized despotism and foreign influence. The historical context of the Mazarinades lies in the broader unrest of the Fronde, which was fueled by financial crises, heavy taxation, and noble resistance to Mazarin’s consolidation of power. These pamphlets were not just tools of rebellion but also an early example of mass media influencing public opinion. They accused Mazarin of embezzlement, undermining French institutions, and even immoral behavior, turning him into a symbol of everything wrong with the government. While the Fronde ultimately failed to remove Mazarin from power, the Mazarinades left a lasting legacy as an early form of political journalism that foreshadowed later revolutionary discourse. One notable example is Les divines révélations et promesses faites à saint Denis patron de la France et à sainte Geneviève patronne de Paris en faveur des Français contre le tyran Mazarin, published in 1649. This pamphlet invokes religious imagery and divine intervention to critique Mazarin’s rule. It presents Saint Denis and Saint Geneviève—patron saints of France and Paris respectively—as protectors of the French people against Mazarin’s tyranny. The text claims that these revelations were delivered from heaven to earth by Saint Michael the Archangel, emphasizing a cosmic struggle between good (represented by French saints) and evil (Mazarin). Such themes align with broader efforts in Fronde propaganda to frame opposition to Mazarin as both patriotic and divinely sanctioned. The pamphlet uses Saint Denis’s established role as a protector of the monarchy and national identity to rally support against Mazarin. Saint Geneviève is similarly depicted as a defender of Paris during times of crisis, reinforcing her revolutionary voice during the Fronde. By invoking these figures alongside Saint Michael—traditionally seen as a warrior angel combating evil—the pamphlet seeks to galvanize public sentiment against Mazarin’s administration. It blends religious mysticism with political critique, portraying resistance to Mazarin not merely as a civic duty but as a spiritual imperative. Moreau 1164; 22.2 x 17 cms; 8 pages. Good+ .

Keywords: Frondes History & Topography


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