‘The very wound of this ill news’:Maximilien Morillon and the impact of bad news during the early years of the Dutch Revolt, 1566–74

This article demonstrates the importance that inhabitants of the sixteenth-century Netherlands, in particular members of the elite, attached to the unpleasant effects of bad news, such as ill health, feelings of uncertainty, and discouragement. It aims to show this through the case study of the correspondence of Maximilien Morillon (1517–1586), vicar-general of Mechelen and one of the most prolific letter writers from this period. Historians have conceded that the study of news and propaganda constitutes an essential part in understanding the dynamics of early modern conflicts. Yet while they... Mehr ...