François Joseph Nicholas, baron of Alt, the son of an ancient patrician family of Fribourg, Switzerland, was born in 1689, and died in 1771. His history, which was admirably planned, would have greater value for the general student if much of the extraneous matter and all the violent Catholic partisanship were eliminated.
Amtliche Sammlung der Akten aus der Zeit der Helvetischen Republik, 2 vols., translated by J. Strickler, Bern, 1886-1890, 4 vols.—Amtliche Sammlung der ältern eidgenössischen Abschiede 1245-1798, 1839-1856, 8 vols. Reports of the old Federal diets, containing an enormous amount of historical matter.—Anshelm, Berner-Chronik, Bern, 1825-1833, 6 vols.—Arx, J. von, Geschichte von St. Gallen, St. Gallen, 1810, 2 vols.—Aubigné, T. A. d’, Histoire Universelle 1550-1601, Geneva, 1626, 3 vols.
Théodore Agrippa d’Aubigné, one of the most notable characters of the sixteenth century, was born at St. Maury, near Pons, February 8th, 1550, of an old and noble family which had embraced the religion of the Calvinists. The young d’Aubigné neglected none of the educational opportunities afforded him by his father, and at the age of six was already able to read Latin, Greek and Hebrew. At thirteen he escaped from the restraints of his tutor to take part in the siege of Orléans. After his father’s death he won reputation as a warrior under the prince of Condé, and later entered the service of the king of Navarre. In the wars of Henry IV for the recovery of his kingdom, d’Aubigné further distinguished himself; but he was finally obliged by the enmity of the queen-mother to retire from the court. During his exile he composed the history of his time, a work remarkable for its fearless frankness. The first two volumes were printed without opposition; but the third was condemned on account of its merciless criticisms. D’Aubigné, however, caused it to be printed, thereby incurring the burning of all three volumes; the confiscation of all his goods, and the savage persecution of his later years, until his death at Geneva, April 29, 1630.
Bachtold, J., and F. Vetter, Bibliotek älterer Schriftwerke der deutschen Schweiz, Frauenfeld, 1882-1884, 5 vols.—Baker, T. G., The Model Republic, London, 1895.—Baebler, J. J., Die alten eidgenössischen Bunde, St. Gall., 1848.—Baumgartner, G. J., Die Schweiz in ihren Kämpfen und Umgestaltungen, 1830-1850, Zurich, 1853-66, 4 vols.; Erlebnisse auf dem Felde der Politik, Schaffhausen, 1844; Geschichte Spaniens zur Zeit der französichen Revolution, Berlin, 1861; Geschichte des Schweiz Freistaats und Kantons St. Gallen, Zurich, 1868, 2 vols.—Berchtold, J., Histoire du canton de Fribourg, Fribourg, 1841-1845.—Berthold, de Constance, continuator of the Chronicon de sex ætatibus mundi.—Blochmann, C. J., Heinrich Pestalozzi, Leipsic, 1846.—Bloesch, E., Rapport sur les affaires communales Berne, 1851.—Blumer, J. J., Staats- und Rechtsgeschriften der Schweiz. Demokratien, St. Gallen, 1850-59, 3 vols.; Handbuch des schweiz. Bundesstaatsrechts, Schaffhausen, 1877-87, 13 vols.—Bluntschli, J. K., Geschichte des schweiz. Bundesrechts, Stuttgart, 1875, 2 vols.; Staats- und Rechtsgeschichte der Stadt und Landschaft Zurich, Zurich, 1838, 2 vols.—Bohmer, J. F., Regesta Karolorum, Frankfort, 1833.—Bonivard, F., Les Chroniques de la Genève, Geneva, 1831, 2 vols.
François Bonivard, to whom we owe the vivid pictures of the agitations which marked the beginning of the sixteenth century, was born of Savoyard parents, in 1493, at Seyssel. At seventeen he became prior of St. Victor, a community of Benedictines near Geneva. Revolutionist at heart, he entered into the struggle against the duke of Savoy, who in 1519 imprisoned him and confiscated his priory. He died in 1570, aged seventy-seven years, after a troubled youth and a melancholy old age as pensioner in the city where he had once been a man of mark. He left behind him the invaluable chronicle of his time, written half in Latin, half in the quaint French of his day, in a style at once rude and naive, familiar and vigorous, and brimming with picturesque imagery and lively metaphor.
Bonnechose, E. de, Les Réformateurs avant la Réforme, Paris, 1860, 3rd edition, 2 vols.—Brandstetter, J. L., Repertorium über die Zeit und Sammelschriften der Jahre, 1812-1890, Bâle, 1892.—Bulletin official du Directoire Helvétique, 3 vols.—Bullinger, H., Reformationsgeschichte, Frauenfeld, 1838-40, 3 vols.
Henry Bullinger was born at Bremgarten in 1504 and died at Zurich in 1575. After a preliminary course at Emmerich, his father having refused him the means necessary to continue his education, he made money by singing in the streets and in 1520 he recommenced his studies at Cologne, with the idea of joining the community of the Chartreux. But his resolution and his religion as well were changed by his association with Zwingli, whose doctrine he embraced and whose successor he became. In addition to his history of the Reformation and numerous theological writings he edited the complete works of Zwingli.
Burckhardt, Der Kirchenschatz des Münsters zu Basel, Bâle, 1867.
Cæsar, J., De bello gallico.—Casus S. Galli. By Ekkehard IV. Translated by G. Meyer von Knonau, Leipsic, 1878.—Chambrier, F. de, Histoire de Neuchâtel et Valangin jusqu’à l’avènement de la maison de Prusse, Neuchâtel, 1840.