In 17th-century intellectual life, the ideas of the Renaissance humanist Justus Lipsius (1547–1606) were omnipresent. The publication of his Politica in 1589 had made Lipsius' name as an original and controversial political thinker. The sequel, the Monita et exempla politica (Political admonitions and examples), published in 1605, was meant as an illustration of Lipsius political thought as expounded in the Politica. Its aim was to offer concrete models of behavior for rulers against the background of Habsburg politics. Lipsius' later political treatise also forms an indispensable key to interpret the place and function of the Politica in Lipsius’ political discourse and in early modern political thought. The Political admonitions and examples – widely read, edited, and translated in the 17th and 18th centuries – show Lipsius’ pivotal role in the genesis of modern political philosophy.

The last of the Renaissance humanists, Bonaventura Vulcanius, is still a mysterious figure, even though he left a correspondence, at least two Alba amicorum, and a collection of books and manuscripts. Born in Bruges in 1538, the son of a disciple of Erasmus, he spent the troubled decades of 1560 and 1570 in wanderings before his appointment in 1581 as a Professor for Greek and Latin Letters at the University of Leiden. He edited and translated many a rare text, composed dictionaries, sent laudatory poems, and compiled the first chapters of a history of Germanic languages. This volume gathers recent research on this versatile philologist, and includes the first edition of many unpublished works and documents. Contributors are Karel Bostoen, Hélène Cazes, Thomas M. Conley, Harm-Jan van Dam, Hugues Daussy, Kees Dekker, Jeanine de Landtsheer, Alfons Dewitte, Toon van Hal, Chris L. Heesakkers, Wilhelmina G. Heesakkers-Kamerbeek, Jeltine Ledegang-Keegstra, G.A.C. van der Lem, Kees Meerhoff, Dirk van Miert, Kasper van Ommen, Paul J. Smith and Gilbert Tournoy.

This volume gathers studies and documentation on Bonaventura Vulcanius, a versatile philologist and writer who in 1581 settled in Leiden as a Professor of Greek and Latin. It includes many unpublished texts pertaining to this mysterious figure Dutch Humanism.

Elsie McKee, "Calvin and His Colleagues as Pastors: Some New Insights into the Collegial Ministry of Word and Sacraments"; Jeffrey R. Watt, "Childhood and Youth in the Geneva Consistory Minutes"; Christoph Strohm, "Methodology in Discussion of 'Calvin and Calvinism'"; Max Engammare, "D’une forme l’autre: Commentaires et sermons de Calvin sur la Genèse "; Cornelis Augustijn / Christoph Burger / Frans P. van Stam, "Calvin in the Light of the Early Letters" ; Christian Link, "Die Finalität des Menschen Zur Perspektive der Anthropologie Calvins"; Robert M. Kingdon, "Calvin’s last years"; Victor E. d’Assonville jr., "Dogma und Doctrina Bei Calvin in einer begrifflichen wechselwirkung: Ein Seminarbericht "; Wim Janse, "Calvin, a Lasco und Beza: Eine gemeinsame Abendmahlserklärung (Mai 1556)? Bericht eines Forschungsseminars mit offenem Ausgang"; A.N.S. Lane, "Calvin and Article 5 of the Regensburg Colloquy"; Jae Sung Kim, "Prayer in Calvin’s soteriology "; Barbara Pitkin: "Redefining Repentance: Calvin and Melanchthon"; Wilhelmus H.Th. Moehn, "Abraham – 'père de l’église de Dieu'. A Comparison of Calvin’s Commentary and Sermons on Acts 7:1-6 287"; Christian Grosse, "’En esprit et en vérité’? La part du rituel dans la culture religieuse réformée (Genève, XVIe siècle)"; Mihály Márkus, "Calvin und Polen. Gedankenfragmente in Verbindung mit einer Empfehlung"; Dr. E.A. de Boer, "Calvin and Colleagues. Propositions and Disputations in the Context of the Congrégations in Geneva"; Irena Backus, "Calvin’s knowledge of Greek language and philosophy"; Randall C. Zachman, "Crying To God on the Brink of Despair: The Assurance of Faith Revisited ".

What exactly was privateering? How did it differ from other forms of maritime raiding? These questions are answered in a study of the emergence of privateering as a new legal category in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.

Volume 47

Explores the far-reaching impact of the ancient Greek historian Thucydides on modern historiography, political theory and international relations.