Aphorismes of State
1624

Aphorismes of State

About This Item

Description: 

Aphorismes of State situates itself within the Thirty Years’ War, in which Catholics and Protestants fought for religious control throughout the Holy Roman Empire. The Protestant Frederick V, Elector of Palatine, had recently suffered a defeat against Catholic troops and, in consequence, also suffered the loss of his inherited title. An electorship carried with it more than privilege and prestige—it also carried power when it came time to select the next Emperor. Frederick’s electorship was subsequently given to Maximilian of Bavaria, who happened to be very Catholic. In this document, Protestant polemicist Thomas Scott (1580?-1626) takes aim at the “Romish Church” in response to these events.

Our copy of Scott’s tract is an English translation from its original Dutch, and is one of four known editions published in 1624. Although the imprint simply states “Printed at Vtrech [Utrecht],” bibliographers believe it was actually printed by John Beale in London. Supporting the theory that he was, in fact, the printer of this volume, the decorative ornaments on the pages of our copy match those used by Beale in other books. Furthermore, he has been suggested as the printer of another tract written by Scott and published the same year.

Dublin Core

England
Miscellaneous
Box 8, Folder 1
1624
Paper; quarto.
English
Scott, Thomas, “Aphorismes of State,” PLRC Collections, accessed March 29, 2024, https://plrccollections.org/items/show/236.