History/Political Science paper by Madarász, Fanni
16th and 17th Century Hungarian Historians and Protestant Theologians in the Thomason Collection – International Relations, Tracts, and Translations (Accepted)
Type of Abstract (select):Abstract (max. 250 words):
One of the most famous assemblage of documents from the English Civil War Era is the Thomason Collection of Civil War Tracts, which was gathered between 1640–1661 by the book dealer and renowned collector, George Thomason. It includes more than 22000 documents, mostly pamphlets, treatises, illustrations, engravings, and manuscripts. The collection is located in the British Library, UK, and is available for research in the forms of microfilms and digitalized copies. As a researcher of the collection and the era, I have encountered a few Hungarian entries, among which I could identify the works of Izsák Fegyverneki (d. 1589) and János Nádányi (1643–1707), both Calvinist pastors and historians. Nádányi’s major work, the Florus Hungaricus, sive rerum Hungaricarum was translated to English by James Howell, a royalist pamphleteer and historian of the Civil War. Among the estate of Howell, a short entry signifies that he had completed the work on an assignment, however, the patron behind the commission is unknown. Izsák Fegyverneki’s tract, the Enchiridii Locorum communium Theologicorum, completed in 1586, was dedicated to Stephen Báthory, the voivode of Transylvania. It was translated to English by Dudley Diggs, Jr. a royalist peer and contemporary of Howell. We can also suspect a commission behind the endeavour, but further investigation is needed to clarify this issue.
In the presentation, I attempt to outline the way in which the works reached and captivated the attention of the English royalists, and address the ideological significance of them in the pamphlet literature and political climate of the 17th century England. The translational methods and techniques are also to be discussed, applying an interdisciplinary approach. A comprehensive analysis has never been completed on the political and diplomatic history of these works; therefore, the topic provides several new research aspects and hold out the promise of fascinating results both in regards of English and Hungarian historiography.
Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Currently, Fanni Madarász is completing her PhD studies at the University of Pécs, Department of Medieval and Early Modern History. She obtained a bachelor degree in History and English language and a master’s degree in teaching History and English language. Her research activity has a wide scope, but concentrates mostly on 16th and 17th century political thought, theories of state and the political pamphlet literature of the English Civil War era. From 2017, she participates in the educational activities of the Department of Medieval and Early Modern History. As of January 2020, she joined the Department of English Literatures and Cultures as an external lecturer.