Following Montaigne through his various roles as manager, magistrate, diplomat, and mayor, this book examines the sources of income available to sixteenth-century writers, the various demands on their time, and their involvement in the financial and editorial aspects of publishing itself, to illustrate the interdependent relationship between writing and politics in the sixteenth century.

In this volume, George Hoffmann presents a study of Protestant satirical texts in sixteenth-century France and their role in French literature and history, examining how France became a culturally Protestant country while remaining confessionally Catholic.