Project Gutenberg 1998-06-01 Public domain in the USA. 325 Kingsley, Charles 1819 1875 Kingley, Charles Kingsley, C. (Charles) The Ancien Régime Preface -- Caste -- Centralization -- The explosive forces. Transcribed from the 1902 "Historical Lectures and Essays" Macmillan and Co. edition by David Price "The Ancien Régime" by Charles Kingsley is a historical account written in the mid-19th century. This work critically examines the political and social structures of pre-revolutionary France, particularly focusing on the concept of caste and the class dynamics that led to the French Revolution. Kingsley contrasts these French conditions with those of Britain, stressing the latter's relative stability due to its lack of a rigid caste system. The opening of the text sets the stage for an examination of the Ancien Régime by discussing the limitations placed on the author during the Royal Institution lectures, notably around topics of religious and political controversy. Kingsley reflects on the differences between British society and France, emphasizing that England's legislative efforts have benefited the poor without creating widespread misery, which he argues is crucial for societal stability. He identifies the dangers of a centralized power structure that can arise from a decaying aristocracy, suggesting that the absence of a strong middle class may lead to a revolution similar to what occurred in France. The narrative suggests that the issues stemming from a neglectful aristocracy and bureaucratic overreach are central to understanding the societal pressures that eventually contributed to the upheaval of the Ancien Régime. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 56.4 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. en France -- History France -- Politics and government France -- Social conditions DC Text Category: History - British Category: History - European Category: History - Modern (1750+) 199377 2025-10-01T09:08:37.913943 text/html 198380 2020-12-31T12:41:46 text/html 75259 2020-12-31T12:41:46 text/html application/zip 148008 2025-10-01T09:08:43.154880 application/epub+zip 149892 2025-10-01T09:08:40.444934 application/epub+zip 131948 2025-10-01T09:08:39.397873 application/epub+zip 276820 2025-10-01T09:08:45.370877 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 265082 2025-10-01T09:08:42.556883 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 239635 2022-09-01T10:32:37.402853 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 191050 2025-10-01T09:08:37.526901 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 190795 2020-12-31T12:41:46 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 73944 2020-12-31T12:41:46 text/plain; charset=us-ascii application/zip 19373 2025-10-01T09:08:45.493832 application/rdf+xml 13600 2025-10-01T09:08:39.896851 image/jpeg 3526 2025-10-01T09:08:39.646903 image/jpeg 147021 2025-10-01T09:08:37.930895 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia