‘The very wound of this ill news’:Maximilien Morillon and the impact of bad news during the early years of the Dutch Revolt, 1566–74

This article demonstrates the importance that inhabitants of the sixteenth-century Netherlands, in particular members of the elite, attached to the unpleasant effects of bad news, such as ill health, feelings of uncertainty, and discouragement. It aims to show this through the case study of the correspondence of Maximilien Morillon (1517–1586), vicar-general of Mechelen and one of the most prolific letter writers from this period. Historians have conceded that the study of news and propaganda constitutes an essential part in understanding the dynamics of early modern conflicts. Yet while they have focused on the content of reports and methods of dissemination, little attention has been paid to the perceived effects of news on its recipients. Within the emotional turn, historians have studied early modern emotional states of grief, anxiety, and depression. Yet their connection with the study of news can arguably be made more explicit. In this article I will synthesize both areas of research, demonstrating how Morillon perceived the impact of bad news during the first years of the Dutch Revolt