ABSTRACT
In the Renaissance, the separation between “true history”—a term used by La Popelinière—and fables represents the best example of a new kind of history, where the fabulous still had a place precisely because narration itself was judged more important than reality. By conceiving a perfect history, La Popelinière attempted to avoid any subjective and personal involvement of the historian in his writings. This chapter argues that, for La Popelinière, history, like philosophy, acquires a “perfect” essence as the subjective existence of the historian is taken out of his narration. From this essential premise, history becomes absolute and complete. La Popelinière envisioned a new type of history in which the historian would not intervene and would somehow be detached from his own subjective existence. The result is a history that almost writes itself. Like a watchdog who barked at the historians of his time, La Popelinière elaborated a new conception of history and redefined the way it should be narrated. This “perfect narration” would suffice in and of itself and allow for the eradication of all subjective bias in the writing of history. It allowed the historian to conceive a new form of universal history that would survive its author and almost write itself, the result being, in fact, an accomplished and perfect history.
