The lack of heroines in Heroines -- Nearly flawless rulers and old yet astute women -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Chapter 6: Journeys of humour and satire: Peder Paars and Niels Klim -- Résumé -- A mock-epic -- Hans Mickelsen - a truthful historian -- Just Justensen's learned commentaries - a parody on pedantry -- Résumé -- The editorial fiction -- Social and moral themes in Niels Klim -- Classical echoes -- Notes -- Chapter 7: Holberg's comedies: intentions and inspirations -- Arguments for a new theatre -- Theatre in practice -- Theatre and theatricality -- Conclusion -- Notes -- PART III: Histories -- Chapter 8: History: national, universal and dynastic -- An overview of his historical works -- Gentleman historian -- Pragmatic history -- Narrative history -- On strong women and brisk kings -- Humour -- Relevance -- Impartiality? -- The Pufendorf trail -- Grand narrative -- Holbert as an historian among historians -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Chapter 9: General Church History -- The preface -- A golden age -- Two plots -- The theatre of the church -- The General Church History in its Danish context -- Holberg and the historiography of church histories -- Holberg and religion -- Notes -- Chapter 10: Jewish History -- Defence of providence -- Method of compilation -- Sale and Psalmanazar: authorship and Old Testament controversies -- Prideaux: the quarrel with deism -- Basnage and the criticism of Catholics -- Notes -- PART IV: Texts -- Chapter 11: Writings by Holberg in English -- The eighteenth century: Niels Klim, Universal History, Geography -- The nineteenth century: History of Norway, Memoires, Peder Paars -- The nineteenth and twentieth centuries: Comedies -- The nineteenth and twentieth centuries: Essays -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Bibliographies -- 1. Holberg's original works with English titles -- 2. Other editions of Holberg -- 3. Other literature