Why Was the Nobility of Western Europe More Open to the New

Multiple Choice

Why was the nobility of western Europe more open to the new ideas of the Enlightenment than the nobility of eastern and southern Europe?

A) Western European nobles had sometimes married into middle-class families and formed with them a new elite, united by common interests in reform and new cultural tastes.
B) Nobles in western Europe tended to be wealthier and had more free time to indulge in intellectual and artistic pursuits than did their counterparts in eastern and southern Europe.
C) The nobles of western Europe were almost entirely Protestant, which made them more open to the ideas of the Enlightenment.
D) Governments in western Europe gave more support to the Enlightenment, which in turn encouraged the nobility to participate.