Item 3: Royal Writ from King Henry IV [French Language] (removed to Legal Box #1), 1605 September 8
Item — Box: 2, Folder: 3
Dates
- Created: 1605 September 8
Creator
Disclaimer for Name and Subject Authorities
Some of the name and subject authority tags have been assigned by educated guessing and estimation of persons and subjects by region, age, profession, and familial relationships. They have been thoroughly researched by using primary and secondary sources available digitally, and named in each description, or in some cases linked directly to the person tag.
Access:
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Extent
1 items
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Type of Material:
Royal Writ
Condition Note:
Fair: parchment is browning; small holes; staining throughout; ink is fading
Measurements:
13 ⅞ in. x 8 ¾ in.
Description:
The following item is a royal writ signed by King Henry IV of France (1553-1610) dated September 8, 1605, and countersigned by Louis Potier de Gesvre (a. 1567 - d. 1643) from Fontainebleau Palace. This is a royal letters patent from King Henry IV addressed to financial officials, specifically the counselors of the treasury and generals of finances in a region of Paris. The king informs these officials that he has issued a commission regarding some form of taxation or financial arrangement. The document appears to concern the implementation of tax provisions specified in a royal edict from September 1605, possibly involving different rates of taxation (the "seven, four, and three" mentioned could refer to different tax rates). The references to "advocates, procurators, and clerks" suggest this concerns payments or funds allocated to legal or administrative officials in a specific jurisdiction. In 1605, Henry IV was focusing on rebuilding France after the French Wars of Religion, which he ended in 1598 with the Edict of Nantes. Henry focused on economic reconstruction, infrastructure across France, agricultural development, and early North American colonization. This document is signed by Louis Potier de Gesvre (a. 1567 - d. 1643), who was a noble with the titles of Baron de Gesvres, Count of Tresmes, Baron of Montjay and Fresnoy, Vidame of Châlons, Lord of Bourg-la-Reine, Lord of Plessis-Picquet, and Lord of Sceaux. He was appointed secretary to the King in 1567 and served under Henry III, Henry IV, and Louis XIII. He often countersigned the Kings’ documents as the Royal Secretary, such as this letter from Henry IV to Lyon and this letter from Henry IV about the Wars of Religion. Potier also served as an ambassador from France to Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor and was recognized as the Secretary of State. Potier is from the sixth generation of the Potier line and is recognized as one of the “Founding Fathers of France" due to his administrative contributions.
Location:
Fontainebleau Palace (Fontainebleau, France); Paris, France.
Transcription:
Sincere thanks to Professor Mitchell Greenberg, Cornell University, and Laurent Ferri, Archivist and Curator of the pre-1800 Collections in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University, for their transcription assistance.
[Front] Henry IV of France [written in pencil; likely former archivist notes]
De par le Roy[sic] [Roi] Noz[sic] [Nos] amez et feaux[sic] [feaulx] Nous vous envoyons noz[sic] [nos] brev[ets] patenteu[sic] [pantentes] en forme de commission q[ue] nous avons faict[sic] [faite] expédier pour faire(?) Imposer(?) et leur au dodansdoir(?) gremivo(?) de breur(?) gnallitecr[sic] [generalité] [de] Paris(?) sept, quatre, et teois[sic] [trois] domino(?) sur chim(?) minor de sol(?) nouvillons(?) attribuer a[sic] [à] noz[sic] [nos] ad[vo]cats procuirriuo[sic] [procureurs] et Griffiova[sic] [greffiers] de Lgriniova(?) Seloy(?) et anisy[sic] [ainsi] que plus particullierem[en]t est declare[sic] [déclaré] par motr[sic] [notre] edit du mois de Septembre g b.c IIIIXX. cinq..[sic] [1605] Pour lexcusion[sic] [l'exécution] desquelles Nous voullono[sic] [voulons] nouo[sic] [nous] enjoignono[sic] [enjoignons] tecss[sic] [tres] expressiuau[sic] [expressément] vous ayez a[sic] [à] voue[sic] [vous] y conformer et gu’au[sic] [qu’au] plustost[sic] [plutôt] nous puissioin[sic] [puissions] estee[sic] [être] aduertiy(?) ou dawin(?) vous avez apporte[sic] [apporté]. alestablissm[sic] [à l'établissement] L[sic] [et] sy druict Comme chose gue[sic] [que] nous affectionnonu[sic] [affectionnons] grandem[en]t. CV[sic] [&] dmpuzte[sic] [d’importe] au bien de noz[sic] [nos] aff[air]es. Dy[sic] [D’y] ny[sic] [n’y] faicton[s] faict sur fair[e] vous aymez[sic] [aimez] le bien et advancon[sic] [advancement] &j[sic] [de nos] aff[air]es Oar[sic] [Car] fel[sic] [tel] est nose [sic] [notre] plaisir donner[sic] [donné à] FondayinbiamRa[sic] [Fontainebleau] eb(?) pour du Septem[bre] 8 1605 Henry [Signature] [Louis] Potier [de Gesvres] [Signature]
IV [written in pencil; likely former archivist]
[Back] Nos amez et feaux con[seill]eur[s] et Tréso[ri]ers de France et generaux[sic] [généraux] de noz[sic] [nos] finances en la charge et gnallitee[sic] [generalité] de Paris.
[written sideways; in another hand] du temur.(?) octobr[e] 1605
Transcription: [Front] Henry IV of France [written in pencil; likely former archivist notes]
By the King's authority, our beloved and faithful subjects, we send you our written patents in the form of a commission that we have expedited for the imposition(?) and therein to the dodansdoir(?) gremivo(?) of breur generality of Paris regarding the seven, four, and three dominoes(?) on chim(?) minor of sol(?) nouvillons(?) assigned to our advocates, procurators, and clerks of Lgriniova(?) Seloy(?), as particularly stated in our edict of September 1605. For the execution of which, we hereby expressly command you to conform and that as soon as possible we may(?) be informed(?) of your establishment and thus enact it as a matter that we greatly cherish, as it is essential to the well-being of our affairs. We trust you will act with care for the benefit and advancement of our undertakings, for such is our pleasure. Given at Fontainebleau eb(?) on September 8, 1605 Henry [Signature] [Louis] Potier [de Gesvres] [Signature]
[Back] Our beloved and faithful Counselors and Treasurers of France and generals of our finances in the charge and generality of Paris.
[written sideways; in another hand] temur.(?) october 1605
[Front] Henry IV of France [written in pencil; likely former archivist notes]
De par le Roy[sic] [Roi] Noz[sic] [Nos] amez et feaux[sic] [feaulx] Nous vous envoyons noz[sic] [nos] brev[ets] patenteu[sic] [pantentes] en forme de commission q[ue] nous avons faict[sic] [faite] expédier pour faire(?) Imposer(?) et leur au dodansdoir(?) gremivo(?) de breur(?) gnallitecr[sic] [generalité] [de] Paris(?) sept, quatre, et teois[sic] [trois] domino(?) sur chim(?) minor de sol(?) nouvillons(?) attribuer a[sic] [à] noz[sic] [nos] ad[vo]cats procuirriuo[sic] [procureurs] et Griffiova[sic] [greffiers] de Lgriniova(?) Seloy(?) et anisy[sic] [ainsi] que plus particullierem[en]t est declare[sic] [déclaré] par motr[sic] [notre] edit du mois de Septembre g b.c IIIIXX. cinq..[sic] [1605] Pour lexcusion[sic] [l'exécution] desquelles Nous voullono[sic] [voulons] nouo[sic] [nous] enjoignono[sic] [enjoignons] tecss[sic] [tres] expressiuau[sic] [expressément] vous ayez a[sic] [à] voue[sic] [vous] y conformer et gu’au[sic] [qu’au] plustost[sic] [plutôt] nous puissioin[sic] [puissions] estee[sic] [être] aduertiy(?) ou dawin(?) vous avez apporte[sic] [apporté]. alestablissm[sic] [à l'établissement] L[sic] [et] sy druict Comme chose gue[sic] [que] nous affectionnonu[sic] [affectionnons] grandem[en]t. CV[sic] [&] dmpuzte[sic] [d’importe] au bien de noz[sic] [nos] aff[air]es. Dy[sic] [D’y] ny[sic] [n’y] faicton[s] faict sur fair[e] vous aymez[sic] [aimez] le bien et advancon[sic] [advancement] &j[sic] [de nos] aff[air]es Oar[sic] [Car] fel[sic] [tel] est nose [sic] [notre] plaisir donner[sic] [donné à] FondayinbiamRa[sic] [Fontainebleau] eb(?) pour du Septem[bre] 8 1605 Henry [Signature] [Louis] Potier [de Gesvres] [Signature]
IV [written in pencil; likely former archivist]
[Back] Nos amez et feaux con[seill]eur[s] et Tréso[ri]ers de France et generaux[sic] [généraux] de noz[sic] [nos] finances en la charge et gnallitee[sic] [generalité] de Paris.
[written sideways; in another hand] du temur.(?) octobr[e] 1605
Transcription: [Front] Henry IV of France [written in pencil; likely former archivist notes]
By the King's authority, our beloved and faithful subjects, we send you our written patents in the form of a commission that we have expedited for the imposition(?) and therein to the dodansdoir(?) gremivo(?) of breur generality of Paris regarding the seven, four, and three dominoes(?) on chim(?) minor of sol(?) nouvillons(?) assigned to our advocates, procurators, and clerks of Lgriniova(?) Seloy(?), as particularly stated in our edict of September 1605. For the execution of which, we hereby expressly command you to conform and that as soon as possible we may(?) be informed(?) of your establishment and thus enact it as a matter that we greatly cherish, as it is essential to the well-being of our affairs. We trust you will act with care for the benefit and advancement of our undertakings, for such is our pleasure. Given at Fontainebleau eb(?) on September 8, 1605 Henry [Signature] [Louis] Potier [de Gesvres] [Signature]
[Back] Our beloved and faithful Counselors and Treasurers of France and generals of our finances in the charge and generality of Paris.
[written sideways; in another hand] temur.(?) october 1605
Creator
Repository Details
Part of the Wilkes University Archives Repository
Contact:
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu