Untitled - Monoskop

SEEKING AND GRANTING PRIVILEGES
the mailres des requetes is named as having been present when the grant was
approved: Maitre Pierre de La Vernade (CH 1513, 3 and CH 1514, i, the
latter recording that 'others' were present also), and Maitre Jean Hurault
'and others' (CH 1514, 4 and CH 1519, 4, the 1514 privilege also bearing the
words 'par le conseil'). Very occasionally the presence at the grant is recorded
of some great person unconnected with the routine administration. This was
clearly someone who supported the application and wished to show his
interest and approval. The bishop of Paris, Etienne Poncher, was present
('praesente et annuente'), and others, at the grant of the privilege for the
works of Henry of Ghent (CH 1518, 5). The king's confessor, the Dominican
Guillaume Petit or Parvy, then bishop of Troyes, was present, 'and others', at
the grant of a privilege for a group of five or more works which included the
first edition of Claude de Seyssel, La grant monarchic de France (CH 1519, 6).
Fourteen royal secretaries signed book-privileges once only in the period up
to 1526 inclusive: Breton, Barthelemy, Guernadon, Hillaire, Juvyneau, de La
Chenaye, Mareschal, Morelet, Portier, de Rillac, de Sanzay (or Sauzay),
Thiboust, Thurin and de Veignolles; and six signed twice only: Bucelly,
Garbot, Longuet, Maillart, de Neufville and Saugeon. The nine who account
for all the other known signatures are Deslandes (eleven), Bordel and Hervoet
(six each), Guiot (five), de Moulins and Gedoyn (four each), Geuffroy,
Robertet and Ruze (three each). The prominence of Francois des Landes
probably does not denote any particular interest on his part
in book-
privileges: he had been received into the college of secretaries between 1504
and 1507 and was very active in the chancery throughout the period. 1 Who
actually signed the document for presentation to the chancellor depended on
the circumstances in the chancery at that moment and who was available. In
some cases it was an important official. Nicolas de Neufville was the audiencier.
Robert Gedoyn was secretaire des finances. 'Robertet' must be either Florimund
Robertet, the most important secretary of all at the time, or his cousin Jean
Robertet, secretaire et tresorier de France.
Once empowered to proceed with the grant of the privilege, or able to
proceed in virtue of powers delegated to him, the secretary drafted the text of
the Letters Patent. He would have in front ofhim the written petition from the
author or publisher. This was easily adapted to form the basis of the
preamble. He would also have notes of any instructions given to him by the
Council or by the chancellor. And he would look up specimens of the forms
which had been used in similar circumstances, to serve as models. Having
established the text, he would make, or direct a clerk to make, a fair copy of
the Letters Patent, and sign it himself when it was completed and checked.
1
Michaud, La grande chancellerie, p. 116. For Deslandes, and for other secretaries abovementioned
whose careers, like his, had begun under Louis XII, see A. Lapeyre and R.
Scheurer, I^es notaires et secretaires du roi sous les regnes de Louis XI, Charles VIII et Louis XII,
/ 467-75/5, Collection de documents inedits sur 1'histoire de France, serie in-4 (Paris, 1978).
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