Untitled - Monoskop

SEEKING AND GRANTING PRIVILEGES
Exceptionally, the Letters Patent conferring a royal privilege might be
addressed to a provincial Parlement or even to the Parlement of Paris, before
going on to mention the Prevot of Paris and other officers. A privilege granted
by Louis XII at Lyon (CH 1511, 2) to Jean Robion for Antonius de
Petrutia's Tractatus de viribus juramenti was addressed to the Echiquier or
Parlement of Rouen, 'les gens tenans nostre court de 1'eschiquier a Rouen,
prevost de Paris, seneschal de Lyon
...'. It is clear from the text of the
privilege that Jean Robion, who was operating in Lyon, especially feared for
some reason that this book might be pirated in Normandy, that is, at Rouen or
Caen, for the grant is expressly stated to apply 'tant en nostre royaulme,
duche de Normandie, que aultres terres et seigneuries estans en nostre
obeyssance.'
A privilege granted in 1515 in Grenoble by Francis I as king-dauphin (he
had as yet no son to hold the title of dauphin) to a bookseller of Valence,
within the jurisdiction of the Parlement of Grenoble (CH 1515, 6) was
addressed 'A nos aimes et feaulx les gouverneur ou son lieutenant et gens
tenans nostre court de Parlement du Dauphine scant a Grenoble' and then to
the Prevot of Paris, the Senechal of Lyon and the other officers or their
lieutenants. The privilege granted to Vincent Doesmier for Jacques Almain's
Aurea opuscula (CH 1518, 3) was addressed to the Parlement of Paris, 'a nos
ames et feaulx conseilliers les gens tenant nostre court de Parlement' and then
'aux prevost de Paris, Seneschal de Lyon, Baillis de Rouen et de Caen, et a
this. Almain
tous nos justiciers . . .'. The nature of the book may partly explain
had been a champion of the conciliar movement and of Gallican liberties
against the papacy. This was a controversial political issue, on which the king
and the Parlement disagreed. As for the reference to Rouen and Caen, the
printers there might be keen to reprint the work since Almain had been a
well-known professor of Caen University.
The Letters Patent issued by the royal chancery to a successful applicant
were his direct evidence that he had received such a grant. It was therefore in
his interests to preserve the document with the greatest care. It would no
doubt be kept in the chest or box where he put away title-deeds to property,
copies of wills and inventories, evidence of rentes he possessed, and contracts.
A privilege-holder who decided against printing the document in extenso in the
book or books concerned might print a statement expressing his readiness to
show it if required. '
Normally it would be brought out only for the compositor
to set up from it the text of the Letters Patent as they were to be printed.
There were, however, cases when the holder, even when intending to
publish the full text, brought it to be entering that is, confirmed and registered,
in the court of the royal official who administered his area. Evidence that this
formality had been accomplished might then be obtained, in the form oflettres
d'attache issued under the seal of the prevote or senechaussee. Eight such cases are
1 See below, pp. 158-9.
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