Untitled - Monoskop

ROYAL OFFICERS: LETTERS PATENT, ORDERS ETC.
Date of Privilege
Date of completion
ofprinting
PA 1516, i 5january iSJanuary
PA 1516, 2 1 6 January 13 January
PA 1516, 4 10 March 27 March
PA 1516, 5 10 March 27 March
PA 1516, 8 23 September 25 October
PA 1516, 9 24 October 24 October
The Parlement then, if it saw fit, obtained a report on the book from a
commissioner appointed for the purpose - not necessarily one of the members
of the Conseil - and occasionally from a specialist called in to give his opinion
It then scrutinised the duration of the privilege requested by the
on it. 1
applicant, sometimes agreeing it, more often reducing it (e.g. from three years
to two). 2
Applications for privileges were frequently granted by the Parlement for a
3
shorter period than had been requested. Were they ever refused altogether?
Such cases would normally leave no trace in the surviving records: an
application considered frivolous would not go further than a first hearing in
the Chambre des Requetes. There happens to be one instance, however,
where it is known that an application was refused. The application in question
was from Nicolas de La Barre, and it was for two items: one was the Papal Bull
canonising Saint Francis of Paola, the other was 'ung petit livre intitule De
Inuentoribus Rerum' (PA 1520, i). The Parlement granted a privilege for the
Papal Bull, but ignored the second item, nor has any publication by La Barre
of it been found. 4
ROYAL OFFICERS: LETTERS PATENT, ORDERS ETC.
Privileges issued by the Prevot of Paris could take at least three forms.
There are Letters Patent, there are orders 'De par le prevost de Paris', and
there are requetes as presented by the applicant with the Prevot's written
consent below.
Letters Patent issued in the Prevot's name, given under the seal of the
prevote, and bearing the signature of the Prevot himself or of an authorised
signatory, are printed in full in eight books, 5 and are explicitly referred to in
six others. They must necessarily have been the most expensive.
Orders 'De par le prevost de Paris' are very common. These, when issued
by one of his subordinates, were usually given under his signet, to judge by
those which the beneficiary printed in full. Those signed by Gabriel d'Allegre
in person when he was Prevot do not mention sealing, as if the Prevot's
signature was sufficient authentication in itself, and in two cases in 1520 he
1 See below, pp. 106-7.
2 See below, p. 121.
3 See below, pp. 120-1.
4 See below, p. 93.
5 PR 1516, 2; 1520, 5; 1521, 4; 1522, 3; 1523, i; 1523, 5; 1525, 3; 1526, 2.
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