Chrétienne d’Aguerre, the Countess of Sault (1553-1611) was one of the foremost leaders of the French Catholic League in Provence during the French Wars of Religion. In the late 1500s from her home in Aix, the countess directed League forces and activities as well as brokered various political manoeuvres and agreements on the League’s behalf, including creating an alliance with Charles Emmanuel I, the Duke of Savoy.
Recorded here, in a completely unrestored manuscript account book from the region of Provence, is a rare piece of physical evidence of the countess’ financial involvement with the Provençal Catholic League.
Chrétienne d’Aguerre was the sister-in-law of a League military leader, Hugues de Vins. Vins, in turn, was linked to another leader of the Catholic League in Marseille, Louis de La Motte Dariès. La Motte conspired with Vins in April 1585 with the hope that Vins might bring his army to Marseille in order to bring the city firmly under Catholic League control, with Motte as its leader (a plot that ultimately failed). The present account book records two financial transactions made between the Countess of Sault and La Motte, presumably to finance their collective League efforts:
“[La Comtesse de Sault] doibt donner a 25 Jung 1592 mil deulx centz cinquante cinq florins donnes au Sr. de la Motte… Plus doibt donner… a 28 de Jung 1592 sept centz florins donnes au Sr. de la Motte.”
Though Louis de La Motte Dariès was executed in 1585 for his role in attempting to take over Marseille, it is likely that his family carried on his League activities after his death, much as the whole of the Guise family was involved in the Catholic League; the payment is only to the “Seigneur de la Motte” and does not specify a first name. Conversely, perhaps La Motte had loaned the Comtesse de Sault for her work with the Catholic League before his death, and she needed to repay him by June 1592.
The French Catholic League was one of the most important political and military forces of the later period of the French Wars of Religion, particularly leading up to and during France’s eighth War of Religion (1587-98). Known for their ultra-Catholic and radical policies – indeed, it was the French Catholic League that ousted King Henry III from Paris 1588 due the League’s dissatisfaction with Henry III’s attitudes towards the Protestants – the Catholic League garnered quite a large following among the French in the late 16th century. Their popularity and influence largely dissipated following Henry IV’s conversion to Catholicism in 1593.
Not only does this particular record speak to the history of the League, but it moreover highlights the role of women within its structure. Aside from the countess, the French Catholic League was supported by several powerful women, including Anna d’Este, Catherine-Marie de Lorraine as well as Catherine de Clèves (wife of Henry I, the Duke of Guise, founder of the French Catholic League). Much like these women, the Countess of Sault was known for her work tied to both the political and military movements of the Catholic League; this account provides physical evidence of her financial support of it as well.
Aside from the ledger’s most extraordinary entries relating to the Countess of Sault, it is also an extremely rare and valuable record of both French notarial practices of the time as well as the everyday lives of people living in Provence in the late 16th century. The various accounts recorded provide insight into the work and the payments transacted at the time. Aside from payments in the currency of florins, crops – most commonly wheat, oats, spelt and barley – were commonly used as compensation for debts. In addition, the ledger indicates that certain payments were usually collected on the day of the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene; that is, July 22nd. While her feast date falls at perhaps a convenient time for certain harvests, it also speaks to the saint’s importance in the region: supposedly, after Jesus’ crucifixion, Mary Magdalene travelled to Marseille where she converted many to Christianity. One can even visit the grotto located in Provence where legend states that she spent the last 30 years of her life, and her remains are said to lie in the basilica of Saint-Maximin-la-Saint-Baume.
Of the numerous notaries mentioned, two names are of particular interest: Bouchoni and Moraud, indicated in the manuscript as “notaires de Sault.” Likely connected with the Countess herself, the entries recorded here provide further insight into the functioning of her estate.
Most entries are rather formulaic, with the one below being a good example: “Andrien Roux doibt donner a 8 de mars six epmines [hémines?] ble quatre epmines espeutre et six epmines avoine au mois de may prochain et payer le pris desdicts six epmines ble quatre epmires espeutre et six epmines avoine a la Magdalene prochaine apropos moy Rochas notaire.”
Given the number of names listed, the various names of the notaries, as well as the numerous Provençal towns and communes mentioned, it would appear that the present account book is a collection of debts recorded by various notaries in the region, copied into one book; perhaps is particular manuscript belonged to a garde-notaire. Created in 1575 with an edict issued by Henry III, the function of this particular type of notary was to gather and keep the notes, minutes, registers and other official acts of notaries who had either passed away or resigned from their posts. The manuscript title to the back cover would indicate this as well; it states that the book is a “livre des dettes… de Barres de moy… Gordon Gautier du dict Barras”; perhaps Gautier was the garde-notaire of the work, as many different notaries’ names appear throughout the manuscript.
The present manuscript is moreover situated in a rather interesting time when considering the history of notarial practices in France as a whole. It was only in 1539 that Francis I declared, with the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts, that French would be the official language of law and administration, rather than Latin. That the present ledger is written in French speaks to the flourishing of the language during the Renaissance as an official one.
That this manuscript was a functional, working book is clear from its form; it is bound in inexpensive, hardwearing parchment - suitable for travelling, and being carried - in a wallet-style binding to protect its contents. Internally, three vertical fold lines are visible on every leaf to arrange the columns of accounts on the page. The only concession to decoration is the pattern created in the wallet flap, from stitches in the alum-tawed leather tie.
Internally exceptionally fresh and clean, minor spotting to endpapers and first leaf, but overall in excellent condition.
