Henry IV and the Towns: The Pursuit of Legitimacy in French Urban Society, 1589–1610 (Cambridge Studies in Early Modern History)

This 1999 book is a serious study of Henry IV's relationship with the towns of France, and offers an in-depth analysis of a crucial aspect of his craft of kingship. Set in the context of the later Wars of Religion, it examines Henry's achievement in reforging an alliance with the towns by comparing his relationship with Catholic League, royal and Protestant towns. Annette Finley-Croswhite focuses on the symbiosis of three key issues: legitimacy, clientage and absolutism. Henry's pursuit of political legitimacy and his success at winning the support of his urban subjects is traced over the course of his reign. Clientage is examined to show how Henry used patron-client relations to win over the towns and promote acceptance of his rule. By restoring legitimacy to the monarchy, Henry not only ended the religious wars but also strengthened the authority of the crown and laid the foundations of absolutism. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 5 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Dedication......Page 9 Contents......Page 11 MAPS......Page 12 Tables......Page 13 Acknowledgements......Page 14 Introduction......Page 17 1 France in the 1580s and 1590s......Page 26 ECONOMIC AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL CRISES......Page 30 URBAN DISCONTENT AND THE CATHOLIC LEAGUE’S DISINTEGRATION......Page 33 2 Brokering clemency in 1594: the case of Amiens......Page 39 THE ROYALIST CLIENTS IN AMIENS: THE LOUVENCOURT NETWORK......Page 41 THE CATHOLIC LEAGUE CLIENTS IN AMIENS: THE LE ROY NETWORK......Page 45 AMIENS’S CAPITULATION TO HENRY IV IN 1594......Page 53 CAPTURING A TOWN FROM WITHIN: HENRY IV AND URBAN CLIENTAGE......Page 60 3 Henry IV’s ceremonial entries: the remaking of a king......Page 63 HENRY IV’S ROYAL ENTRY INTO ABBEVILLE......Page 65 ROYAL ENTRIES AND THEIR PLACE IN THE RECONCILIATION PROCESS......Page 72 CONCLUSION: HENRY IV’S ROYAL ENTRIES......Page 77 4 Henry IV and municipal franchises in Catholic League towns......Page 79 POLICING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS......Page 81 ELECTORAL SCANDAL AND CROWN INTERVENTION......Page 87 LEAVING TOWNS ALONE......Page 93 DECREASING THE SIZE OF URBAN GOVERNMENTS......Page 95 THE EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF AMIENS......Page 97 CONCLUSION HENRY IV AND FORMER CATHOLIC LEAGUE TOWNS......Page 102 5 Henry IV and municipal franchises in royalist and Protestant towns......Page 104 THE ROYALI ST TOWNS......Page 106 SWEARING ALLEGIANCE TO HENRY IV......Page 107 ELECTION INTERFERENCE AND CROWN INTERVENTION......Page 109 THE REWARDS OF FIDELITY......Page 114 A TRADITIONAL RENAISSANCE KING......Page 115 HENRY IV AND PROTESTANT PRIVILEGE......Page 117 THE EDICT OF NANTES......Page 119 THE EDICT OF NANTES IN THE PROTESTANT TOWNS......Page 122 MONITORING THE PROTESTANT TOWNS......Page 127 THE PRIVILEGES OF LA ROCHELLE......Page 131 CONCLUS ION HENRY IV AND HIS MUNICIPAL ALLIES......Page 135 THE SOCIAL BACKGROUND OF MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS......Page 138 HENRY IV AND THE MAGISTERIAL ELITE......Page 142 SELECTING MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS......Page 148 CONCLUSION: HENRY IV AND MUNICIPAL OLIGARCHIES......Page 153 THE SOL POUR LIVRE OR 'PANCARTE'......Page 155 THE PANCARTERIOT IN POITIERS......Page 159 THE ‘PANCARTE’ RIOT IN LIMOGES......Page 165 HENRY IV AND THE 'PANCARTE'......Page 177 8 Municipal finance and debt: the case of Lyons......Page 178 TAXING THE TOWNS......Page 179 AUDITING MUNICIPAL FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS......Page 181 THE DEBT ISSUE IN LYONS: THE EDICT OF CHAUNY......Page 183 LIQUIDATING LYONS’S DEBT......Page 187 CONCLUSION: HENRY IV, SULLY, AND MUNICIPAL FINANCE......Page 195 Henry IV, urban autonomy, and French absolutism......Page 198 Bibliothèque Nationale......Page 203 Amiens......Page 204 La Rochelle......Page 205 Narbonne......Page 206 Toulouse......Page 207 PRINTED SOURCES......Page 208 SECONDARY SOURCES......Page 212 Index......Page 231 Cover 1 Half-title 3 Series-title 5 Title 7 Copyright 8 Dedication 9 Contents 11 Illustrations 12 FIGURES 12 PLANS 12 MAPS 12 Tables 13 Acknowledgements 14 Introduction 17 1 France in the 1580s and 1590s 26 ECONOMIC AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL CRISES 30 URBAN DISCONTENT AND THE CATHOLIC LEAGUE’S DISINTEGRATION 33 2 Brokering clemency in 1594: the case of Amiens 39 THE ROYALIST CLIENTS IN AMIENS: THE LOUVENCOURT NETWORK 41 THE CATHOLIC LEAGUE CLIENTS IN AMIENS: THE LE ROY NETWORK 45 AMIENS’S CAPITULATION TO HENRY IV IN 1594 53 CAPTURING A TOWN FROM WITHIN: HENRY IV AND URBAN CLIENTAGE 60 3 Henry IV’s ceremonial entries: the remaking of a king 63 HENRY IV’S ROYAL ENTRY INTO ABBEVILLE 65 ROYAL ENTRIES AND THEIR PLACE IN THE RECONCILIATION PROCESS 72 CONCLUSION: HENRY IV’S ROYAL ENTRIES 77 4 Henry IV and municipal franchises in Catholic League towns 79 POLICING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS 81 ELECTORAL SCANDAL AND CROWN INTERVENTION 87 LEAVING TOWNS ALONE 93 DECREASING THE SIZE OF URBAN GOVERNMENTS 95 THE EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF AMIENS 97 CONCLUSION HENRY IV AND FORMER CATHOLIC LEAGUE TOWNS 102 5 Henry IV and municipal franchises in royalist and Protestant towns 104 THE ROYALI ST TOWNS 106 SWEARING ALLEGIANCE TO HENRY IV 107 ELECTION INTERFERENCE AND CROWN INTERVENTION 109 THE REWARDS OF FIDELITY 114 A TRADITIONAL RENAISSANCE KING 115 HENRY IV AND PROTESTANT PRIVILEGE 117 THE EDICT OF NANTES 119 THE EDICT OF NANTES IN THE PROTESTANT TOWNS 122 MONITORING THE PROTESTANT TOWNS 127 THE PRIVILEGES OF LA ROCHELLE 131 CONCLUS ION HENRY IV AND HIS MUNICIPAL ALLIES 135 6 Clientage and clemency: the making of municipal officials 138 THE SOCIAL BACKGROUND OF MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS 138 HENRY IV AND THE MAGISTERIAL ELITE 142 SELECTING MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS 148 CONCLUSION: HENRY IV AND MUNICIPAL OLIGARCHIES 153 7 Urban protest in Poitiers and Limoges: the pancarte riots 155 THE SOL POUR LIVRE OR 'PANCARTE' 155 THE PANCARTERIOT IN POITIERS 159 THE ‘PANCARTE’ RIOT IN LIMOGES 165 HENRY IV AND THE 'PANCARTE' 177 8 Municipal finance and debt: the case of Lyons 178 TAXING THE TOWNS 179 AUDITING MUNICIPAL FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS 181 THE DEBT ISSUE IN LYONS: THE EDICT OF CHAUNY 183 LIQUIDATING LYONS’S DEBT 187 CONCLUSION: HENRY IV, SULLY, AND MUNICIPAL FINANCE 195 CONCLUS ION: 198 Henry IV, urban autonomy, and French absolutism 198 Bibliography 203 MANUSCRIPT SOURCES 203 Paris 203 Archives Nationales 203 Bibliothèque Nationale 203 Bibliothèque de l’ Arsenal 204 Abbeville 204 Agen 204 Albi 204 Amiens 204 Musée de Picardie 205 Blois 205 Châlons-sur-Marne 205 Dijon 205 Foix 205 La Rochelle 205 Limoges 206 Lyons 206 Bibliothèque Municipale de Lyons 206 Mantes-la-jolie 206 Montauban 206 Nantes 206 Narbonne 206 Nîmes 207 Poitiers 207 Rennes 207 Rouen 207 Saint-Quentin 207 Toulouse 207 Archives Départémentales de l’Haute Garonne 208 Tours 208 United States 208 PRINTED SOURCES 208 SECONDARY SOURCES 212 Index 231 This book is the first serious study of Henry IV's relationship with the towns of France, and offers an in-depth analysis of a crucial aspect of his craft of kingship. Set in the context of the later Wars of Religion, it examines Henry's achievement in reforging an alliance with the towns by comparing his relationship with Catholic League, royal and Protestant towns. Annette Finley-Croswhite focuses on the symbiosis of three key issues: legitimacy, clientage, and absolutism. Henry's pursuit of political legitimacy and his success at winning the support of his urban subjects is traced over the course of his reign. Clientage is examined to show how Henry used patron-client relations to win over the towns and promote acceptance of his rule. By restoring legitimacy to the monarchy, Henry not only ended the religious wars but also strengthened the authority of the crown and laid the foundations of absolutism.

This book is the first serious study of Henry IV's relationship with the towns of France. Rejected by a majority of his subjects because of his Protestant faith, Henry spent the early years of his reign conquering his kingdom through the use of force, persuasion, bribery, and conciliation. By reopening the lines of communication between the crown and the towns, he strengthened the French monarchy. Thus while this book is not a biography of the King, it offers an in-depth analysis of a crucial aspect of his craft of kingship.

"This book is the first serious study of Henry IV's relationship with the towns of France and offers an in-depth analysis of a crucial aspect of his craft of kingship. Set in the context of the later Wars of Religion, it examines Henry's achievement in reforging an alliance with the towns by comparing his relationship with Catholic League, royalist and Protestant towns."--Jacket By reopening the lines of communication between the crown and the towns, King Henry IV of France strengthened the monarchy. This 1999 book is a serious study of Henry's relationship with the towns of France, offering an in-depth analysis of a crucial aspect of his craft of kingship. To many historians, and especially to Fernand Braudel, the part French towns played in the religious civil wars, and in particular their support of the Catholic League, marked a return to the age of medieval urban independence. S. Annette Finley-croswhite. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 187-214) And Index.