folio 380*230 mm, full leather, ribbed spine, fillets on the covers. Scattered, light scuffs, missing leather on the fields. Headcaps torn off at the tail, perfect at the head, headbands in good condition, split at the joint at the tail recto on 5 cm. Solid binding, excellent paper entirely handwritten (writing 1st third of the 17th century (see the shape of the “s”). On the spine “XIIII/Tom“ and ”FEBVRIER. 1627 IVSQVE.EN AOVST 1634” (in fact the manuscript goes up to January 1635). A final notebook seems to have been removed
No attribution, but it is very likely that this document was the property of a member of the Parliament of Brittany (councilor, prosecutor or clerk).
The manuscript does not contain the deliberations, but notes the recordings of letters patent, jussion or declaration, excused absences of councillors (with the reason), ongoing trials involving members of Parliament, withdrawals of councillors due to conflict of interest in ongoing cases, etc. It seems to compile elements that are detailed in other registers. Many mentions of plague contagions.
Some random examples:
– February 1, 1627: arrest of a sergeant who had intervened during the High Mass
– February 4, 1627: Joachim Descartes [René’s half-brother] is one of the 5 councilors in charge of managing the poor office and supervising the construction site of the Parliament of Brittany building.
– March 7, 1627: registration of the edict of March 12 to mark the quantity of trees needed to build 30 large-capacity vessels on the orders of Cardinal Richelieu.
– November 12, 1627: the merchants of Vannes and Auray are obliged to provide the soldiers and sailors on the king’s ships with 16 ounces of bread and a pound of meat per day
– May 5, 1628, the bailiffs who failed to prevent the uproar during the court session are fined
– June 14, 1628: the minutes of the number of English soldiers and sailors taken at sea by a captain from Pont de l’Arche in Normandy, escorting twelve ships to La Rochelle are read
– November 7, 1628: the king grants clemency to the people of La Rochelle who surrendered
– December 5, 1628: the fall of La Rochelle is announced
– April 5, 1629: the siege of Casal is lifted
– April 30, 1629: a bag of criminal proceedings is received against “any inhabitant of Morlaix, accuse of having, to the detriment of the King’s edicts, trafficked with the English…”
– Obligation to surrender the swords of Gentlemen and prohibition of carrying pistols..
etc…..
The manuscript of approximately 400 pages, well written, readable, little knowledge of paleography desirable.
Offered by L’Artisan Biblio-Phil
€1700 plus shipping
To purchase, contact mauran.phil@orange.fr
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