this Family still maintain a Rank comformable to their Extraction as they formerly did enjoying the same Honours and Prerogatives as the fore-mentioned Families This Family has had several Alliances with our Kings with the Emperours and with the Kings of England Scotland Spain Arragon and Navarre and if Anne the Heiress of Brittany who was afterward Queen of France and Wife both to Charles the VIII and Lewis the XII had died without Children there was no Family nearer to succeed to that Dutchy than this But the better to particularize in Order those which at present remain of this Illustrious Family we shall make this Observation That they descend all from these three following Heads or Chiefs 1. From the late Henry Duke of Rohan 2. From the late Peter Prince of Guémené 3. From his late Brother Hercules of Rohan Duke of Montbazon 1. The late Henry Duke of Rohan Prince of Leon left by Margaret of Leon his Wife Daughter to the late Duke of Suilly Margaret of Rohan his only Heiress who died the 9th of April 1684. In her the Dutchy of Rohan as well as the Vicounty of Leon fell to the Distaffe as they call it in France She Married Henry Chabot Lord of St. Aulaye the last in Rank of the Barons of Jornac and Grand-Child to Admiral Chabot and died the 27th of February 1655. by whom she had a Son and three Daughters viz. 1. Lewis de Rohan-Chabot Peer of France of whom we shall speak among the Dukes and Peers 2. Anne Chabot de Rohan Married the 16th of April 1663. to Francis of Rohan Prince of Soubize 3. Margaret Chabot of Rohan Widow of the Marquiss of Coëtquen Governour of St. Malo who died the 24th of April 1679. 4. Joan-Pelagia Chabot of Rohan called Madamoiselle of Leon She was Married to the Prince d' Epinoy the 11th of April 1668. II. The late Peter of Rohan Prince of Guémené Count of Montauban Elder Brother of the late Duke of Montauban Married Magdalene of Rieux Daughter to the Lord of Chateau-neuf by whom he had Anne of Rohan who was Married to the late Lewis of Rohan her Cousin-German as we shall show further in due place III. The late Hercules of Rohan Duke of Montbazon Count of Rochefort Knight of the Kings Orders Peer and Great Huntsman of France Governour of the City of Paris and Gentleman-Usher to Queen Marie of Medicis who died in the year 1654. Married to his first Wife Magdalene of Lenoncourt Daughter and sole Heir of Henry of Lenoncourt and the Lady Francise Laval and to his second in the year 1628. Marie of Brittany Daughter of the Count of Vertus By both which he had the Children following His Children by the first Wife were 1. Lewis of Rohan the Seventh of that Name Prince of Guémené Duke of Montbazon Peer and Great Huntsman of France Knight of the Kings Orders who died the 19th of February 1667. in the 68th year of his Age He Married Anne de Rohan Princess of Guémené his Cousin-German above-mentioned who died the 14th of March 1685. by whom he had one Son viz. Charles de Rohan Duke of Montbazon Peer of France Count of Rochefort and of Montauban who Married Joan Armanda of Schomberg Daughter and Sister of the two late Counts and Marshals of that Name by whom he has these following Children 1. Charles of Rohan Prince of Guémené Duke of Montbazon who Married to his first Wife Madamoiselle de Luyne Marie-Anne d' Albret who died the 21st of August 1679. and to his second on the 2d of December the same year Charlotte-Elizabeth de Cochefilet called Madamoiselle de Vauvineux 2. John-Baptist-Armandus of Rohan called The Abbot of Rohan 3. John of Rohan called the Prince of Montauban who in 1682. Married N .... de Bautru Nogent Widow of the Marquiss of Ranes Lieutenant General of the Kings Armies 4. Anne of Rohan called Madamoiselle of Guémené 5. Elizabeth of Rohan called Madamoiselle of Montbazon Born the 25th of March 1643. 6. And Madamoiselle of Montauban 2. The late Marie de Rohan Dutchess Dowager of Chevreuse who died the 13th of August 1679. was Daughter to the same late Hercules of Rohan by the same Wife She was first Married to Charles D' Albot Duke of Luyne Peer Constable and Great Falconer of France Knight of the Kings Orders Principal Gentleman of the Kings Bed-Chamber and Governour of Picardie who died in 1621. By whom she had Lewis-Charles d' Albert Duke of Luyne who was first Married to Lewise-Marie Seguier Daughter of the Marquisse d' O by whom he had several Children and since to the abovesaid Madamoiselle of Montbazon The same Marie of Rohan after the Death of the said Constable of Luyne was Married again as we have said to Claudius of Lorain Duke of Chevreuse and had by him three Daughters of whom there remains only Henriette of Lorain Abbess of Joüare The Children of the said late Hercules of Rohan by his second Wife were one Son and two Daughters viz. I. Francis of Rohan Prince of Soubize Count of Rochefort in Iveline Lieutenant-Captain of a Company of the Kings Gens d' armes Governour of Berry and Lieutenant General of the Kings Armies who on the 16th of April 1663. Married his Cousin Madamoiselle de Rohan Lady of Honour to the Queen By whom he has had several Children the Eldest of which is 1. Lewis of Rohan of Soubize who was Baptized at the Royal Chappel at St. Germains en Laye the 16th of February 1675. Their Majesties being pleased to stand for his Godfather and Godmother 2. Hercules-Meriadec of Rohan Abbot of St. Taurin of Evreux called the Abbot of Rohan 3. Anne-Margaret of Rohan of Soubize who is a Nun in the Convent of the Benedictin Nuns of Nostre Dame de Consolation in the Street called the Rue de Chasse-midy in the Suburbs of St. Germain at Paris 4. Madamoiselle de Frontenay N. ◠de Rohan 5 6. Two Boys more II. Constance Emilia of Rohan who was Married by Proxy on the 18th of May 1683. to Don Joseph Rodrigo de Camara Son of Don Miguel de Camara Count de Ribeyra-grande Grandee of Portugal This Don Joseph-Rodrigo de Camara is of the Privy Council to the present King of Portugal Governour and Captain-General and Lord of the Island of St. Michael and of the Town de Poule-Delgade The Ceremony of the Espousals was performed the day before at Versailles in the Kings Great Cabinet in Presence of their Majesties of my Lord the Dauphin and my Lady Dauphiness of Monsieur and Madame and of all the Princes and Princesses and principal Lords of the Court She arrived in Portugal in the Month of October 1683. Of the Family of Tremoille I. The late Prince of Tarente Charle-Henry de la Tremoille Duke of Thoüars Peer of France Knight of the Order of the Garter bore Arms in Holland and was General of the Cavalry of the States of the United Provinces and Governour of Bois le
acquired to himself the Surname of Great You are to remark that as soon as any Branch of the Blood Royal comes to the Crown that they quit their former Surnames and take up that of France So the King stiles himself Lewis of France and not of Bourbon in which several people have been mistaken and Monsieur Philip of France c. though they Sign only with their Christian-Name without adding of France CHAP. V. Of the Children of France THE Children of France are only the Kings Children the Children of the Dauphin or the Kings Eldest Son and the Kings Brothers or Sisters and the Brothers Children the Sisters being always either Married abroad or made Religious all others of the Royal Family are called Princes of the Blood The first Son of the Kings of France is called the Dauphin and the second Son of France is called Monsieur without addition of any other Title But after the Dolphin his younger Brethren are Dukes of Orleans of Anjou of Alencon of Valois of Touraine of Berry of Ponthieu and other Apanages these younger bear the Surname of France and Sign only with their proper Names as the King does so likewise do the Daughters of France who are stiled Ladies The Dauphin was Born at Fountain-Bleau the first of November 1661. about Noon and Baptized at St Germains en Laye in the Court of the Old Castle the 24th of March 1668. by Cardinal Antony Barberin Great Almoner of France His Godfather was our Holy Father Pope Clement the Ninth Represented by the Cardinal Duke of Vendome Legate à Latere and his Godmother the Queen Mother of England Represented by the Princess of Conty who named him Lewis The Dauphin is Heir Apparent of the Crown of France and bears the Title of Dauphin by vertue of a Donation of the Province of the Dauphinate made by Humbert last Prince Dauphin of Viennois to Philip de Valois in the Year of our Lord 1349. upon condition the Eldest Sons of the Kings of France should thenceforward be stiled Dauphins For that reason he bears the Arms of France Quarter'd with those of the Dauphinate environed with the two Orders of the King because the Sons of France wear the blue Ribband from their Cradles His Coronet is raised with Flower-deluces as is that of all the Sons of France Some Authors had formerly without any ground affirmed the Dauphins used to wear their Coronets closed by way of Excellence but the Abbot of Brianville who had likewise upon their credit averred the same thing in his Game of the Coats of Arms of Europe hath since found the contrary upon all the Seals Coins and other Monuments and afterwards presented to the King such a Coronet of his own Invention closed by four Dolphins whose Tails meet all in a Button or knob with four Angels supporting a Flower-deluce which his Majesty liked so well that he order'd the Dolphin should wear no other The Princess that Heaven has replenisht with all sorts of Vertues to be the worthy Spouse of my Lord the Dauphin is named Marie-Ann-Christine-Francise-Josephe-Terese-Antoinette-C ajetane-Hyacinthe Felicia-Victoria of Bavaria Born in 1660. the 28th of November or the 18th old Stile She is only Sister to the present Elector of Bavaria Daughter of Ferdinand-Marie late Elector of Bavaria and of Henriette-Adelaide of Savoy Her Marriage with the Dauphin was Celebrated at Municke in Bavaria the 28th of January 1680. and the Ceremonies or the Benediction of the said Marriage was renewed in France at Chaalons in the Chappel of that Bishoprick between the hours of 7 and 8 at Night the 7th of March the same Year by the Cardinal of Bouillon Great Almoner of France who next Morning said the solemn Mass on that occasion By her he has three Sons the Duke of Burgundy the Duke of Anjou and the Duke of Berry Monsieur the Duke of Burgundy was Born at Versailles the 6th of August 1682. about a quarter and five or six minutes of an hour after ten at Night Some call him Monseigneur or My Lord Duke of Burgundy He is a very handsome Prince and seems to be very healthy He was sprinkled that is he received the essential part of Baptism without the Ceremonies which in the Children of France are commonly deferred some Years by the Cardinal of Bouillon Great Almoner of France presently after his Birth The King sent him the Cross of the Order of the Holy Ghost by the Marquess of Signelay Minister and Secretary of State and Treasurer of the Orders of his Majesty The Duke of Anjou was Born at Versailles at half an hour after four in the Morning on Sunday the 19th of December 1683. The Duke of Berry was Born on Saturday the 21st of August Old Stile and the last of August New Stile 1686. The Children of France that are deceased were 1. The most High and Mighty Princess the Lady Anne-Elizabeth of France was Born the 28th of November 1663. and died in the Castle of the Louvre the 10th of January 1664. 2. The most High and Mighty Princess the Lady Marie-Anne of France was Born the 17th of November 1664. and died in the Castle of the Louvre the 26th of December the same year 3. The most High and Mighty Princess the Lady Marie-Terese of France was Born half an hour past ten at Night the second of January 1667. and died the 1st of March 1672. at the Age of five Years and two Months She was Baptized in the Chappel of the Tuilleries in January 1668. and had for Godfather Monsieur the Present Duke of Orleans and for Godmother Madame the late Dutchess Dowager of that Name 4. The most High and Mighty Prince the Lord Philip Son of France Duke of Anjou was Born the 5th of August 1668. at St. Germains en Laye where he died the 7th of July 1671. at the Age of three years wanting 25 days He was Baptized in the Chappel of the Tuilleries by Cardinal Antony Barberin Great Almoner of France the 24th of March 1669. his Godfather was the Emperour represented by the Duke of Orleans and his Godmother the then Queen of Spain Represented by his Sister the Lady Marie-Terese of France 5. The most High and Mighty Prince the Lord Lewis-Francis Son of France also Duke of Anjou was Born the 14th of June 1672. and died the 4th of November the same year These two Dukes of Anjou are here placed according to the order of their Birth after the Ladies their Sisters though 't is well known they being of the nobler Sex took place before them though they were elder which Order is observed by the Officers of both Sexes that served them When there are any Children of France They are served by several of the Kings Officers As for Example The Kings Chaplains say Mass every day in their Chamber The Chief Physician or one of the Physicians of the quarter is present when they are shifted the Valets de Chambre come thither and serve them too The Door-Keepers do their
Oath to the Great Almoner Besides these there are the Almoners belonging to the great and little Stables and to the other Bodies of the Kings Houshold and the Chaplains belonging to the several Companies of Guards and of the Gentlemen-Musqueteers and others of which we shall speak in their places The New Chappel of the Louvre was Consecrated the 18th of February 1659. by the late Bishop of Rhodes since Archbishop of Paris and that of little Bourbon pull'd down in the Month of August the same year The Kings Ecclesiastical Officers keep always on his Majesties right hand in the Chappel and the Bishops Abbots and Ecclesiastical Officers of the Queen on his left Now on his Majesties right hand the Great Almoners Place is next to the Kings Person then follows that of the first Almoner on the right hand of the Great Almoner As for the Kings Father Confessour he places himself at the Great Almoners left hand more within the Kings Praying-Desk The Master of the Chappel-Musick takes his place on the left hand next adjoining to the Kings Praying-Desk The rest of the Almoners rank themselves to the right-hand-ward from the foot of the Kings Praying-Desk toward the Altar and after them the Chaplains and Clerks of the Chappel and Oratory and the other Clergy of the Kings Houshold every one in their Order CHAP. XIV Of the Great Master of the Kings Houshold and those who depend on him and of the Stewards of the Houshold THE Prince of Conde is at present Grand Master of the Kings Houshold and his Son the Duke of Enguien has it in Reversion The Grand Master has yearly under the name of Wages 3600 l. for Liveries 42000 l. paid quarterly for his Collations 1200 l. and 1800 l. for his Steward Under the first Race of our Kings the Great Master of France was called the Mayor of the Palace who was a Lieutenant-General over the whole Kingdom and according to the ancient Disposition of the State as there was a Duke placed over twelve Earls and sometimes a Duke over whole Provinces so the Mayor of the Palace was the Duke of Dukes and stiled himself Duke or Prince of the French His Authority was not confined only within the Kings Houshold where he disposed of all Offices but he had a great power over all Officers of War and Justice over the Managers of the Revenue and Treasury and indeed over all Affairs of State and grew so great at last that it Eclipsed the Kings and gave Pepin who was but Mayor of the Palace opportunity to assume the Crown which having done and fearing that if he continued any longer any such great Authority as this in an Officer his own practice might be returned on him and his Successors he suppressed this Office of Mayor of the Palace and Erected in its stead that of Seneschal for the Government only of his Household reserving all the other powers of that former Office to himself Yet it has happened since that the Seneschal for all that has taken upon him some Command in the Armies even so far as to have the Guard of the Kings Person Some have called him the Great Gonfanonïer or Standard-Bearer This Office became Hereditary to the Counts of Anjou from the time of Geffry Grisegonelle to whom King Robert gave it about the year 1002. and those that exercised it about the King held it in Fee of those Counts to whom they did Homage for it and paid certain acknowledgments as going to meet the Count of Anjou when he came to the Palace Lodging him letting him serve the King c. and furnishing him in the Armies with a Tent big enough to hold a hundred Knights as Hugh de Cléries reports at large This Officer also retained still a part of the power of the Mayors of the Palace in other things and decided all differences arising among the Attendants of the Court and among the Officers of the Houshold After the Kings Death he throws his Staff upon the Coffin before all the rest of the Officers Assembled together to show that their Offices are expired but the succeeding King ordinarily restores them out of his special Grace and Favour The Great Master Regulates every year the expence of the Mouth of the Kings Houshold He has an entire Jurisdiction over the seven Offices the most part of which places he disposes of and the Officers thereof take the Oath of Allegiance to the King between his hands Nevertheless the Great Masters have voluntarily resign'd the Office of Intendant of the Gobelet and of the Mouth into the Kings hands ever since Monsieur de Soissons Great Master of the Kings Houshold under Henry IV. refused to trouble himself any longer with the care of them He receives the Oath of Allegiance from the first Master of the Houshold from the Master of the Houshold in Ordinary and from twelve Masters of the Houshold that wait Quarterly from the Great and Chief Pantler Cup-Bearer and Carver from the thirty six Gentlemen Servitors from the three Masters of the Chamber of Deniers from the two Controulers-General from the sixteen Controulers Clerks of Offices from the Master of the Kings Chappel-Musick and from the Master of the Kings Oratory from the Almoners of the Kings Houshold from the Great Master the Master and the Aid of the Ceremonies from the Introductor of Ambassadours and from ........ from the Kings Master of the Horse in Ordinary and of the twenty other Masters of the Horse that serve quarterly from the four Lieutenants of the Guards of the Kings Gate from the Keepers of the Tents c. When he serves in Ceremony and that he goes along with the Meat he marches nearer the Kings Meat than all the Stewards of the Houshold carrying his Staff strait and bolt upright like a Scepter and the other Masters of the Houshold hold theirs more downward in his presence It is he likewise that at all Great Ceremonies presents the first wet Napkin to the King The Office called the Kings Office or Counting-House is kept under the Authority of the Great Master CHAP. XV. Of the first Master of the Houshold and of the other Masters under him THE first Master of the Houshold is at present the Marquiss de Livry who has a Jurisdiction over the seven Offices as far as relates to their Service but has not the disposal of their places He may also receive the Oath of Fidelity from the Offieers of the Cup or Goblet and of the Mouth and of the other Officers and in the Great Masters absence of those other Officers which ought to perform that Ceremony to him He has his Lodging in the Louvre and has yearly for Wages 3000 l. for Liveries 7968 l. and for the Counters 60 l. He keeps the Great Chamberlains Table and has the last course of it for his Fee The priviledge of the said Table is an acquisition that has been made to this Office by some preceding First Masters of
last Bill of every quarter because of his extraordinary care and pains One Maker and Distiller of Waters for the Great Masters new Table he has at the Chamber of Deniers for the Waters he ordinarily furnishes in the quarter beginning in January 150 l. and as much for the quarter ending in December But for each of the other Summer Quarters he has 300 l. which makes in all 900 l. yearly One Groom of the same new Table who has for furnishing Glasses Caraffs and other things 200 l. One Keeper of the Vessels for the Great Masters Table at 150 l. One Butler belonging to the Great Chamberlain at 600 l. One Maker and Distiller of Waters belonging to the same at 900 l. as has he that serves the Great Master One Groom of the Great Chamberlains Table who has 200 l. for Glasses Caraffs c. One Keeper of the Vessels at 150 l. CHAP. XVI Of the Great Chamberlain and all Officers under his dependance IF the honour of Officer may be rated from the frequency and nearness of their approaches to the Kings Person then certainly the Great Chamberlain must needs have the greatest share therein of any since it is at all times in his power to be near his Majesty and that he has a very considerable Rank in all the most Magnificent Solemnities This Office is almost as ancient as the beginning of this Monarchy and one may judge of its greatness by the Nobility of the Persons that always have enjoyed it He had formerly a great Jurisdiction over the Mercers and other Trades that deal in Clothing and for that purpose he substituted under him a Surveyor of those Merchandizes who was commonly called the King of the Mercers that is to say their Syndic or Comptroller who also Examin'd the Weights and Measures of the said Merchants His Court of Justice was held at the Marble Table in the Palais or Palace at Paris by a Mayor-Judge Commissionated by the Great Chamberlain and some other Officers The Great Chamberlain was formerly of the Great Officers that Signed all Charters and Letters of Consequence and has still a Right to sit in Judgment with the King at the Tryal of any Peers He had formerly the Keeping of the Kings Coffers and Treasury in his Chamber and had the management of the Exchequer as he has to this day in several places where the Camerlingue or Chamberlain for in different places he is differently stiled is likewise Treasurer and receives all the Revenues and it belonged to him or his Under-Treasurers to carry Money about them for the Kings Liberalities and other necessary Expences He used to have for his Fee the tenth part of what came into the Kings Coffers and was wont to deal out the Annual Gratuities to the Souldiers and provide Presents for all Ambassadours He has been indifferently stiled Cubicularius Camerarius or Cambellanus that is Bedchamber Man Chamber-man or Chamberlain But the Office of Chamberlain and Chamber-man were afterward made distinct Offices as among other proofs will appear by an ancient duty upon Merchants who paid 16 pence whereof ten pence went to the Chamberlain and the other six to the Chamber-Man But the Office of Chamber-Man was supprest in the Person of Charles Duke of Orleans Anno 1544. or to speak more properly we may say that it assumed under Francis the First the present Title it is now known under of Chief Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber The present Great Chamberlain is the Duke of Boüillon who has yearly 3600 l. under the name of Wages and a Pension of 20000 l. When the King sits on his Bed of Justice or in a general Assembly of the Estates the Great Chamberlain sits at his Feet upon a Violet-Coloured Velvet Cushion Embroidered with Flower deluces of Gold He is present at all Audiences of Ambassadours where takes his Place behind his Majesties Chair of State between the Chief Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber who is on his right and the Great Master of the Wardrobe whose Place is on his left Antiently in the Queens absence he was wont to lie in the Kings Bed-Chamber Upon the Coronation-Day he takes the Royal Buskins from the Abbot of St. Denis and puts them on the Kings Legs and then invests him with the Dalmatick Robe of Azure Blue and with the Mantle Royal. As the Great Chamberlains have the honour to be nearest the sacred Persons of their Kings while they are alive so when nature has exacted from them her Tribute and they come to die they with the Chief Gentlemen of the Bed-Chamber interre their Bodies The homage done to the King by any Dukes or other Persons of higher Rank holding their Lands or Seignieuries of his Majesty was antiently performed in the Bed-Chamber whither being Conducted by the Great Chamberlain Bare-headed and without Sword Belt or Spurs and kneeling down and putting their hands between the Kings Hands they promised him Fealty and Homage Of which Ceremony we have a fair Example in Froissard in the 25th Chapter of the First Volume of his History namely in the Homage done by Edward the Third King of England to Philip de Valois to whom being brought in and in the posture as aforesaid the Great Chamberlain-tendered these words You become the Liege-Man of the King my Lord that here is as Duke of Guienne and Peer of France and you promise Fealty and Loyalty to him to bear Say Yes And the King of England as Duke of Guienne answered Yes and the King received him for his Liege-Man Thus Froissard who likewise tells us that this Homage had better have been let alone it being so Stomached by that Couragious King that it caused those long and bloody Wars between the two Nations of which all Histories resound and which are hardly yet well extinct but lie couched under Embers till opportunity shall raise them into new Flames At present when any Marshal of France Governour of a Town Place or Province or any other is to take the Oath of Fidelity to the King the Marshal or such other Person gives his Hat Gloves and Sword to the Usher of the Bed-Chamber and then advancing towards the King who expects him in his Chair of State he kneels down upon a Cushion presented him by one of the Chief Valets de Chambre and putting his Hands between his Majesties when the said Oath being read to him by the Secretary under whose Division his Place is he gives his assent in the manner aforesaid and then rising up and making Obeisance to his Majesty goes back and takes again of the Usher of the Bed-Chamber the things he left with him to whom as well as to some other Officers of the Bed-Chamber he makes an honourable Present The Great Chamberlains had formerly a Table furnished out of the Kings own Kitchin but the late Duke of Chevreuse Great Chamberlain agreed with the Masters of the Houshold to have instead of it that which is still kept by them under the Name of the
serve quarterly and in their Certificates of Service are called Valets de Chambre Their Salary yearly is 300 l. and 37 l. 10 d. Gratuity Their Office is every day to help the Valets de Chambre to make the Kings Bed They are obliged to take charge of the Kings Houshold-Stuff in the time of their Waiting when his Majesty is abroad in the Country or in the Field and to put up or take down his Furniture When the Court is on the march into the Country or the Field there always goes to a first and second Chamber that is Furniture of all forts for two Chambers because one would not be enough The first of these Chambers or the first Suit of Furniture is sent away always the Night before the King begins his Journey that so the King when he comes next day to the place where he is to lie at may find his Chamber ready furnished and the next day the Furniture for the second Chamber keeps on its march outright to the second Stage of the Journey and so along to the end of the Journey and back again and of the two Upholsters that are then in Waiting one conducts the first Chamber and the other the second He that waits at the Dauphins is allowed forty pence or ten Groats a day for his Diet. There are likewise four Clocks or Watchmakers that in their Patents are stiled Valets de Chambre and eat at their Table their Salary is 200 l. a piece Of the Yeomen of the Chamber There are six Yeomen in Ordinary of the Chamber they have under the notion of Wages together with other allowances 658 l. yearly They wait always in the Chamber to be ready to receive the Orders of their Superiours or in their absence from the King himself They take care of the Wax-Lights in the Kings Chamber and in his other Apartments and what is left of them is their Fees every where but at Versailles They open the Bed-Chamber Door every Morning before the Ushers come They have their share in all Gratuities given by Governours and Lieutenants of Provinces c. when they take the Oath of Fidelity to the King in his Bed-Chamber as is aforesaid They have a Table a part and in the year 1675 his Majesty by fresh Patents was pleased to confirm all former Grants made to them they as other Officers of the Bed-Chamber are Sworn by the Chief-Gentlemen of the said Chamber When the King or any other persons of Quality play at any Game in the Kings Bed-Chamber or any where else in his Apartments they have the profits of the Box unless it be at Versailles They are to make ready several necessary things in the Chamber as Tables Carpets and Seats for the Councils that are held in the Kings Chamber and for the Council of Finances or of the Treasury which is likewise held in his Majesties Chamber and they furnish Pen Ink Paper and Sand for which they are allowed 200 Crowns they lie always near the Kings Chamber and just by his Chests or Trunks they go and carry word to the Officers of the Kitchin when his Majesty has a mind to have any Broth or to Breakfast and to the Officers of the Wardrobe to bring the Kings Cloaths and every Night they light the Lamp that is placed in a Corner of the Chamber and burns all Night There likewise belong to the Bed-Chamber two Chair-men for business who have 600 l. Salary out of the Privy-Purse and 200 l. Gratuity at the Treasure Royal. The Table-Carrier likewise carries a Chair of State out of thé Bed-Chamber for the King when he goes to High-Mass Tenebras or elsewhere There is one Rubber in Ordinary of the Kings Chamber and Closets who enjoys his place by Commission Who has 540 l. yearly paid him by the Chief Valets de Chambre The Porters of the Bed-Chamber Are nine who carry and remove on all occasions the Kings Beds and other Furniture of his Chamber and Wardrobe They serve quarterly three the first quarter beginning at New-Years-Tide and two every of the other quarters Their yearly allowance counting all things amounts to 340 l. a year They have some Servants under them Besides there is a Captain of the Mules of the Chamber who has several Servants under him that Conduct and Load and Unload the Chests of the Kings Chamber and Wardrobe Other Officers assuming also the Title of Valets de Chambre Are the Painters Shoomakers Joyners Glasiers Lock-smiths Carvers and other like Tradesmen and Artists as likewise others belonging to the Wardrobe c. Of the Wardrobe or the manner of the Kings Dressing and Undressing There is at present but one Great Master of the Wardrobe He has likewise the Honour to have place in his Majesties Coach He has by way of Salary together with other allowances 19600 l. yearly He has the Charge of the Kings Cloths Linnen and Shoes and Stockings and what he leaves off he has for his Fees In the absence of the Princes the Great Chamberlain and the Chief Gentlemen of the Bed-Chamber he gives the King his Shirt and in the Morning when his Majesty Dresses himself he puts on his Wast-Coat his Blue-Ribban and his strait Coat and presents him his Sword and at Night when he is going to Bed he presents him his Night Wastcoat Cap and Handkercher and asks him what Cloths he pleases to wear the next day You are to take notice That the Kings Handkercher is always presented him upon a Vermilion guilt Salver which is a kind of Plate-Stand Upon great Festival and Solemn Days he fastens on his Cloak the Collers of his Orders after he is Drest He has an Apartment in the Kings Lodgings What place he has at Audiences and other Solemnities I have already told under the Articles of the Great Chamberlain and chief Gentlemen Next are two Masters in Ordinary of the Wardrobe that serve by turns each of them his year Of their Salary and other allowances I find no account They take the Oath of Fidelity to the King in Person And in the absence of the Great Master of the Wardrobe and his Superiours they give the King his Shirt and do other things that he should do They are likewise present at Audiences of Ambassadours and mount upon the highest part of the Cloth of State He of them that is in waiting has an Apartment in the Kings Lodgings In the Morning when the King rises he presents him his Cravat his Gloves his Cane and his Hat The King himself empties the Pockets of the Suit he leaves off into those of the Suit he intends to put on but the Master of the Wardrobe is to hold those Pockets to him while he empties them At Night when the King goes out of his Closet the Master of the Wardrobe waits for him at the Door and takes his Gloves his Cane his Hat his Belt and Sword When his Majesty goes to Bed he first kneels down at his Praying-Desk which is by
that under the said Count of the Stable or Constable took care of the Horses For some time there were several of these Squires or Master of the Horse of equal Command in the Kings Stables as in the time of Philip the Long when there was no Great Master but only four Masters of the Horse entred in the Book of the Establishment for though the same King in 1319. made one Henry de Braybant Great and Chief Marshal of his Stables yet he had not the Title of Great Master neither do we find any mention of the said Title till the reign of Charles the Seventh who made Pothon de Saintrailles and Tanneguy du Chatel Great Squires or Masters of the Horse of France The Great Master of the Horse or Grand Squire or Querry of France for so his Title imports in French carries as a Mark of his Office the Royal Sword in the Scabbard with the Belt both which are covered with Purple-Velvet set with Flower deluces of Massy Gold and the Handle of it is of Massy Gold with Flower-deluces of the same the Buckles of the Belt are likewise of Gold And he bears the Figure of the said Sword on each side of his Coat of Arms. He takes the Oath of Fidelity to the King Himself and he receives it from almost all the rest of the Officers of the Stables He has by his place the power of Deposing of almost all the vacant Offices in the great and little Stable of the Haras or Nursery of Horses and their Dependencies As of the Places of Gentlemen of the Horse or Querries of his Majesties Great Stable of Bearers of the Swords of State of Heralds and Pursuivants at Arms of Cloak-Carriers and Carriers of Gabans or Felt-Coats or Cloaks of Governour Under-Governour and Tutor of the Pages of the Stables of the Almoners Chief Valets Harbingers Coach-men Farriers Great Foot-men Grooms and other places of Officers that actually serve in the great and little Stables and in the Haras or Nursery of Horses of the Ordinary and Extraordinary Riders of both Stables of the Hoboys Violins Bag-Pipers Trumpeters Drummers and Flutes and of all Tradesmen and Workmen that make or furnish any thing to either of the Kings Stables And though the Great Master happen to be imployed elsewhere out of Court or out of France it self nay though he should happen to fall under the Kings Displeasure and be made a Prisoner of State yet till the very Day of his Death he has ever been known to retain the power of Disposing of the said places the Respect of the Kings of France to the dignity of this Office being so great that they have not yet taken it from any in possession of it till they took their Lives as was well seen in the time of the late King Lewis the Thirteenth during the Disgrace of Monsieur de Belle-garde and the Imprisonment of Monsieur de Cinq-mars The Great Master of the Horse has the management of all Monies allowed for the Expences of the Kings Stables and Nursery of Horses as likewise for the maintenance of the Gentlemen-Querries Pages and Officers serving and retained in the Stables and of the Great-Horses Race-Horses and Horses belonging to the Kings Coaches and Waggons and for the Wages Fees Gratuities and Payments of all the Officers of the Stables and of the Merchants or Tradesmen for necessaries they have furnished for any use thereunto belonging as also for Liveries and other Cloths order'd for any of the said Officers and for the Hoquetons or Coats Strait-Coats and Cloaks of the Kings Life-guard-men for the Coats of his Guard of 100 Suissers for the Strait-Coats of Guards of the Gate for the Coats called Hoquetons of the Guards of the Provost of the Houshold and for the Campagn-Coats of the Musketeers and lastly for the Expences of Coaches Waggons and Coverings of the Mules of the Kings Chamber and of the other Offices of his Houshold All the Officers above-named are sworn by him and cannot enjoy any Priviledges and Exemptions annexed to their places till they be Entred upon the Establishments that are fixed and signed by him No Querry or Professor of Horsemanship can set up an Academy to instruct young Gentlemen in Warlike Exercises or any other things proper for noble persons to learn without the Order and Permission of the Great Querry or Master of the Horse of France first obtained The Office of Post-Master General was annexed to that of Great Master of the Horse but was dismembred from it by Henry the Great and still remains so being at present enjoyed by the Great Secretary of State Monsieur Louvois who has as Post-Master General 1200 l. a year Board-Wages paid at the Chamber of Deniers The late King had once promised Monsieur Cinq-mars then Great Master of the Horse to re-annex the Post-Masters Office to that of the Great Master of the Horse but the said Monsieur Cinq-mars being afterwards Imprisoned and Executed for High-Treason that intention came to nothing The Great Master of the Horse has the Honour to have place in his Majesties Coach next the Princes of the Blood and when he is abroad on Horseback he rides next his Person He makes use of the Pages Footmen and Horses of the Kings Stables at his pleasure When the King is on the march for any Warlike Expedition or in the Body of an Army the Great Stable is lodged nearest him before the little Stable but in any Journey wherein he marches not upon any Warlike design nor in a Body of an Army the little Stable is placed nearest his Majesties Lodgings When the King makes his first Entry on Horse-back into any City within his Kingdome or into any Conquered Town where he is to be received with great Ceremony the Great Master of the Horse rides directly before the Kings Person carrying his Majesties Royal Sword in a Sheath of Purple-Velvet set with Flower-deluces of Massy Gold hung in a Belt of the same Stuff and Colour and on a Horse Caparison'd with the same And the Canopy born over his Majesties Head on that occasion is his Fee He rode in this manner at the Solemnity made for the Majority and at the Entry of their Majesties into Paris and it is to be noted likewise that at the Ceremony of the Majority he took his Seat in the Palais or Parliament-House on the right hand of the Great Chamberlain who always sits at the Feet of the Kings Bed of Justice He also bears the said Sword at Funeral Solemnities At the publick Entries of Kings and other great Solemnities He Orders the Trumpeters Hoboys Violins Flutes Tabourins Sackbuts Cornets and Drums to sound and Play for the greater State and Solemnity of the Feast At the Kings Death all the Horses of the Stables and Nursery and all the Harness and Furniture belonging to them fall to the Great Master of the Horse Every time the King Orders any Money for making any new Coaches for himself he
the Kings Order and a fourth holds up the other end of the Coat of Arms And the chief Querry or in his absence the eldest Querry carries the Helmet or Head-piece adorned with a Crest-Royal The five Querries in Waiting that Quarter march a breast all in Mourning next after the Herse or Waggon of Arms which is drawn with Horses covered with Black-Velvet set with Crosses of White-Satin having about them several Pages in Mourning There are in the little Stable almost the same kind and the same number of Officers as in the great one viz. Three Querries in Ordinary where the Court is and a fourth at Paris The Pages there at present are twenty five besides two Hunting Pages All the Pages the King has in his Chamber Stables or elsewhere serve in the Armies as Aides de Camp under His Majesties own Aides de Camp The Pages of the little Stable when it is dark always carry before the King a white Wax-Flambo and when he goes a Hunting they help the Arquebuse or Arms-Carrier to carry his Majesties Fowling-pieces or Fusils One Governour of the Pages One Tutor of the Pages who has a Salary of 225 l. and an annual gratuity of 200 l. and his Lodging and Diet at the little Stable a Horse at command and a Servant in a Livery to wait on him One Almoner or Chaplain of the little Stable who has a Salary of 400 l. and his Lodging and Diet with a Horse and a Servant at the little Stable Four chief Valets or Waiting-men of the Pages waiting Quarterly who have every one 75 l. Wages and 50 l. gratuity One Cash-Keeper or Pay-Master who has a Salary of 300 l. and an annual gratuity of 1200 l. besides his Diet Lodging and Horse in the said little Stable One Physician four Chyrurgions one Apothecary one Vaulting-Master two Dancing-Masters two Fencing-Masters One Ambling-Master one Porte-Gaban or Felt-Cloke Carrier They have also other Masters to teach them all other necessary Exercises as for the Mathematicks Designing Blazoning and Writing and handling the Pike and Musket c. Four Harbingers Quarterly Waiters who have every one of them a Salary of 165 l. and a gratuity of 100 l. with their Diet Lodging and each of them a Horse One Usher in Ordinary of the Kitchin Two Servants or Grooms of the Pages in Ordinary Seventeen Footmen in Ordinary of the little Stable which are only so by Commission and not as standing Officers Four working Farriers quarterly Waiters twelve Masters or Head-Grooms Quarterly Waiters by six every other Quarter and 50 Aids or Helpers Several Chair-men or Sedan-men The King has at present twenty five gallant Sets of Horses consisting of ten Horses apiece and as many Master-Coachmen or Drivers of Coaches and Calcehes with their Postillions and Servants To know what Livery Officers belong to the Great and what to the little Stable as well Pages as Foot-men and others you must take notice which way their Coat-Pockets are made for the Officers of the Great-Stables Pockets are slit Cross-ways their Liveries and the others long-ways downward CHAP. XVIII Of the Chief-Surveyor or Super-Intendant of the Royal Buildings and of the Architects and other Officers under him and of the Keepers of the Kings Houses Parks and Forests THE Super-Intendant is stiled Super-Intendent and General Orderer of the Buildings of the Royal Houses and of his Majesties Gardens and Tapstries and of the Arts and Manufactures of France of which last he is the Great Monopolizer under the King and is at present Monsieur Louvois Secretary of State He is sworn at the Chamber of Accounts in which he has both Voice and Place Monsieur Louvois when he was sworn took his place there above the Dean of the Masters of the Accounts There are three other Intendents or Surveyors of the Building that serve yearly every one his year at 6000 l. Salary Three Comptrollers of the Buildings who have each of them a Salary of 5500 l. One Chief Architect who has a Salary of 6000 l. and a gratuity of 4000 l. Two Treasurers Of the Royal Houses and first of the Louvre This Palace was called the Louvre that is to say as some will have it L'oeeuvre that is The Work by way of Excellence as if it were a Master-piece of Architecture and from that the French call all their Kings Palaces and those of other Kings in other Countries Louvres in ordinary Speech The old Palace of the Louvre at Paris was begun by the Predecessors of Philip Augustus and was finished in his Reign in the year 1214. of which Building there still remained in the time of Francis the First a Tower called the Iron Tower which was in the middle of the Court which the said King caused to be demolished because it darkened the Palace In the year 1364. Charles the Fifth rebuilt and enlarged that Palace of which the Porches are still remaining About the year 1545 Francis the First begun to build the Great Hall of the Louvre which was finished by Henry the Second in 1548 Charles the Ninth and Henry the Third continued this Building but Henry the Great built those Magnificent and long Galleries that go from the Louvre to the Tuilleries by the Water-side and the Gallery of the Painters which was burnt down by a Fire that hapned on the 6th of February 1661. which likewise did some dammage to the other Galleries but all has been since repaired Queen Catharine of Medicis built the Apartment that Fronts the Tuilleries in 1564. Lewis the Thirteenth built the other side of the old Court of the Louvre and the Continuation of it from the Great Dome in the middle under which the Councel of Finances and of the Farms is held Lewis the Great at present happily reigning has built on both sides of the old Louvre what remained unfinished He likewise has built a Dome at the Corner of his Chamber and of the Gallery of the Painters which is as we have said at present rebuilt and larger than it was before Besides he has rebuilt the whole Palace of the Tuilleries and the Hall of the Machines or Engines And he has likewise caused much to be done in the inclosure of the first Court of the Louvre at the Portal and in several other places There are at the Palace of the Louvre as at all other Royal Houses A Captain of the Palace who has a Salary of 1200 l. upon the Revenues of Paris A Lieutenant at 400 l. Salary out of the same Revenues A Keeper of the Palace of the Louvre who is Porter of the first and second Gates who has a Salary of 120 l. paid out of the Crown-Revenues of Paris A Keeper of the Tennis-Court One Gardiner Four Morte-Paies or Standing Guards that wear the Kings Livery who have every one a Salary of 90 l. upon the general Revenue of Paris several Porters and a Clock-Keeper that have Wages and Diet and enjoy the usual Priviledges of the Kings menial Servants A
Houses Royal as also of those which are to be made upon the Portals and of Triumphal Arches and other Works for the solemn Entries of their Majesties into any Towns or upon any other account whatsoever He has a Salary of 1800 l. paid Quarterly at the Treasure Royal. CHAP. XIX Of the Great Marshal of the Lodgings or Knight-Harbinger and of the other Marshals of the Lodgings and Harbingers THE Great Marshal of the Lodgings is Monsieur Lewis Doger de Cavoye he has 3000 l. Salary 4000 l. Board-Wages at the Chamber of Deniers 600 l. a Month extraordinary allowance and several other perquisites His Office is to receive the Kings Orders concerning his Lodging and those of his Court and to communicate them to the other Marshals of the Lodgings and Harbingers There are twelve Marshals of the Lodgings or chief Harbingers who have every one a Salary of 800 l. a yearly gratuity of 400 l. and 900 l. extraordinary and when the Court is on the march a hundred pence a day for their Diet which is paid them from the day they have Orders to set out They serve quarterly three every quarter and in the time of their Waiting have their Diet at three different Tables the first at the old Table of the Great Master the second at the Table of the Masters of the Houshold and the third at the Almoners Table They have besides in the Armies every one their rations or allowances of Ammunition-Bread They are sworn by the Great Marshal of the Lodgings or Knight-Harbinger and bear in the Kings House Canes after the fashion of a Majors Staff or else a Staff garnished with Silver at top and bottom with the Arms of his Majesty on the Pommel and this Inscription N ..... Marshal of the Kings Lodgings The Staff of the Great Marshal of the Lodgings is garnished with Silver both on the handle and the top having on the Pommel or Handle the Arms of France and the rest of the Handle set with Flower-deluces wrought in Diamonds Three Marshals of the Lodgings or chief Harbingers and four other Harbingers when they come out of Waiting with the King enter into Waiting with the Dauphin and have there the same allowance they had with the King There were formerly four Harbingers of the Body but they were suppressed in 1680. in whose room the King established eight Harbingers in Ordinary quarterly Waiters who wait two every quarter so that whereas there were before but forty there are now forty eight Harbingers quarterly Waiters serving by twelve a quarter which have every of them a Salary of 240 l. 120 l. gratuity 450 l. extraordinary and when the Court is on the march a Crown a day for their Diet from the day they set out and in the Armies their rations of Ammunition-Bread The places of all these are in the Kings Gift and they are all sworn by the Great Marshal or Knight-Harbinger of the Lodgings At the beginning of every quarter the three Marshals of the Kings Lodgings in Waiting agree together to separate the twelve Harbingers for that quarter into three Bands allotting four to each Band. 1. One of these Harbingers who is ordinarily the eldest or Foreman makes according to the stile of this Court the Body or the Gross that is to say 't is he that in the presence of the Marshal of the Lodgings or chief Harbinger marks out with Chalk First The Kings or the Kings and Queens joint Apartments Secondly The Offices Thirdly The eating Halls or Dining-rooms and Fourthly The Apartments of those that are preferred in the Kings Lodgings First By the Kings Apartments are meant the Kings Bed-Camber Anti-Chamber Closet Wardrobe Guard-Chamber and other necessary Apartments for the Kings or Queens persons Secondly By the Offices are meant the seven Offices as the Goblet the Kitchin c. afore-described Thirdly By the Eating-Halls or Dining-rooms are meant the Hall of the new Table of the Great Master otherwise called the Hall of Monsieur the Duke and that of the Great Chamberlains Table which two Tables ought to be within the Kings Lodgings when there is room enough or else as near as may be Next the Hall of the Great Masters old Table and that of Masters of the Housholds which are sometimes called the first and second Tables of the said Masters The Serdeau's Hall or the Kings voiding Hall the Almoners Hall the Quarterly Waiters Valets de Chambers or Bed-Chamber-mens Hall There was likewise the Chief Valets de Chambres or Bed-Chamber-mens Hall but it was taken away on the first of January 1681. Fourthly Under the name of the Preferred in the Kings Lodgings are comprehended the Great or High Chamberlain the Chief-Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber the Great Master of the Wardrobe the Captain of the Guards and the Master of the Wardrobe In case the Lodging be so scanty that after the King is Lodged there remain but one single Apartment the Captain of the Guards ought to have the preference of it before all others and if there remain two then the Chief-Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber is to have the First and the Captain of the Guards the second but if there be three then the Great Chamberlain is to have the preference before the two others When the Queen marches with the King the Marshals or chief Harbingers of the Kings Lodgings after they have given Order for marking out Apartments for the Queen are to cause other Apartments to be Chalked out in their Majesties Lodgings for her Ladies in this Order viz. First For the Super-intendant or Stewardess of the Queens Houshold Secondly For the Lady of Honour Thirdly For the Tire-Woman or Dressing-Lady Fourthly For the Ladies of the Palace Fifthly For the Chief-Gentlewoman of the Bed-Chamber And sixthly For the other Gentlewomen of the Bed-Chamber And if after the Queen be lodged there remain but one Apartment more then the Chief-Gentlewoman of the Bed-Chamber ought to have it before any of the other Ladies and Female-Officers The Harbinger which makes the Body when there is room enough marks out to in the same House Apartments for the Chief-Physician Chyrurgion and Apothecary of the Body The Harbingers of the Queens Body or of the Dauphins or Monsieurs cannot Chalk out any thing that belongs to that they call the service of the Body But it belongs to the Kings Harbinger that makes or heads the Body to do it so that they cannot mark any places for the seven Offices but those that are appointed them by the Kings Harbinger that makes the Body that is as is above explained that is the Eldest or Foreman of the Band or Company 2. Another Harbinger is to take care to chalk out all the Ranks and Preferred without the Kings Lodgings By the Ranks are meant First The Lodgings for the Princes Secondly For the Great Officers Thirdly For the Dukes and Peers Fourthly For the Marshals of France the Secretaries Ministers of State and other Persons of Quality And by the preferred without the Kings
was an Office that begun with the Monarchy it self He is sworn by the King himself and is received into the Great Council where he takes place as Secretary of State He has the Priviledge to chuse his Lodging after the Princes Dukes and Peers and Marshals of France have chosen theirs for which reason he is called the last in the Ranks He has a Salary of 2000 l. and an annual Gratuity of 8000 l. All the Officers of the Provost-ship are received by his Majesty upon the nomination of the Great Provost and afterwards take out Letters from the King under the Great Seal directed to the Great Council where they are admitted upon those Letters and qualified Judges The Great Provost Judges of all matters both Civil and Criminal hapning between the Officers of the Kings Houshold among themselves or between them and others which are not so The Jurisdiction of the Provostship of the Houshold is the ordinary Court of Justice for the Kings Houshold and therefore from the beginning was ordered to be kept in the Louvre that so the Kings Officers and others of his Court and Retinue having their natural Judge within the Kings House might not be diverted from the service of his Majesty for some years the place where the Provosts Court used to be kept being taken up by the Queen-Mother it was transferred to the Fort-Eveque or Bishops-Fort At present the Officers of the Provostship have their Auditory in the inclosure of the Great Council-Chamber there they have their Hall of Audience their Council-Chamber their Civil and Criminal Records or Registers and there is the Office of the Ushers of the Provostship The present King by a Brief bearing date the 8th of September 1658. declared that he would settle the Seat or Court of the Jurisdiction of the Provost of the Houshold re-established in the Louvre and that he would cause a convenient place there to be marked out and set apart for that purpose The said Court is kept there three times a Week viz. on Tuesday Thursday and Saturday-Mornings People plead there by a Proctor as in other Courts but in a more summary and concise way In civil matters there lies an Appeal from it to the Great Council but in matters Criminal the Great Provost Judges without Appeal as well as the Masters of Requests and those of the Great Council The Officers of the Kings Houshold and those of his Court and Retinue may by special priviledge bring all their Causes into this Court whether they be Civil or Criminal since the Court was chiefly erected in their favour There needs no Committimus to cite any one that belongs to or follows the Court but only an assignation or warning taken out of the Provosts Court by vertue of a Commission out of the Registry there But as the said persons have the priviledge to bring their actions against their Debtors in this Court or to appeal from their Prosecutors thither they may do it if they please by vertue of their Committimus and at their choice bring their Causes either before the Masters of the Requests of the Palace or of the Requests of the Houshold or before the Provost of the Houshold The Great Provost only has power to apply Seals make Inventories and do all other acts of Justice in the Louvre and in the Galleries and other places thereunto belonging and in other Royal Houses within fourteen Leagues distance of Paris as it was determined a Contradictory Sentence of the Council of the 25 of March 1650. given in favour of the Officers of the Provostship of the Houshold against the Officers of the Chatelet He may also take cognisance of all crimes and particular offences and other Causes pro or con any way relating to the people of the Court and of the Kings Retinne and belonging to the Royal Houses and against Vagabonds and of several other Cases with the consent and advice of the other Provosts When he follows the Court any where he Taxes and sets a price upon all Provisions gives assistance for taking of Lodgings if any resistance be made and doth other things necessary for the civil Government there by his Lieutenants of the Long Robe or in their absence by the Lieutenants and Exempts of the short Robe who call to their assistance the Officers or Magistrates and chief Inhabitants of the place When the Court takes a Journey the Great Provost Commands a sufficient number of Tradesmen and Handicrafts-men to follow it to whom he grants Letters of Priviledge by which they are obliged to furnish the Court and its Retinue with all necessaries who are called the Priviledged Tradesmen and by vertue of the said Letters are impowered to keep open Shop in Paris or elsewhere and enjoy several other Exemptions Of the Officers of Judicature belonging to the Provostship of the Houshold For the better administration of Justice to the Officers of the Kings Houshold and to the rest of his Court and Retinue the great Provost has under him two Lieutenants which are put in by the King but named by the Great Provost and are admitted as such in the Great Council where they are sworn There was formerly but one Lieutenant-General the other being but a particular Lieutenant but by an Edict of the Month of September registred in the Great Council the 7th of November following the King made these two Offices equal so that at present there are two Lieutenants-General for both Civil and Criminal matters they have each of them 400 l. Salary and 600 l. gratuity The first of these exercises his Office the first six Months of the Year where the Kings Court is and the other six Months he keeps the Provosts Court at Paris within the Inclosure of the Great Council-Chamber when the King is abroad and the Great-Council at Paris The other serves the latter six Months of the Year at the Kings Court and the first six Months keeps the Provosts Court at Paris for the causes of those that are Officers of any Royal Houses within his Precinct and priviledged persons and others So that there is always two Seats or Courts of Justice of the Great Provost one at Paris for the better expedition of the Causes of the Officers and priviledged Persons belonging to the Royal Houses and another where the Court is when his Majesty is not in Paris as he never is to stay Note That the two Lieutenants the Kings Proctor and the Register of the Provosts Court are allowed each of them at the Salt-Granary at Paris two Minots of Free-Salt that is for paying only some ancient Duties The Kings Proctor there has a Salary of 400 l. 75 l. Augmentation-Money and a gratuity of 1200 l. He serves all the year round and has a Substitute There is one Register in chief both for Civil and Criminal matters who has 104 l. Salary and 400l gratuity He has under him two Commis or Deputies that have the priviledge to wear both Gowns and Caps at
or Barricado in any place then the Foot-Officers shall have the chief Command Note That in former time when the French King went to Fight they marched under the white Cornet of France Accompanied with several Lords Voluntiers But now it is no more in use This white Cornet was different from the Colonels Cornet of the Cavalry which is also white CHAP. XVIII Of the Great Master of the Artillery THE Present Great Master of the Artillery of France is Lewis de Crevant de Humieres Marshal of France who is stiled Great Master of the Artillery of France and Super-Intendant General of the Powder and Salt-Peter he is likewise Governour and Lieutenant-General of Flanders and of the other Conquests made in the Low-Countries since the Pyrenean Treaty He took the usual Oath for this Office in September 1685. The Great Master of the Artillery bears for a mark of his Office under his Coat of Arms two Canons or Culverins mounted on their Carriages Before the Invention of Canon there was a Great Master of the Cross-bows and Battery-Men called Cranqueneers who had the Super-intendance over all the Officers and Machines for Battery The Cranquins were certain Engines then in use for Battering the Walls and Gates of Towns not unlike those we read of in the stories of all Nations of those and elder times It is the common opinion that this Office has been ever since the time of St. Lewis and in 1411 under Charles the Sixth the Sieur de Hangest was Great Master of the Crossbow-Men in lieu of which afterwards was substituted a Captain-General of the Powder of the Artillery which Title was used till the time of Henry the Great who in the year 1610. Erected it into an Office of the Crown under the Title of Great-Master in favour of Maximilian de Bethune Duke of Suilly his Favourite At present in every Army of France there is a Lieutenant of the Artillery that has Command over all the Equipage of the Artillery and takes care of its conducting who depends of the Great Master The Great Master has the super-intendance over all the Officers of the Artillery as Canoneers Pioneers Wheel-wrights Rope-Makers and other small Officers of which he keeps a Muster-Roll in all the Kings Armies in every one of which he has his Lieutenants although in Cases belonging to their Offices the Marshals of France have likewise a Command over the said Officers It is the Great Master of the Artillery that gives Order for making all works in the Armies as well at Sieges of Towns and in their Marches and he has power over all the Arsenals of France He has also the charge of most of the Tents and Pavilions of the Army and has the Seat of his Jurisdiction in the Arsenal at Paris The Great Master of the Artillery is always Colonel of the Kings Fusileers All cast Mettal found in Conquered Towns or rebellious places at their taking belongs to the Great Master of the Artillery as his Fee who sometimes commands the very Bells to be taken down from the Steeples There are Lieutenant-Generals of the Artillery in the several Provinces and in every Army the principal at present are the Marquiss de la Frezeliere M. de Vigny Lieutenant-Colonel of the Fusileers and Bombardeers and M. de Mets Lieutenant-General of the Artillery of Flanders There is likewise a Comptroller-General of the Artillery M. Camus de Clos Intendant of Catalonia a Treasurer-General M. Stephen Landais a Guard-General M. Michael Pelletier a Commissary General of the Powder M ..... a Secretary-General M. Joachim Fautrier another Secretary M. Lewis Rousseau and lastly one Bayliff of the Artillery and of the Arsenal M. Noel Eustace Pean de Chesnay And because the King of France has his Wars by Sea as well as by Land having treated of the Constable and the Marshals of France who have succeeded in his Authority who are the chief Commanders of his Armies by Land we shall now proceed to speak of the Admiral who has the chief Command over the Naval Forces and all Maritime-Affairs CHAP. XIX Of the Admiral and of the Maritime Forces THE present Admiral of France is the Count of Toulouze Lewis-Alexander of Bourbon Legitimated of France who is stiled Admiral or Great Master of the Seas and chief and super-intendant of the Commerce and Navigation of France being Constituted so in the Month of November 1683. The Great Admiral bears for a mark of his Charge two Anchors passed Salteir-Wise behind his Coat of Arms. The Admiral is one of the Officers of the Crown and Commands in the Wars at Sea with the same Authority as did the Constable formerly and at present the Marshals of France in those by Land The Power of this Office is very Great and was much augmented by King Henry the Third in favour of the Duke de Joyeuse one of his Favourites that was then Admiral The Admiral grants out Commissions to Privateers to Arm and put out to Sea against the Enemies of the State and has Power to make Truce with them upon the Sea for three Weeks of his own private Authority without his leave no Vessels can enter into any Port he has the tenths of all the spoils taken at Sea He is Judge in all Maritime Causes and the Appeals from his Sentences are brought to the Parliament of Paris but he has no Place there by vertue of his Office His Chief Court is kept at the Marble Table in the Palace at Paris whither Appeals are brought from the Judges of his inferiour Courts and he has his Officers that take cognisance of all Delinquencies and Differences that arise as well about Contracts and Agreements made either for Warlike Affairs or for Merchandise Fishing and all other things whatever whether Civil or Criminal putting in under him what Lieutenant he pleases he gives safe Conducts and Pass-Ports by Sea and Licenses for Herring-Fishing and other Fishing and causes Watch and Ward to be kept on the Sea-Coasts when there is occasion by those who are subject to that Duty and appoints Men of War to guard the Fisher-Boats in time of Herring-Fishing The Name of Admiral was borrowed from the Arabians who came by Sea pouring in like an Inundation on the Christians in Europe and after having roved over all the Seas of this Quarter of the World Conquered Spain and from thence made descents into France by the Coasts of Guienne and Poitou during the space of such long Wars the French had frequent Communication with them and he that Commanded in Chief over all the other Commanders of that so potent and formidable Naval Army being commonly called in the Arabian Tongue Amiral Musulmin that is to say Prince of the True Believers for so those Infidels affect to call themselves the French who retained only the first Syllables of that Name took occasion out of the corruption of it to form the name of Amiral i. e. Admiral which is the Title they have ever since applied to
Councels which are likewise Officers General of the whole Kingdom CHAP. XXI Of the Kings Councels and Ministers of State Of the Chancellour of France THE Chancellour is the Head-Officer of Justice and of the Kings Councels and into his hands he has wholly deposited it that he may distribute and dispence it impartially to all his Subjects with the same Power and Authority as he might do himself in Person for this reason the Seals of France are committed to his Custody which he makes use of in the Administration of Justice and in conferring of Gifts Graces and Offices as he thinks most reasonable for the good of the State He presides in the Kings Councels 'T is he that on all occasions declares the Kings Pleasure and when his Majesty goes to Parliament to sit on his Bed or Throne of Judgment he sits before his Majesty on his left hand He wears a Robe of red Velvet lined with Scarlet Sattin and at publick Ceremonies a Cap fashioned like a Mortar covered with gold and adorned with Pearls and precious Stones Before him march the Ushers of the Chancellery carrying on their Shoulders Maces of guilt Silver and the rest of the Ushers after them The present Chancellour is M. Lewis de Boucherat Knight Lord of Compans and other places who after having Officiated the Places of Corrector of the Accounts of Counsellour in the Parliament and Commissary in the Requests of the Palace Master of Requests Intendant of Justice or Lord Chief Justice in Languedoc Honorary Counsellour in the Parliament of Paris and both Counsellour of State and Counsellour in the Councel Royal several years and rendred very considerable Services to the State and so acquired the universal approbation of all people by his indefatigable Industry and his great Capacity and Zeal for the service of his Majesty and of the publick was at length upon all these Considerations named to the Chancellorship by his Majesty on the Feast of All-Saints in the year 1685. who was pleased to Seal his Patents deliver him the Seals and swear him into the said high and important Office the 3d of November following The Chancellour of France bears as a mark of his Dignity a Mortar-fashioned Cap of Cloth of gold set with Ermines upon the Crest of his Arms out of which with the Figure of a Queen coming out of it representing the Kingdom of France holding in her right hand a Scepter and in her left the Great Seals of the Kingdom and behind his Coat of Arms two great Vermilion gilt silver Maces passed Salteir-wise with a Scarlet Mantle set with rays of gold towards the top and furred with Ermines This Office was instituted as some say by Clotair the First and the first Chancellour was Bodin in the year 562. He was antiently called the Great Referendary and Keeper of the Royal Ring and Seal When a Keeper of the Great Seal is made at any time he has the same Authority given him as a Chancellour only with this difference that a Chancellour is not deposable but by arraigning him at the Bar and taking away his Life whereas the Keeper of the Seals is an Officer changeable at the Kings Pleasure The Original of the word Chancellour comes from this All Letters Patents and Charters formerly passing through his hands when they were not well drawn up or that any thing were found in them not conformable to Law and Custom he used to cross them out by drawing certain strokes and bars cross them Lattice-wise which in Latin are called Cancelli from whence comes the word Cancellare and the English word at this day used to signify making void any Writings viz. to Cancel and from thence the word Chancellour Sometimes he is called for distinctions sake Summus Cancellarius i. e. High Chancellour because there were and are several other Chancellours We shall speak of the other Officers of the Chancery when we have described the Kings Councils CHAP. XXII A general State and account of the Kings Councils and of the persons that compose them THE Affairs hapning daily being different and various different Councils have been provided to debate and resolve them in as the Council of War the Council of Dispatches the Council of State and of the Finances or Revenues Of the Council of War The Great Council of War sits commonly in the Kings Chamber where he himself unless some great indisposition hinder him is present with such Princes of the Blood Marshals of France and Great Lords as he thinks fit for their experience in Military Affairs to assist thereat Of the Council of Dispatches and the Secretaries of State This Council is kept in the Kings Chamber in his Majesties Presence and at it are usually present the Dauphin Monsieur the Duke of Orleans the Lord Chancellour the four principal Secretaries of State and those that have the grant of the reversion of their Offices The matters there treated of are the affairs of the Provinces and all other things both Foreign and Domestick of which the Secretaries of State then present make their Reports who likewise are to keep Memorials of all the resolutions taken there and are afterward to see them duly dispatched according to their several Departments or Provinces There are four Principal Secretaries of State and of the Commandments of his Majesty who divide among them all the affairs of the Kingdom and have every one their several Functions and business according to their respective departments These four Secretaries at present are 1. Michael-Francis le Tellier Son to the late Chancellour of France Marquiss of Louvois He is likewise Knight Commander and Chancellour of the Kings Orders of Knighthood Great Vicar General of the Order of Nôtre-Dame of Mount Carmel and of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem Post-Master General and Super-intendant and Orderer General of the Royal Buildings and Protector of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture 2. John-Baptist Colbert Knight Marquiss of Seignelay c. Son of the late great Minister of State of that Name He is likewise President perpetual Chief and Director-General of the Company of the Commerce of the East-Indies and Great Treasurer of the Kings Orders of Knighthood 3. Peter-Baltasar Phylippeaux de la Vrilliere Marquiss of Chateau-neuf upon the Loire 4. Charles Colbert Knight and Marquiss of Croissy who is likewise Secretary of the Kings Orders and Finances President à Mortier or President wearing the Mortar Fashioned Cap in the Parliament of Paris formerly Ambassadour in England and since Plenipotentiary at the Treaty of Nimmeguen and in Bavaria for the Marriage of the Dauphin Their Departments are as follows The Departments of the aforesaid four Principal Secretaries of State are thus laid out 1. Mr. Louvois has for his Department The three Months of February June and October and the affairs of Poitou la Marche Catalonia and Rousillon Pignerol Lorain and the three Bishopricks Alsatia the places yielded or Conquered in Flanders Artois and Hainaut the Fortifications of the Places Conquered or recovered
THE Present State OF FRANCE Containing A General Description OF THAT KINGDOM Corrected and purged from the many Gross Mistakes in the French Copy enriched with Additional Observations and Remarks of the New Compiler and digested into a Method Conformable to that of The State of ENGLAND By R. W. M. A. LONDON Printed for Gilbert Cownly at the Popes-Head in the Lower-Walk of the New-Exchange in the Strand 1687. TO THE Right Honourable RICHARD Lord Vicount Preston IN THE Kingdom of SCOTLAND And One of his Majesties Most Honourable Privy-Council MY LORD THis being my first Essay in Print I thought I could not but in duty present it to your Lordship as being a Description of that Renowned Court and Kingdom wherein your Lordship as upon a Most Illustrious Theater Signaliz'd your Self with so much Reputation to your Self and Country and Mutual Satisfaction to those great Princes between whom you were so successful an Instrument of that good Correspondence that has not a little Contributed to the Happiness of Both Monarchies the most Flourishing at present of Europe And indeed France my Lord being the Place too wherein I was honoured and made happy by so many of your Lordship's Favours what more Congruous Mark could I give you of the Lasting and deeply Impressed Sense I have of them than the Present I humbly make you of France it Self or at least of this small Prospect of so vast a Monarchy A Present which though perhaps inconsiderable on the account of the Imperfections it may have contracted from it's Author will I hope be grateful in respect of its noble Subject and by your accustomed Goodness be accepted as a Cordial Testimony of the real Gratitude and Profound Respect I have and shall ever preserve for your Honour of whom I am My Lord The most humble and most devoted Servant R. Wolley THE PREFACE TO THE READER Courteous Reader YOV have in this Treatise the Portraicture of a great and Flourishing Monarchy viz. The Present State of France as it now is under the Government of the Potent and Victorious Prince Lewis the Fourteenth Sirnamed the Great It is very different from that which formerly appeared under the same Title and though a great deal of the matter be taken out of the latest and best Edition of the French Author on that subject yet it is not altogether a Translation and for your better and clearer understanding of what is remarkable in a Country of the particularities of which our Nation above all others is most curious I have Explained all Passages needing Explication added many Observations of my own made during ten Years Travel and Converse in that Magnificent and splendid Court and digested the Whole into a Method as conformable as the matter would suffer to that observed by the Worthy and Ingenious Author of The Present State of England and consequently if I be not mistaken rendred both the Book and the Country much more intelligible to an English Reader than it was before when it was so far from being Illustrated that it was hardly half Translated and left in many of the most material Places almost as much French as in the Original and done in a very perplexed Method which allay'd much the Pleasure of the Reader who I hope will peruse this with more satisfaction and delight Farewel ☞ Note That l. after the several Summs signifies Livers which is something more in value than eighteen pence English and that d. signifies Deniers or Sols which is in value somewhat loss than a Penny English THE Present State OF FRANCE Of France in general CHAP. I. Of its Name Climate Dimensions Divisions Air Soil Commodities Riches Trade Moneys Weight Measures and Buildings THIS Famous Country has its present Name as by most Authors is agreed from the Franci or Franks a People of Germany who seized upon those parts of it nearest the Rhine in the time of Valentinian the Third and having afterward subdued Paris and made it the Seat-Royal of their growing Empire caused the Country thereabouts to be called FRANCE Which Name as they enlarged their Borders they communicated to the rest of the Country and those parts of Germany also that were Conquered by them The Ancient Name was Gallia or Gaul and the people were called Galli or Gauls and with those that write in Latin the ancient name is still in use It is scituated between the degrees of 15 and 29 of Longitude and between 42 and 51 of Latitude in the Northern Temperate Zone between the middle Parallel of the fifth Clime where the longest day is 15 hours and 12 Minutes and the middle Parallel of the Eighth Clime where the longest day is 16 hours and a half It is bounded on the North with the Brittish Ocean and some parts of the Netherlands on the South with part of the Pyrenean Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea on the East with a branch of the Alps and the Countries of Savoy Switzerland and some parts of Germany and the Rhine and on the West by the Aquitanian Sea and the rest of the Pyrenean Mountains The figure of it is according to most squarish and to others roundish or tending to an Oval but all agree that it is almost of equal extent every way and much about 200 Leagues or 600 Miles according to the common account of 3 Miles to a League which is an account by which most Geographers mightily inlarge the extent of other Countries and make England much less than it is for I have observed they reckon all by 3 Miles to a common League whereas I never could find that a common French League was more than 2 common Miles and if it be said that in some places they have much longer Leagues that is balanced by answering that in some parts of England there are likewise very long Miles An eminent Geographer reckons it 660 Italian Miles in length 570 in breadth and 2040 in compass and makes it contain 200 Millions of Arpens of Land which is a measure something more than an Acre The Ancient Gallia or Gaul was distinguisht by several Divisions but as not intending a History but only a short Description I shall take notice of but only two made by the Romans after they became Masters of this Country from the time of Julius Caesar by whom it was divided into these four parts viz. 1. Narbonensis is called so from the City of Narbon then a Roman Colony containing Languedoc Provence Dauphiny and some part of Savoy called also Braccata from the wild habit worn by the people 2. Aquitanica so called from the City of Aquae Augustae now D' Acqu's in Guienne lying upon the Pyrenees and the wide Ocean comprehending the Provinces of Gascoyn Guienne Xiantoygne Limosin Quercy Perigort Berry Bourbonnois and Auvergne extending from the Pyrenees to the River Loyre 3. Celtica so named from the valiant Nation of the Celtae also Lugdunensis from the City of Lyons and Comata from the long hair
worn by the people extending from the Loyre to the British Ocean and containing the Provinces of Brittany Normandy Anjou Tourain Main le Beausse the Isle of France part of Champain the Dukedom of Burgundy and the County of Lyonnois 4. Belgica from the Belgae a potent Nation of that Tract taking up all the East parts viz. Picardy the rest of Champain the County of Burgundy with so much of Germany and the Netherlands as lieth on this side of the Rhine part whereof hath been reconquered lately by the Present King and the rest remaining to the Spaniard the States of the Vnited Provinces and to the Empire In the new Modelling of the Empire by Constantine the Great Gaul was divided into 17 Provinces as 1. Lugdunensis prima 2. Secunda 3. Tertia 4. Quarta 5. Belgica prima 6. Secunda 7. Germania Prima 8. Secunda 9. Narbonensis Prima 10. Secunda 11. Aquitania Prima 12. Secunda 13. Novempopulonia 14. Viennensis 15. Maxima Sequanorum 16. Alpes Graiae Poeninae 17. Alpes Maritimae Of these 17 Germania Prima and Secunda all Belgica Prima and part of Secunda saving only what has been lately Reconquered and all that of the Alpes Graiae and Poeninae and so much of the Maxima Sequanorum as is in Switzerland are now dismembred from the name and account of France The modern Division of France is threefold First According to its Ecclesiastical Government Secondly According to its Civil Government or Administration of Justice And thirdly According to its military Government 1. According to its Ecclesiastical Government it is divided into 17 Archbishopricks containing 106 Bishopricks and Diocesses besides the Archbishopricks of Cambray Besançon and the Bishopricks of Arras St. Omers Ypres and Perpignan in the Conquests which are subdivided into Parishes 2. According to the Civil Government and Administration of Justice it is divided into 10 Parliaments besides several other Sovereign Courts and into many Bayliwicks and Seneschalchies 3. According to the Military Government it is divided into twelve Governments within France and four in the Conquered Countries being sixteen in all Of these sixteen Four lie Northward viz. 1. Picardy 2. Normandy 3. The Isle of France 4. Champaign Four in the middle of France and on each side the Loire viz. 5. Britany 6. Orleanois 7. The Dutchy of Burgundy 8. Lyounois Four are Southern and beyond that River viz. 9. Guienne 10. Languedoc 11. Dauphiny 12. Provence The four last lie Eastwards towards Germany and are 13. The French Low Countries or Netherlands 14. Lorrain 15 Alsatia 16. Franche Comte or the County of Burgundy There are reckoned in the Kingdom of France besides the Conquests 32 Cities above 4000 Towns 27400 Parishes 1450 Abbies 540 Arch-Priories 12320 Priories 567 Nunneries 700 Convents of Fryers 259 Commanderies of Malta several Colledges of Jesuits and other Religious Houses of later Foundations not reckoned and 10 Universities Of all which we shall speak more particularly elsewhere The Air is every where generally temperate and pure and so healthful that it is observed to be less subject to Plagues and Sickness than any other Country in Europe and the Air particularly about Montpelier is held Medicinal for Consumptions The North Wind reigns much there a great part of the Year which is thought to contribute much to the salubrity of the Air the Winter in the Northern parts of it is rather fiercer and sharper than in England though not altogether so long but the Summer much hotter and at Marseilles and some parts that way observed to be hotter than in several parts of Italy It is of an extraordinary fruitful Soil as well in the Mountains as the Vales every where watered with wholesom Springs and Streams and with several great Navigable Rivers and to say the truth there are not many Countries of Europe to which Nature has imparted so rich a Portion of her choicest Blessings the Woods there afford great plenty of Timber and Fuel-Wood and abound with Chesnuts and Walnuts the former producing excellent Pork and Bacon the latter great Quantities of Oyl which in some parts of France they use instead of Butter The Fields are large and open intermingled with Vines and Corn and bordered and interlined with choice of Fruits and the steep sides of Hills and most sandy stony grounds there produce often the strongest and richest Wines In fine it is every where so cultivated that it seems like the Garden of Eden it self Its Commodities Merchandises and Manufactures are many and so necessary to other Countries that of late they hardly barter them but for Money For from this Kingdom are Exported vast quantities of Salt Wine Brandy Corn dried Fruits Silks Stuffs Canvas Linnen Scissars Nuts Nut-Oyl Box-Wood Paper Skins Hats perfumed Gloves and all manner of Toys and trifles and besides they have within themselves and from their own Conquests and Plantations such quantities of Oranges Lemmons Oils Sugars Wooll Stuffs Cloths Sea-fish Stone for Building and all other things for necessity or pleasure that they will hardly barter of late years but Trade only for Money for the most part The Country is every where well stocked with fresh Fish store of Venison though little eaten by them Wildbores there much prised with Rabbits Hares and all sorts of Wild-Fowl and some unknown to us They want not good Beef which is very sweet nor Mutton which is generally sweeter than in England nor excellent Pork and as for tame Fowl they have it in much more abundance than in England and the Provinces of Normandy and Brittany furnish great store of good Butter salt and fresh but for Cheese they buy considerable quantities from the Hollanders and Suitzers By what has been said their Riches cannot but be very great and inexhaustible consisting in so many rich and inland Commodities that like so many Loadstones attract the greatest part of the riches both of Europe and of the whole World into France For their Wines Brandy Salt Canvas Silks Stuffs and Toys are Commodities which constantly bring them vast profits from England Holland and all the Northern Regions and then in the Spanish Dominions they vend so much Corn Linnen Flax Canvas Cordage Stuffs and all sorts of Manufactures that they fill their Country with the Coin of that Nation in return they likewise disperse great quantities of the said Commodities in Italy and Barbary and of late they drive a considerable Trade in the West-Indies and have made some progress in the East Their usual accounts are kept by Deniers Sols and Livers a Liver is twenty of their Sols or Pence which is a little more than eighteen pence of our Money and their Denier is the twelfth part of a Penny and very convenient for buying small quantities of things and reckoning Fractions but these Deniers in Specie or Coyn are used but in the parts of France remote from Paris Next are their Doubles which are worth two Deniers and are the sixth part of a
world and could fix in no place returned at last to this their ancient home finding so fair an opportunity to recover it from the Romans who had been the first occasion of their rambling They are governed chiefly by the Civil Law though they have likewise their Customary Laws peculiar to several Provinces as the Laws in Normandy which were the foundation of several Laws in England since the Norman Conquest Their Religion is the Roman Catholick but yet they are stiff Assertors of the Rights and Priviledges of their particular Church which they call the Gallican Church The Manners of the ancient Gauls as they are described by Caesar and other Historians seem to have been inherited by the present French and to be effects of the Climate for they are very quick-witted and of a nimble apprehension but withal they are generally rash and precipitate impatient hasty inconstant eager and full of fire at the first onset but better at a push than at an obstinate pursuit thus they are naturally But the present King who has much of the sober mixture of a Spaniard in him has made it appear to all Europe That His French well moderated are capable of making as wise discreet and sedate Counsellours as any in the World and as capable of managing secrets which has been thought a thing almost incompatible with the temper of this Nation Then as for Souldiers by providing well for them as for Cloths Victuals and exact pay by good Discipline and by frequent but cautious fleshing them in Wars under experienced and fortunate Commanders and lastly by intermingling Foreign Forces of all Nations with them to stir them up to emulation He has made both his Infantry and Cavalry formidable and it can no more be said now that the French know not how to storm a Town endure the Fatigues of a Siege or rally again when their Ranks are broken As for Commanders they always had store of them and have now the greatest plenty of them and the best of any one Country in Europe This Country has in all Ages produced great numbers of Learned Men of which and of all ingenious Artists their Princes and great Men have in this last Age been very great Encouragers and all the Sons of their Gentry as well those that are designed for Military Employments as for the Gown are bred up at least to a competent knowledge of the Latin Tongue So that as usually it happens under Great and Fortunate Princes they now abound with Great Scholars Great Statesmen and Great Souldiers and their Paris is become the Rendezvous of all the famous Wits and Artists of Europe who flock thither from all places Their Gentry is accomplisht polite and civil to the highest degree They keep up their State and Magnificence with such a Decorum as hinders them not from being familiar and courteous to all the Ceremonies they observe seem natural and they love nothing that is crampt and precise Their Citizens Tradesmen Artisans and very Peasants are generally more civil and courteous to Strangers and in ordinary conversation than those of other Nations They are very airy amorous and full of talk and always in action or motion In bargaining by prevalence of custom they will ask three or four times as much as a thing is worth and will have it if you bargain not and when they buy bid as little but if you stand with them you may buy cheap enough and sell dear enough They are very charitable and good natured and will do any thing for you by spurts if you take them when they are warm They are very quarrelsome and given to Duelling were they not severely restrained but they are easily reconciled and disposed to forget injuries But above all things they are most given to Law-Suits and Contentions there being more Lawyers and Law-Suits there than in all Christendom besides and that between the nearest Relations by which it comes to pass that the Lawyers Judges and other Officers of Justice with the Partisans or Farmers of Taxes are reckoned the richest Body in the Kingdom excepting the Church-men The Women partake less or more according to their Sex in all the Qualities of this Character and are generally very talkative but yet very pleasing in Discourse of a graceful and winning deportment generally good Singers and so free in converse that many Strangers ignorant of their genius are apt at first to mistake them to be what they are not Their punishments for Nobles among which all Gentlemen are reckoned there for smaller offences are Fining and Imprisoning and for greater Confiscation of Lands and Goods Degradation and after that Hanging or Condemnation to the Gallies as meaner persons otherwise Beheading those that are not Gentlemen are Fined or Whipped as here or Hanged for Thefts and some other Crimes but Highway-men Assasinators or wilful Murtherers are generally broken on the Wheel of what Quality soever unless they be favoured Traitors not noble are drawn to pieces by wild Horses or otherwise tormented but Gentlemen are commonly Beheaded Poysoners and Sorcerers are burned Many Crimes there are for which the Criminals are Condemned to the Gallies false Witnesses in Capital Cases are put to Death They use there the torture or Question which is ordinary or extraordinary which is by giving the Party Drenches of Water till they almost burst and tying them up in painful postures France is very populous the number of people being reckoned to be about fifteen Millions of which two hundred and seventy thousand are said to be Church-men besides Nuns about five Millions fit for War Their Language is a mixture of the old Gaulish Gothish Roman and German Tongues not without some smack of the Greek and is now so polished that it is become the sweetest the most courtly and most modish Language of Europe but most especially of the fair Sex and politer part of men It is tender amorous and delicious to the Ear quaint and charming in expression easy enough to learn in part but most difficult to attain in perfection It is rather elegant than copious being not so significant and comprehensive as the English in prose nor so fit for numbers and strong and lofty in Verse yet very melodious when sung and very obedient and plyable to any variety of Airs and Tunes of which they have some of the best and most aiery and sprightly that can be invented Many neat elegant and ingenious works there are in this Language but solid and profound Writers not so many as in some other Tongues Their Stature and Complexion is different according to their quality and according to the different Provinces they inhabit The common people that are exposed to the Sun and hard labour and fare hard besides are commonly not very tall and are tawny tan'd and wither'd both Men and Women but hardy and strong and the Women for their Sex more than the Men. The persons of Quality are generally tall
Of Chorolois Of Roussillon Their Wages are different There are besides several Pursuivants whose Salaries are likewise different At all publick Ceremonies the King at Arms and the rest of the Heralds are clad with their Coats of Arms of Violet-Coloured Velvet died upon Crimson set before and behind with three Flower deluces of Gold and as many on each Sleeve whereon the name of their Province is Embroidered in Letters of gold And the King at Arms Mount-joye St. Denis wears on his Coat for distinction a Crown Royal over the said Flower-deluces They wear Bonnets of Black-Velvet with a golden Hat-band and in Ceremonies of Peace they use only Buskins but in those of War they wear Boots At Funeral Pomps of Kings or Princes they wear over their said Coats of Arms long Mourning Robes trailing on the ground and bear a Staff called a Caducée covered with Blue-Velvet and Embroidered with Flower-deluces of gold They also bear every of them one of the Kings Medals about their Necks The Pursuivants are habited almost in the same manner only they bear no Staves as having no Commands themselves but being only the Aids and Assistants of the Heralds Their Office is to Declare War or publish Peace to Summon Towns to yield to assist at solemn Oaths in the general Assemblies of the three Estates at the Swearing of Treaties of Peace and renewing of Alliances at Coronations where they bestow Largesses on the People of Gold and Silver Pieces and at Funeral Solemnities of Kings Queens Princes and Princesses of the Blood They march before the King when he goes to make his Offering on his Coronation-Day They assist at all Marriages of Kings and Queens at the Ceremonies of the Knights of the Holy Ghost at Royal Feasts as also at all Christnings of the Children of France where likewise they make Largesses to the people of pieces of gold and silver And at the Obsequies of Kings or Royal Persons there are always two Heralds that wait day and night at the Feet of the Bed of State where the Body of the Deceased or his Effigies in Wax lies to present the sprinkling Brush to the Princes Prelats and others of the Quality required for that Ceremony that come to throw holy Water on the said Body or Effigies They have likewise many other Functions at those Funerals There is likewise one Judge of the Arms and Blasons of France who is likewise Yeoman at Arms in the great Stable in which latter quality he has a Salary of 450 l. yearly Secondly There are several Sword-Bearers of State who have each a Salary of 500 l. Cloak-Carriers who have 300 l. and Porte-Gabans or Felt-Cloak Carriers who have 220 l. yearly Salary Thirdly There are twelve Trumpeters called the Trumpeters of the Chamber as likewise are the Drummers of which there is a like number who have every one 180 l. and the Cromorns or of the Chamber twelve Violins Hoboys Sackbuts and Cornets at the like pay Eight Players on Flutes Tabours and Bagpipes serving two every quarter at 120 l. one Player on the Base Cromorne and Trumpet Marine and one Treble Cromorne They have all Livery-Coats and are employed at all Balls Balets and Comedies and in the Apartments of the Kings House or elsewhere where there is occasion There are also two of them in the Musick of the Chappel at present the six Cromornes are 1. The Basse-Cromorne 2. The Counter-Tenour-Cromorne 3. The Treble-Cromorne 4. The Tenour-Cromorne 5. The fifth of Cromorne 6. A Base-Cromorne Of the little Stable and first Of the first or chief Querry or Master of the Horse and of the other Querries or Gentlemen of the Horse quarterly Waiters The first or chief Querry or Master of the Horse here has the charge of the Kings lesser Stable that is to say of all the Horses Coaches Caleches running Chairs drawn by Men and Sedans that he uses upon his daily and ordinary occasions He Commands the Pages and Footmen of the little Stable and makes use of them as he pleases He takes the Oath of Fidelity to the King himself This Office is almost as antient as that of the Great Querry or Master of the Horse it self For as we find that under Charles the Seventh one Pothon de Santrailles was made Great-Querry or Master of the Horse so we read too that Lewis the Eleventh his immediate Successour had at his Coronation in 1461. one Joachim Rouauld that was his Chief-Querry or Gentleman of the Horse The present Salary of the Chief-Querry is 3000 l. and 876 l. more Board-Wages The other Querries or Gentlemen of the Horse are One Querry in Ordinary who has 1200 l. Salary upon the Establishment of the Houshold and 1765 l. at the Great Stable Board-Wages for himself and two Pages and a Pension of 2000 l. at the Treasure Royal. Twenty Querries Quarterly Waiters who have every one a Salary of but 350 l. though they are Entred on the Books at 700 l. They wait five every Quarter and are Sworn by the Great Master of the Kings Houshold The Querry that is in Waiting is to attend at the Kings waking to know of his Majesty whether he will please to ride out that day or no And if the King be to ride a Hunting and to wear Boots he is to put on his Spurs and he likewise pulls them off most commonly As soon as his Majesty has his Spurs on it belongs to the Querry in Waiting to take his Sword when he puts it off as we have already mentioned in speaking of the Cloak-Carriers The Querry in Waiting together with the Lieutenant or Ensign of the Guards eat at the old Table of the Great Master as do the rest of his Companions during their Quarters Waiting and he that waits on the Dauphin has his Diet at his Highnesses Serdeau's or Water-Servers They follow the King all the day long and enter with him every where unless it be into the Council Chamber or when his Majesty has a mind to be private in a Chamber by himself and then they wait in the next Chamber to it When the King rides abroad a Horse-back or in a Coach the Querry follows next after the Kings Horse or Coach that in case his Majesty should fall or otherwise need his help he may be ready to help him up and remount him or lend him his hand when he has a mind to alight or remount which is his peculiar Office so that when his Majesty passes through any narrow passage whether it be in Hunting or otherwise the Querry is to follow immediately after the King and to pass in those Rencounters before the Captain or Officer of the Guards himself then upon Duty The Querry likewise often leads his Majesty when he is walking Upon a day of Battel 't is the Querries Office to put on the Kings Armour At Funerals of Kings one of the Querries carries the Spurs another the Gantlets a third the Coat of Arms of France Encompassed with the Collars of
Religious Men whereof five are to be Priests and are allowed 300 l. apiece yearly for their Cloaths besides their Diet But the Reverend Father Minister takes care generally to keep a greater number there especially when the Court is there The said Reverend Father Minister is titulary so of St. Saturnins Chappel which is the low Chappel in the Oval-Court and in that Quality has his ordinary allowed him in specie when the Court is at Fountain-bleau There is one Keeper of the Court of the Kitchins one Keeper of the Lord Chamberlains Pavillon or House behind the said Court at the Corner of the Garden-Plot of the Tyber who has a Salary of 900 l. for keeping the one half of the said Garden-Plot one Keeper of the Foundery or Founding-House belonging to the said Palace or Castle-Royal One Keeper of the Hotel or House of Condé joining to the said Foundry or Founding-House One Keeper of the Buildings of the Gate towards the Pell-mell at the end of the Causey of the Moat or of the House of the Colonel-General of the Infantry since the suppression of the said Office in 1661 who is allowed 900 l. for maintaining the other half of the Garden-Plot of the Tyber and 50 l. for maintaining the Causey This Pavillon or Body of Building was formerly called the Constableship and was the Lodging of the Lord High Constable One Keeper of the little Stable one Keeper of the Hounds and Dog-Kennel and a Keeper of the Pell-mell One Gardiner of the Gardens of the Moat and of the Pines and Keeper of the Hotel or House of St. Aignan in the same place One Gardiner of the Gardens of the Queens Stables formerly called the Gardens of the Trout-Ponds or Canals round about the Fountain that gives the name to Fountain-bleau and one other Gardner of the Gardens of the Queens Stables behind the said Fountain and one cleanser of the Channels or Canals of the Garden of Pines and of the said Gardens of the Queens Stables One Keeper of the Hotel of the Great Ferrara towards the great Gate of the Court of the White-Horse where lodge several Officers of Monsieur the Kings Brother One Keeper of the Hotel de Guise where the Intendant Comptroller and Treasurer of the said Buildings lodge One Keeper of the Queens Stables in the Burrough One Keeper of the Chancery-House on the back of which are several Shops of which one of the Kings Officers has the letting One Keeper of the Great Falconers Lodging and Office called La Coudre which joins to the Park and is without the Walls of it towards the Borough or Town of Fountain-bleau The Great Stable which used to be placed at La Coudre is now lodged at the Heronrie In the Park There is one Porter and Keeper of the Park There are eight Gates to go into the Park and in it are these Buildings 1. The Heronrie where the Great Stable is of which there is one Keeper The Great Falconer lodged there formerly but now at La Coudre 2. The Mid-Way House or the Pheasant-House where the Hay made in the Park is laid up of which there is a Keeper under the Captain of the Castle 3. The House of the Gardner of the Fruit-Trees of the Park 4. The Menagerie or Bird-House of the Park of which there is a Keeper who is likewise Master of the Game or Chace of Cormorants There is likewise a Gardiner of the Great Palisado's of the Park that lodges at the Heronrie 5. At the end of the Canal towards the Parish of Avon is the House of the Fathers of the Charity there are ordinarily in it four religious men and two extraordinary when the Court is at Fountain-bleau and a single man Gardiner There are six Beds founded and maintain'd for sick people There is a Captain of the Boats upon the Great Canal who is Keeper also of the Flags Ornaments and other necessary moveables for the said Vessels Besides There is one Keeper of the Antiquities one Painter to take care of all the Pictures there who is lodged with the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs one Glasier one Joiner one Lock-Smith one Plummer and one Mason and Coverer Besides the abovesaid Buildings the Kings of France have built several Hotels or Houses designed for the residence of several Offices or Bodies of Offices as the Hotel or House for the Life-guards on one side of the Chancery the Scotch-House behind the Church for the first Company of the Life-guards which is still called the Scotch-Company and Colonebrie The Kings Gensd ' armes or Men at Arms have likewise a House at Fountain-bleau The Guards of the Provostship of the Kings Houshold have likewise a House at Fountain-bleau which was given them by some former Kings and is called the Hotel or House of the Provost-ship The Officers of the said Guards have nothing to do with the said House but it belongs only to the Souldiers of that Guard that put in a Keeper who is to look after it and do all smaller Reparations to it the said Keeper has the profit arising by the disposal of the vacant places in the Stable thereunto belonging and when the said Keepers place comes to be vacant the Guards quarterly Waiters for that quarter dispose of it The Officers for the Game and for Hunting are One Lieutenant of the Game Another Lieutenant in Brie where there is a particular Court of Justice under the Captain of the Game or Chaces of Fountain-bleau for the Commodity of those that cannot so conveniently come to plead at Fountain-bleau A Deputy-Lieutenant of the Game at 400 l. Salary The Forest of Fountain-bleau or of Biévre is divided into eight several Cantons or Quarters every one of which has its particular Keeper of the Wood for the Game There was formerly too a particular Wolf-Hunter for the Forest of Biévre The Officers for the Waters and Forests are A Lieutenant A Proctor for the King A Hammer-Keeper A Register or Recorder A General-Keeper of the Woods and Forests or Serjeant Traverser at 300 l. Salary A Fountaneer to look after the Fountains Grottes and Cascades one Keeper of the Swans and Carps in the Canals Ponds and Basons there Forty six Guards viz. Sixteen Horse and thirty Foot whereof the Horse are paid an allowance of 300 l. and the Foot 60 l. each yearly by the Captain and One Usher Auditor called otherwise the Serjeant dangerous The Castle of Compiegne Was Rebuilt by Charles the Bald in the year 876 because his Father Lewis the Debonnaire or the Gracious his Grand-Father Charles the Great and his Great-Grand-Father Charles Martel used often to reside there It appears too that even before that Clotaire the first Grand-Child to Clovis retired into the Town of Compiegne and died there in the year 564. There are belonging to it a Captain who is called Captain Keeper and Governour of the House City and Castle-Royal of Compiegne and Captain of the Game or Chaces of the Forest of
is performed with a Ger-falcon and any sorry Greyhound to help the Hawk sometimes The Hawks and Flights belonging to the Kings Cabinet entred on the Establishment of the Great Falconry are 1. A Flight for the Crow to which belong A Captain or Chief at 700 l. a Lieutenant-Aid at 300 l. a Master-Falconer at 300 l. six Prickers at 250 l. each and a Porte-Duc or Decoy-Bearer at 250 l. Allowed besides for the keeping of sixteen Hawks at 3 d. apiece a day 873 l. 5 d. And to the Keeper of the Perch of the said Flight and that looks after the Hawks that are not carried out at the rate of 15 d. a day 273 l. 15 d. besides 36 l. more for Shoes which amounts in all to 4233 l. 2. A Flight for the Mag-Pie to which belong A Captain or Chief at 700 l. a Lieutenant-Aid and a Master-Falconer at 300 l. each three Prickers at 250 l. apiece More allowed for the feeding and keeping of eight Hawks and for buying them 838 l. And to the Keeper of the Perch of the said Flight who likewise looks after the Hawks that are not carried out 273 l. and 36 l. for Shoes which amounts in all to 3197 l. 15 d. 3. A Flight for the Pigeon to which belong A Captain or Chief at 700 l. a Lieutenant-Aid at 300 l. and three Prickers at 250 l. apiece More allowed for Keeping eight Hawks and buying them 838 l. and keeping eighteen Spaniels at 4 d. a day each 1314. To the Servant that looks after the said Spaniels 273 l. 15 d. besides 36 l. for Shoes and To the Keeper of the Perch of the said Flight and of the Hawks that are not carried out 273 l. 15 d. and 36 l. for Shoes which amounts in all to 4521 l. 10 d. 4. A Flight of Merlins to which belong A Captain or Chief at 700 l. a Lieutenant-Aid and a Master-Falconer at 300 l. each two Prickers at 250 l. each more allowed for keeping and feeding eight Hawks 438 l. and to the Keeper of the Perch and of the Hawks that are not carried out 273 l. 15 d. and 36 l. for Shoes which amounts in all to 2547 l. 15 d. The Merlins are made use of to flie at the young Partridge whilst the light Hawks are mewing or casting their Feathers they are used likewise for the Quail the Black-bird the Sky-Lark and other small Birds as likewise to fly at the Pigeon Brow-strung The Flight with the Merlins is particular to the Kings Cabinet being in no other Royal Falconry but that of the Cabinet This Flight is performed from the Fist that is when they are minded to let flie at a young Partridge they attack her not till the Dogs have raised her and there is no difference in the way of flying this little Bird and the Falcon called a Blocker but only that one may carry a Merlin without Hood-winking upon the Fist whereas a Falcon must be always carried Hood-winked whether it be let flie one way or the other In flying at the Black-Bird and other small Birds they use Poles to beat them out of the Hedges and Cross-Bowes to have the pleasure of killing them when they cannot be got out of their holds or shelters where they are attacked Of all the several sorts of Birds that the Merlins are used to fly at none is more delightful gives more diversion or shows more the eagerness and courage of the Merlins than the Sky-Larks because they commonly endeavour to save themselves by soaring aloft and so draw the Couragious Merlins up to the very Clouds from whence they force them to descend and to endeavour to light in some Thicket or some other shelter which before they can reach the Merlins commonly take them The manner of flying them at the Pigeon Brow-strung is thus two strings are passed through the lower Eylids of the Pigeon and then tied so together above her Head so that her Eylids are drawn up that she cannot see downwards at all but only upward and then she is thrown with the hand as high into the Air as a Man can throw her where seeing no way but upward she is forc'd to soar upwards by spirts and when she is mounted reasonably high the Falconers send the Merlins who overtake her and never leave pursuing her till they have fastened on her and brought her down which sort of scuffle lasts very often a great while and gives the most pleasure The total summ of the expence of the four Flights belonging to the Cabinet amounts to 14500 l. besides what is allowed for the buying of the Hawks for the Crow and the Merlins the Hens and other charges Other Officers of the Great Falconry After the Great Falconer and the Captains or Chiefs of the different Flights of Hawks above-mentioned there are besides Twenty five Gentlemen of the Falconry of which the five first have 300 l. yearly Salary and the others but 90 l. A Secretary of the Falconry at 300 l. a Marshal of the Lodgings or Chief Harbinger 400 l. He commonly goes and receives Orders of his Majesty when he pleases to go a Hunting two other Harbingers at 300 l. each one Chyrurgion at 250 l. and one Apothecary at 300 l. All the Officers above-named enjoy the same Priviledges as those that are Commoners in his Majesties Houshold Article IV. Of the Great Wolf-Hunter The Great Wolf-Hunter has the super-intendance over the Wolf-Hunting He has 1200 l. standing Salary and 8500 l. by way of Pension Appointments and Wages as Counseller of State Under him there are two Lieutenants and one Deputy-Lieutenant of the Wolf-Hunting who have each 1000 l. Salary Other particular Lieutenants and under Officers in being divided into four Provinces are 1. A Lieutenant of the Wolf-Hunting in the Provostship of Paris 2. A Lieutenant within the extent of the Countries of Anjou and Maint 3. A Lieutenant for the Bayliwick of the Country of Auxerre all which have a Salary of 150 l. each 4. Besides which there is a fourth Lieutenant without Title who has 450 l. Salary Two Wolf-Hunters at 300 l. each two Servants of the Bloodhounds at 150 l. two Servants of the Fleet-hounds 120 l. one Head-Servant to keep and teach the young Blood-hounds 90 l. two other Servants to keep and feed the young Greyhounds and other young Dogs 90 l. each eight Keepers of the Great Greyhounds or Irish Greyhounds of which four belong to the Kings Chamber 260 l. Salary each and 1095 l. for keeping the said Dogs four Serjeants Wolf-Hunters at 80 l. each a Baker to make the Dogs Bread 60 l. and a Captain of the Carriage at 180 l. Salary and 1035 l. for maintaining his Carriage Besides these several Hunting Games there is another Hunting or rather Fishing Divertisement which is performed with Cormorants of which there is one that has the oversight in the Park at Fountain-bleau After the several Divertisement of Hunting we may place that of the Tennis-Court There is
thereunto belonging and deprive them of that mark of honour to the tenderness of their affection and the fidelity of their services for these causes notwithstanding the Edict of November 1640. We Declare that all our Domestick Servants and Commoners the four Companies of our Life-Guards the Archers or Guards of the Provostship of our Houshold the hundred Suissers of our Guard the Officers of our Stables Hunting Falconry and Wolf-Hunting those of the Queen Regent our most honoured Lady and Mother of the late Queen Mary our most honoured Lady and Grandmother of our Dearest Brother the Duke of Anjou of our Dearest Vncle the Duke of Orleans and of our Dearest Aunt the Dutchess of Orleans his Wife at present living and of his former Wife deceased of our Dearest Cousin her Daughter and of our Dearest Cousin the Prince of Condé of our Companies of Gensdarmes or Men at Arms and light Horsemen consisting of two hundred Men apiece the Company of our Guard of Musketeers on Horseback and that of the Guards of our said Lady and Mother named and comprised in the Establishments to be by us Signed and agreed to and Counter-signed by our Secretary of State and of our Commandments who has the department of our Houshold shall enjoy the Priviledges and Exemptions granted and given to them in all times and from all Antiquity because of their Services and the same we grant to their Widows as long as they shall continue so Provided nevertheless that if any of the aforesaid Officers shall make any Traffick with Merchandises and keep Inns or manure any more than one Farm of their own and that with their own hands or hold any Farms of others whether in their own Names or in those of their Domesticks or Servants they shall be liable to be taxed towards our Taxes in every of the Parishes where the Lands or Heritages by them so manured shall lie In another Declaration given at Poitiers in the Month of January 1652. His Majesty says We confirm by these Presents all the Priviledges Franchises Liberties Immunities Exemptions and Affranchisements granted to the Officers of the Royal Housholds entred upon the Establishments of the Court of Aids and to their Widows during their Widow-hood Willing that they be henceforward held quit and exempt from all manner of contributions whether it be Loans general or particular made or to be made as well by us as by any of the Cities of our Kingdom likewise for furnishing Provisions or Ammunition for the War for Fortifications Reparations Charges and Conducts Taxes Aids and Impositions c. and of all other Subsidies Dues charges and subventions in general whatever they be made or to be made in any sort and on any occasion whatsoever though it be not here particularly specified and declared They are exempt from the Duty called the Duty of Aids for the Wines of the product of their own grounds by a Decree of the Council of State of the 16th of December 1654. By a Decree of the Council of State of the 20th of January 1644. The King declares his intentions to be that no Officers shall enjoy Priviledges and Exemptions from Taxes but those that actually serve and that receive at least 60 l. for their Wages and Appointments and not a great number of honorary and titular Officers that have obtained Briefs of some Offices but serve not and have no Wages nor the Keepers of the Plains and of the Game which his Majesty pretends shall be taxed with the common Taxes excepting the Keepers of the Game of St. Germains Fountainbleau Blois Limours Montâ—â—â—hery and Boisgency There are a great many other Decrees and Orders that say almost the same thing the Decree of the Counsel of State of the 14th of March 1654. maintaining the Kings Officers those of the Queen Mother the Duke of Anjou and of the Duke and Dutchess of Orleans exempt from the greater and lesser Taxes Subsistance money c. and other publick charges There are other Decrees of the Great Council in Conformity to the Edicts and Declarations of the King of the 22th of February 1673. and the first of March 1675. importing an Exemption from Lodging or Billeting of Souldiers for the Officers of the Royal Housholds their Persons their Houses Farms Tenements Farmers Domesticks and Servants There are likewise several Decrees and Declarations in favour of the Queens Houshold in particular and of that of Monsieur and of some of their Officers as also for those of the late Duke of Orleans The Kings Declaration of the last of January 1647. which was Registred in the Court of Aids the 19th of March the same year imports a re-establishment of the Priviledges and Exemptions of the Widows and Veterans of the Officers of the Royal Housholds in the same manner as the Commoners of his Majesties own Houshold enjoy the same In a Declaration set forth by the King in the Month of July 1653. It is said that the said Officers possess fully and entirely their Officers so as that the Coheirs with them in other things cannot pretend any share therein either upon their Salaries or upon the value of their Offices if sold which being in the Kings sole Disposition cannot be reputed of the nature of those goods that are liable to be divided among the Heirs and Successours of Families As for what concerns the point of Precedence of the Kings Officers and of the rank they ought to have in publick Assemblies whether general or particular several Kings by their Declarations and Decrees have Order'd that they shall march and place themselves immediately after the Counsellers of the Bailiwicks Seneschals and presidial Courts before the Officers of the Elections of the Salt-Granaries Judges not Royal and all others that are inferiour in degree to the said Counsellers as it was Ordained by Henry the Fourth by a Declaration of the 22th of March 1605. in favour of the Valets or Yeomen of the Bed-Chamber and other Officers of the Chamber Cabinet and Anti-Chamber and by Lewis XIII First By a Declaration of the 27th of July 1613. in favour of the Marshals of the Lodgings the Harbingers of the Body and the Harbingers in Ordinary to his Majesty Secondly By another of the 20th of December verified in the Great Council in favour of the Life-Guards And thirdly By his Letters Patents of the 12th of February 1618. and by a Decree of the Great Council dated the 27th of May 1630. and by the present King by another Decree of the said Council of the 29th of May 1653. The Priviledges of the Court-Clergy The Clergy of the Kings Houshold and other Royal Housholds have the Priviledge to be always reputed resident at their Benefices during the time of their Service and are allowed two Months to go to and come from their Benefices and that by several Bulls of Popes Declarations of Kings Decrees of Parliament of the Great and Privy-Council c. And they are paid the full Revenues of their Canonries
Lane about the Coach or Horse while his Majesty is getting up or when he is alighting at his return The Great Provosts Guards place themselves likewise in a rank on one side of his Majesty with their Officers and sometimes the Great Provost himself at the head of them holding the Staff of Command in his hand In Journeys besides the French and Suisse Life-Guards that always assist at the Kings setting out there are a great number of the Foot French and Suisse-Guards with their Officers that place themselves round about the Coach the King ears in while he is taking his Repast and that keep off the people and make Room for the Waiters to serve up the meat When the King goes out to any place a little distance from his Palace in the Town where he is as at Paris when he goes from the Louvre to Nostre Dame Church or to the Palace or out upon any visit or to any Opera or Comedy abroad the Guards go thither first and the Suissers wait for him at the great Gate of the place he is to go to making a Lane on both sides of it for his Majesty to pass through when he comes Of the Company of the hundred Suissers The Commander in Chief of the Company of the hundred Suissers who is called the Captain Colonel of the hundred Suissers of the Kings Ordinary Guard is at present the Marquiss of Tilladet Lieutenant-General of the Kings Armies c. who was in the Month of July 1683. sent Envoy Extraordinary into England to Compliment his late Majesty of Great-Britain upon the Discovery of the last Conspiracy against his Royal Person He has 1200 l. standing Salary 6000 l. Board-Wages 226 l. Pension 300 l. at the Pay-Office of the Great Stable 168 l. for the pay of three Suissers places allowed him besides a considerable Salary as Counsellour of State The better to comprehend the pay or Salary of the Officers of this Company you must Note That they are paid by so many Suissers places counting each place at 14 d. a day which is 256 l. a year besides 4 d. a day paid by the Captain being 72 l. a year and forty Crowns for a Suit of Cloaths Upon solemn days the Captain of the French Life-Guards marches behind his Majesty the better to have an Eye always on his Majesties Person and the Captain of this Company of Suissers marches before him so that they two secure his Majesties Person both before and behind The Captain of the hundred Suissers is sworn by the King himself and receives the Oath of Fidelity from the other Officers of his Company to whom he gives grants of their places under his own Seal excepting only the two Lieutenants that are put in by the King and take out their Grants under the Great Seal There are under the Captain two Lieutenants that do duty all the year round whereof one is a French and the other a Suisse Lieutenant They are each of them allowed the pay of four Suissers places which amounts to 1024 l. and 480 l. each for four Suits of Cloaths besides which the French Lieutenant is allowed 265 l. for his Diet the Suisser Lieutenant having his in specie at the Masters of the Housholds Table There are two Ensigns half yearly Waiters whereof one is French and the other a Suisser each of which have 512 l. Salary or the pay of two Suissers and 240 l. for two Suits of Cloaths The Lieutenant and Eusign of the hundred Suissers eat at the Table of the Masters of the Houshold Eight Exempts doing duty quarterly two every quarter whereof four are French and four Suissers The first of these has 754 l. yearly allowance being French the second 256 l. and 120 l. for a Suit of Cloaths being a Suisser the third being French has 460 l. and 360 l. for three Suits of Cloaths which is in all 820 l. the fourth being a Suisser has 256 l. for one Suissers place and 120 l. for a Suit of Cloaths the fifth being also a Suisser has 378 l. Salary and 180 l. for a Suit of Cloaths and a half the sixth being French has 256 l. Salary and 120 l. for a Suit of Cloaths the seventh being a Suisser has 666 l. Salary and 240 l. for two Suits of Cloaths which is in all 906 l. This Office in the Company of the hundred Suissers was formerly called in their tongue Statthalter that is to say Deputy or Vice-Lieutenant and till the year 1627. there no other Exempt in this Company but one natural Suisser so called the eighth and last being French has 256 l. Salary and 120 l. for a Suit of Cloaths the two Exempts that are upon Duty eat at the Masters of the Housholds Table and one of them has the liberty if he please to go and eat at that of the Serdeau or Water-Server Four Harbingers quarterly Waiters the first of which that waits the first quarter of the year beginning in January 〈…〉 359 l. Salary and sixty Crowns for a Suit of Cloaths and an half which amounts in all to 539 l. the second has 384 l. Salary and 60 Crowns for a Suit of Cloaths and an half which is in all 564 l. the third has 281 l. Salary 72 l. more paid by the Captain and 120 l. for a Suit of Cloaths being in all 473 l. the fourth and last has 512 l. being the pay of two whole places 240 l. for two Suits of Cloaths and 144 l. more paid by the Captain When these Harbingers meet all together at any Ceremony the Harbinger for the quarter beginning in January takes place of the other three after whom follows he that waits in the quarter beginning in October then he that waits in that beginning in April and in the last place he that waits in the quarter beginning in July during any Journey the Harbinger in waiting is allowed a Crown a Day for his Diet which is paid him at the Chamber of Deniers from the day the King sets out otherwise he eats at the Serdeau's or Water-Servers Table There are besides these Officers a hundred Suisse Souldiers the pay of each of these is 14 d. a day and 4 d. more paid by the Captain and over and above the said hundred there is the same pay and Livery-Coats allowed to ten more which places are filled up by those among the hundred which being grown old and thought fit to be discharged from Service are thus taken care for in their latter days There is one Clerk of the Watch who is to be a Suisse by Nation who has 512 l. Salary being two Suissers pay 140 l. for two Suits of Cloaths and 160 l. Board-Wages at the Chamber of Deniers This Company of Suissers then is composed of a hundred Souldiers of that Nation reckoning in three Drummers and one Flute besides the Clerk of the Watch and the abovesaid Officers whereof the 96 that are Souldiers discounting the Drummers and the Flute are divided
such a day as he shall think fit to appoint at which the Lord Chancellour shall be present in order to the Examination and Determination of the said Affairs viz. The Brevets concerning the Taxes which shall afterward be signed by his Majesty and by all those who shall have the honour to be present at the said Council All Ordinances for laying any Impositions on the people of what nature or quality soever they be shall be reported to the said Council in order to be passed The Printed Papers to be posted up containing the Conditions of letting out the Farms shall be examined and agreed on in the said Council-Royal and after that the Farms shall be published the offers received and the said Farms adjudged to the fairest Bidders in the Ordinary Council of the Finances All Treaties or Bargains for Extraordinary Affairs All Orders of Loan and other Orders of like nature shall be reported examined and agreed on in the said Council-Royal and afterwards signed and passed in the same form that has been always hitherto practised The Rolls of the Exchequer as well as of the Expences accountable as of the ready Money shall be Examined and stated in the said Council-Royal at which at that time shall be present the same Persons that used to be present on such occasions after which they shall be signed by his Majesty and all those that shall be present thereat No Diminution shall be granted upon the Farms general Receits and extraordinary affairs of what nature soever they be unless it be in the presence of his Majesty in the said Council-Royal All which affairs shall be examined and resolved on in the said Council-Royal which shall be composed as is abovesaid of the Lord Chancellour as Chief and of three other Counsellours in the said Council His Majesty wills and means that the President or Chief of the said Council shall assemble all those that shall have the honour to be of it once a Week together with the other Directors Comptrollers General and Intendants of the Finances to examine all Affairs relating to the Finances as was wont to be practised in the lesser Directions under the Super-intendants excepting only those above reserved to the said Council-Royal and particularly to examine and deliberate on all the means imaginable to increase the ordinary Revenues of his Majesty to diminish and if it be possible wholly to remove all the Causes of the Diminutions of the Fanners and the insolvencies that happen in the general Receits and to use all careful indeavours that the said Impositions may be collected and brought in within the time prescribed by the Ordinances that so those Expences whose payment his Majesty shall assign upon the said Impositions may be punctually paid and discharged All the affairs that shall be examined in the lesser Directions shall be afterwards reported in the Grand Directions in order to be therein resolved on in the accustomed Form and that has been hitherto used The Councils of the Finances and Grand Directions shall be held as formerly provided however that none of those matters be treated on there that are here above-reserved to the Council-Royal of the Finances In all the Councils the Chief or President of the said Councils shall take the same place that the Super-intendants of the Finances were wont to take there and as for the other Councellours of State they shall take place according to the order of date of the Brevets or Patents by which they are constituted Councellours of State All the Orders and other Dispatches of the Council of Finances shall be signed by the said President or Chief and three Councellours belonging to the said Council-Royal His Majesty wills that at the opening of every Session of his Council-Royal Report shall always be made of the accounts of some one of the Farms of the general Receits in order to the Examination of the impediments the Farmers meet with in Collecting the Revenues of their Farms and of what just and reasonable means there may be used to augment them that so his Majesty may interpose his Royal Authority for making the best of them His Majesty reserves to himself the Power to Change Augment or diminish this present Regulation as the necessity of his Service shall require Given at Fountain bleau the 15th of September 1661. Signed Lewis and Lower de Guenegaud The Persons of which the Council-Royal of Finances is composed at present are the Lord Chancellours of France Chief or President M. Pelletier Comptroller-General of the Finances who succeeded the late Mr. Colbert Mr. Pussort and Mr. D' Argouges CHAP. XXIII Of the Council of State and of the Masters of Requests THE Present King Ordered by the first Article of his Regulation dated the first of January 1673. That the Council of State should be composed of the Lord Chancellour and Lord Keeper of the Seats of 21 Councellours of State in Ordinary whereof three are to be Church-men and three Sword-men of the Comptroller-General of the Finances of the two Intendants of the Finances all of them in Ordinary and of twelve other Councellours in State that shall serve half-yearly The present Comptroller-General of the Finances is Claudius le Pelletier Honorary Councellour in the Parliament of Paris formerly Councellour of State in Ordinary who was advanced to this Great Office upon the Death of the late Mr. Colbert The two Intendants of the Finances are Michael le Pelletier de Sousy Councellour of State And Francis le Tonnelier de Breteuil also Councellour of State By the 85th Article of the new Regulation the Advocates of the Councils that were formerly 200 were reduced to 170 the present Dean of them is Mr. Caussan The new Departments of the Comptroller-General and of the Intendants of the Finances are these 1. To Mr. Pelletier the Comptroller-General belong The Revenue of Commerce and Trade The united Farms viz. The Gabelles of France The Aids and Entries The Parties Casual or Casual Revenues The five Great Farms The Convoy of Bordeaux The Patents of Languedoc and other little Farms The Revenue arising from the Barrage and Pavement of Paris The Revenues of Burgundy Britany and Languedoc The Turcies and Levies The Extraordinary Revenues for the War Those of the Artillery The Revenues raised on the Clergy Of Coinage Of the Provostship of Nants Of the Bridges and Causeys Of the Kings and Queens Domains or Crown-Lands Of the Waters and Forests 2. Mr. Pelletier de Souzy has The Gabelles of Provence and Dauphiné and the Customs of Valence The Gabelles of Languedoc and the Country of Lyons The Gabelles and Quarantieme or fortieth of Lyons The Gabelles of Mets Toul and Verdun The Farm of the nine Livers and eighteen pence of Picardie The Farm of Ingrande The Revenue of Fish Paper and Beer That of Ashes Of the marking of Iron Of the Grants and Gifts of Cities The Revenues of Provence and Navarre Of Artois and other Conquered Places Of Mets Toul and Verdun Of the Parliament of
and where they are to be judged too when they are impeacht of any Crime And though in the last Reign it was seen that de facto the Marshal de Marillac was Judged by Delegated Commissaries and the Duke of Montmorency by the Parliament of Toulouze the Parliament of Paris pretends That these two Acts were done against their Priviledges Secondly The Counsellers of the Parliament of Paris pretend a Priviledge to sit in all the other Parliaments without allowing the same Priviledge reciprocally to the Counsellers of the other Parliaments in the Parliament of Paris yet it is to be remarked That the Priviledge of sitting in the Parliament of Paris was granted to the Counsellers of the Parliament of Toulouze by an Ordinance of Charles the Seventh in the year 1454. which the Parliament of Paris refused to verifie whereupon the Parliament of Toulouze made a Decree in the year 1466. by which they Ordained That the Counsellers of the Parliament of Paris should have no Admittance into the Parliament of Toulouze till they had obey'd the abovesaid Ordinance made in their Favour Thirdly The other Parliaments not having that extent of Jurisdiction as the Parliament of Paris have but one Chamber of Inquests the Parliament of Toulouze but two whereas the Parliament of Paris has six The Parliament of Paris opens every year the next day after St. Martins Day in this manner The whole Body being in their Scarlet Robes go to a solemn Mass Celebrated on that occasion in the Great Hall of the Palace after which the Advocates and Proctors are sworn in the Grand Chamber and the Bishop that said Mass has that day Place and a deliberative Voice among them The Parliament continues sitting from that time till the 7th of September after which follows the Vacations During which Recess nevertheless there sits a Chamber called the Chamber of the Vacations which takes Cognisance of those Causes that require speedy dispatch and Criminal Affairs In the five Chambers of Inquests all Processes or Suits are Judged concluded and received by Writing that they may the better discern whether the Appeals made to this High Court of Parliament be made reasonably or no. The fourteen Presidents of the Chambers of Inquests and of those of the Requests which are two are but Counsellers that have accepted that Commission and when the Parliament is met and marches in State they take place among those of the Grand Chamber according to a Regulation of Parliament of the 1st of September 1677. By which it is Ordain'd That in Assemblies Processions and other publick Solemnities these Presidents shall be preceded only by two Counsellers of the Grand Chamber of which the first is to be Titular and the second may be only Honorary As for the Presidents of the Inquests and Requests among themselves they are to take place in their march according to their standing and the order of their admission The Court called the Tournelle-Civil established by Lewis the Great in 1667 and 1669. Judges of all Appeals in civil matters to the value of 1000. Livers or Pounds French and of an Estate of 50 Livers yearly rent It is composed of one President wearing the Mortar-Cap six Counsellers of the Grand Chamber and of four Counsellers out of every Chamber of Inquests who go thither by turns once in three Months The Kings Declaration for this purpose of the year 1669. bears date the 11th of August and was Registred in Parliament and in the Chamber of Accounts the 13th of August The Tournelle-Criminal Judges of all Appeals in Criminal matters excepting those made by Gentlemen and other persons of State which are to be judged in the Grand Chamber it is called the Tournelle because it is composed of two Presidents with Mortar-Caps ten Lay-Counsellers of the Grand Chamber and of two Counsellers out of every Chamber of Inquests which go thither every one Tour à Tour that is in their respective turns once in three Months excepting only those of the Grand Chamber which are there six Months from whence it is called the Tournelle At present there are four Presidents with Mortar-Caps The two Chambers of Requests of the Palace are of the Body of the Parliament according to what Charles the Fifth writ to Cardinal Vivazer in the year 1450. where he says that the Requests are de Gremio Curiae They Judge of all personal Possessory and mixt Causes between priviledged persons that have Committimus's whether they be Officers that are Commoners at Court or others There likewise the Requests of the Houshold composed of the Masters of Request we have spoken of above who take a like cognisance of the Causes of priviledged persons that enjoy Committimus's at whose choice it is to plead either before the Masters of the Requests of the Houshold or before those of the Palace In old time Justice was administred without Appeal by the Bayliffs and Seneschals that the King sent into the respective Provinces for that purpose which were chosen out of the ablest Sages of the Law of his Houshold but since the Parliaments have been Instituted or made fixed and sedentary Appeals are admitted to the Parliaments from the Sentences rendred by the said Bayliffs and Seneschals In fine the Parliament at present consists in all 1. Of one Chief or first President who is named Nicholas Potier Knight Lord of Novion c. and seven other Presidents called Presidents au Mortier or wearing Mortar-Fashioned Caps who are John de Coigneux Marquiss of Montmeliand c. Lewis de Bailleul Marquiss of Chateau-Gontier John-James de Mesmes Count d' Avaux John de Longueville Marquiss of Maisons Charles Colbert Brother to the late Great Minister of State of that Name formerly Ambassadour in England and at Nimmeguen c. and at present Secretary and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and lastly Lewis de Molé Lord of Champlatreux of thirty Clerks or Clergymen Counsellers of Lay-Counsellers of two Advocates and one Proctor-General of 19 Substitutes or Deputies of three Registrers or Recorders in the Chief Registers Office viz. One Recorder Civil and Prothonotary in Chief one Recorder of the Presentations and one Recorder Criminal and of eight other Secretaries and Notaries called the Notaries and Secretaries of the King and of the Parliament two Recorders for the Audiences and Council of the Tournelle five other Deputy Recorders in the five Chambers of Inquests one Recorder in Chief of the Requests of the Palace two other Deputy Recorders under him in each of the two Chambers of Requests 1. First or Chief Usher twenty eight other Ushers of the Parliament and of the Chambers of Inquests and of the Tournelle Eight Ushers of the Requests of the Palace The number of Advocates is not fixed but the Proctors are four hundred in number they have both of them a Dean over them CHAP. XXXII Of the Chamber of Accounts THE Chamber of Accounts is composed of 1. First or Chief President ten other Presidents seventy Masters of the
be more than two together without having any Command there then they chuse their Quarters according to their standing And next to the Marshals of France the Dukes and Peers take place for in Armies Dukes and Peers are Lodged always after Marshals of France But in following the Court out of an Army this Order is observed First their Majesties are Lodged then other Royal Persons then the Princes and Princesses then the Great Officers of the Crown after them the Dukes and Peers and lastly the Marshals of France The Chancellour is Lodged next after the Princes and in marking his Lodging the word Pour or for is used the meaning of which we have already explained Besides all which which are called the Ranks there are the Preferred of which we have spoken The Marshals and Harbingers of the Kings Lodgings are also employed by his Majesties special Command to provide Lodgings for the Assemblies of the States General of the Kingdom when any are called or for the States of any particular Province when the King is to be present at them as likewise for the Assemblies of the Clergy which is to be understood when they assemble in any other place but Paris for there no Lodgings are marked for them Likewise when the persons composing any Soveraign Courts or other publick Bodies are to meet at St. Denis in France by the Kings Order and according to Custom to assist at the Funeral Pomps or Solemnities made at the Burials or Anniversary Services for Kings Queens and Princes or Princesses of the Blood or others the Marshals and Harbingers of the Kings Lodgings go thither some dayes before to provide them Lodgings The King too usually sends the said Marshals and Harbingers of his Lodgings to meet Foreign Princes and Princesses that come into or pass through his Kingdom to order and prepare Lodgings for them every where as they pass The Title and Quality of Squires has been conferred and confirmed upon the Marshals and Harbingers in Ordinary of the Kings Lodgings by several Orders of the Council of State Next the Marshals and Harbingers of the Lodgings is the Captain of the Guides with his Company who is a necessary Officer in Journies Of the Captain of the Guides The Office of Captain of the Guides for the Conducting of his Majesty formerly enjoyed by one is now exercised by two Brothers who part between them the following Salary and Profits viz. 2000 l. Salary paid quarterly by the Treasurers of the Houshold 600 l. a Month extraordinary during any Voyage or Journey and 300 l. when the Court is at any of the Royal Houses they eat at the Kings Serdeau's or Water-Servers Table with the Gentlemen Waiters The Captain of the Guides when the King is on his march along the Country is always to keep by one of the Boots or Portals of the Kings Coach to be ready to tell his Majesty the names of the places Cities Castles Towns and Villages upon the Road if he ask them or resolve any other Question concerning them There are commonly at least two Guides on Horseback that wear the Kings Livery that ride a little before his Majesty to Conduct him and place themselves ordinarily at the head of the Light-Horse If there be any need of repairing the High-ways for the Kings Passage the Captain of the Guides usually lays out what is needful for that purpose and is repaid again at the Treasure-Royal For fear the Officers of the Goblet or of the Mouth should fail to come up to the place where the King is to eat when he is travelling along the Country the Captain of the Guides sometimes gives them notice in what part of the Way his Majesty has a mind to Dine He has power to settle Guides to Conduct his Majesty in every Town of the Kingdom and after he has given his Grants to the said Guides they are admitted as such before the Marshals of France These Guides wear the Kings Livery and are exempted from Billeting of Souldiers The Captain of the Guides is sworn by the High Constable of France when there is one or otherwise by the Eldest Marshal of France Of some other Officers necessary in Journies which depend on the Great Master of the Houshold viz. One Waggon-Master of the Kings Equipage that Conducts all the Equipage and commands all the Captains and takes his Orders from the Office of the Houshold This Office was Created in 1668. He has an allowance of 100 l. a Month out of the Chamber of Deniers when the Court is on its march along the Country and 50 l. a Month when it is at Paris and 400 l. besides extraordinary Wages for the extraordinary pains he takes for the Kings Service in doing what is order'd him by the Office allowed him upon the last Bill of every Quarter One Aid or Helping Waggon-Master whose Office was also Created the same year 1668. who has when the Court is at Paris 25 l. a Month and when it is on the march 50 l. a Month allowed him at the Chamber of Deniers We have already spoken of the Captain of the Mules of the Chamber in speaking of the said Chamber of which he depends Two Captains of the Carriages of the Kings Houshold who have a Salary of 300 l. a piece paid by the Treasurers of the Houshold and besides at the Chamber of Deniers an allowance to them for the maintenance of fifty ordinary Horses at the rate of 23 d. a day for each Horse 57 l. 10 d. a day or 21045 l. a year They Conduct all the Carriages of the seven Offices when the Court marches either in Person or by their Servants One Captain-Keeper and Guardian-General of the Tents and Pavilions of the Court and of his Majesties Pavilions of War who has a Salary of 800 l. and 50 l. a Month extraordinary in time of Service and One Keeper of the Tents of the Courts of the Kitchins and of his Majesties Stables who is allowed 50 l. a Month at Paris and 100 l. a Month in the Country at the Chamber of Deniers CHAP. XX. Of the Judge of the Kings Court and Retinue who is the Provost of the Houshold or Great Provost of France THE Provost of the Kings Houshold or Great Provost of France is the ordinary Judge of the Kings Houshold The Title of Great Provost implies two things For first He is Judge of the Kings Houshold and Secondly He is Captain of a Company of a hundred Guards called the Guards of the Provostship which is another part of his Office in the Kings House We shall speak of him here only as in the first quality reserving the latter till we come to the Military Officers of the Houshold His Office is one of the ancientest of the Kings Houshold and one may say that in the Jurisdiction which he retains of administring Justice to all the Kings Officers and other Persons that follow the Court he has succeeded the antient Count or Mayor of the Palace which