King Louis XIV, the Sun King, Arranges His Meeting With the First Estate of France, the Clergy, Where Their Annual Contract of Allegiance and Contribution Would Be Renewed

An important document showing the power and intent of the Sun King; he also declines to pardon two young men set to be executed

Louis XIII had two children. His son Louis XIV, who came to be known as the glorious “Sun King,” was crowned when just five years old. He was King for over 72 years, and remains the longest reigning monarch of a major European power. Louis XIV was the embodiment of the Divine Right of Kings. He strengthened and centralized the power of the monarch, and encouraged the loyalty of the nobles, bringing them closer and closer to the court at Versailles. Under his leadership France became the strongest power in Europe. His reign was also a time of the flourishing of arts and philosophy, and has the same romantic and flowering aura about it as that of Queen Elizabeth I of England.

The Assemblies of the Clergy were meetings of the Catholic clergy of France to manage the financial burdens laid upon the Church by the kings of France and the Churches other religious objectives.

The Clergy bound themselves by a contract made in the name of the whole clerical body to pay the King a certain amount annually. This gave them funding, protection and permission, in exchange for money paid to the monarchy. In this way the Church of France obtained the right of freely meeting and this woulds continue until the time of the French Revolution. Indeed the clergy were important members of warring constituencies that came to a confrontation in 1789. They were called the First Estate.

Autograph letter signed by Secretary of State Count Pontchartrain, with notations and signed by King Louis XIV, July 8, 1711.

“I have the honor to send to your majesty a letter from the procurer general which I received yesterday coming to this place with my father. Your Majesty will see the arrest that Parliament has ordered against the 3 soldiers of the guard that Your Majesty had recently arrested at Marly. One of the soldiers is the son of a sculptor from Paris, aged 17, and will be executed tomorrow unless Your Majesty orders otherwise. In such a case it is not permitted of me to propose anything to you and I simply await your orders to execute them. You can even choose not to respond to this if you wish.” Here Louis writes “I will not grant pardon for duels.”

The letter continues: “The assembly of clergy humbly requests Your Majesty to kindly set the closing speech for Sunday. They state that they require all the additional time to finish. I believe that your Majesty will desire to agree all the more in that it does not interfere with your essential duties and the contract will be signed on Sunday. That is the essential.” Here the King has written “I like Sunday as much as Monday.”

The letter continues: “The assembly requests that the speech be at 2:30 and that they be permitted to have the honor to come to the court in the morning.” Here the King has written “At 2:30. They can come in the morning.” He signs it “Louis.”

A fascinating and important letter showing multiple sides of the Sun King.