Established in the capital since the thirteenth century, the Parlement of Paris was the most prestigious law court in France. Associated with some of the most momentous epochs in the history of the monarchy, it had acquired an international reputation and the respect and admiration of the French people, who by the eighteenth century had christened its members the ‘fathers of the patrie’ Despite their great eminence, the magistrates of the Parlement worked in the cramped surroundings of the Palais de Justice situated on the Ile de la Cité in the heart of Paris. Within the walls of the Palais were housed not only the Parlement, but also several other distinguished courts including the Cour des Aides, the Cour des Monnaies, and the Chambre des Comptes. Judges from these different institutions rubbed shoulders with the lawyers, litigants, hawkers, and criers, who made up the bustling world of the legal capital. There was nothing serene about the Palais, and prostitutes, booksellers, and artisans plied their wares in the very sanctum of justice. From here the authority of the Parlement expanded outwards, covering nearly one-half of the kingdom, including such diverse regions as Anjou, Picardy, Champagne, Brie, and the Auvergne. For those who lived within its jurisdiction, the Parlement represented the supreme court of appeal, but this reflects only part of a complicated picture because it also shared responsibility for a host of judicial and administrative functions. These included upholding public order, censorship, provisioning of bread and firewood for the capital, and overseeing the guilds, corporations and hospitals of Paris.