Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Dedication
- Preface
- List of abbreviations
- 1 Introduction: the Parlement of Paris
- 2 Historians and the parlements
- 3 The king and his judges
- 4 The parti janséniste and the refusal of the sacraments crisis, 1754–1756
- 5 Managing the parlements: crisis and compromise, 1756–1758
- 6 The Parlement and fiscal politics, 1756–1763
- 7 Choiseul and the politics of appeasement, 1758–1763
- 8 An unhappy peace, 1763
- 9 Defending La Chalotais: the Brittany affair, 1764–1766
- 10 In the eye of the storm, 1767–1770
- 11 The fall of the Parlement of Paris, 1770–1771
- 12 Conclusion: Maupeou and beyond
- Bibliography
- Index
5 - Managing the parlements: crisis and compromise, 1756–1758
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 March 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Dedication
- Preface
- List of abbreviations
- 1 Introduction: the Parlement of Paris
- 2 Historians and the parlements
- 3 The king and his judges
- 4 The parti janséniste and the refusal of the sacraments crisis, 1754–1756
- 5 Managing the parlements: crisis and compromise, 1756–1758
- 6 The Parlement and fiscal politics, 1756–1763
- 7 Choiseul and the politics of appeasement, 1758–1763
- 8 An unhappy peace, 1763
- 9 Defending La Chalotais: the Brittany affair, 1764–1766
- 10 In the eye of the storm, 1767–1770
- 11 The fall of the Parlement of Paris, 1770–1771
- 12 Conclusion: Maupeou and beyond
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
On 13 December 1756 Louis XV drove through the streets of Paris, watched in silence by the citizens of the city, in order to preside at a lit de justice. At this ceremony, he presented two declarations and an edict, dated 10 December, all of which contained controversial material. The first declaration dealt with the vexed question of the papal Bull Unigenitus; the second concerned the internal discipline of the Parlement; while the edict abolished a number of vacant offices and two of the chambers of enquêtes. Unintimidated, the vast majority of magistrates chose to resign rather than to accept these measures, something for which the government was totally unprepared. This lack of fore-sight further complicated an already troubled political scene, and even the terrible shock of an attempt on the life of the king failed to force a reconciliation. More damaging in the long term were the repercussions of the assassination attempt at Versailles, which saw the fall of two experienced ministers, Machault d'Arnouville and comte d'Argenson. A period of prolonged political crisis followed, and the transparent feebleness of the crown ensured that it was obliged to capitulate, recalling the magistrates, in September 1757, on terms favourable to them. It was an embarrassing defeat, and as the government sank ever deeper into the mire of the Seven Years War it established a pattern that would become worryingly familiar.
The government's decision to adopt an aggressive stance towards the Parlement of Paris was clearly connected to the failure of the law of silence of September 1754 to bring an end to the religious dispute.
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- Information
- Politics and the Parlement of Paris under Louis XV, 1754–1774 , pp. 122 - 155Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1995