Henry IV and the Towns: The Pursuit of Legitimacy in French Urban Society, 1589–1610

by S. Annette Finley-Croswhite

• ISBN13: 9780521620178
• ISBN10: 0521620171
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-09-13
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This book is the first serious study of Henry IV's relationship with the towns of France, and offers an in-depth analysis of a crucial aspect of his craft of kingship. Set in the context of the later Wars of Religion, it examines Henry's achievement in reforging an alliance with the towns by comparing his relationship with Catholic League, royal and Protestant towns. Annette Finley-Croswhite focuses on the symbiosis of three key issues: legitimacy, clientage and absolutism. Henry's pursuit of political legitimacy and his success at winning the support of his urban subjects is traced over the course of his reign. Clientage is examined to show how Henry used patron-client relations to win over the towns and promote acceptance of his rule. By restoring legitimacy to the monarchy, Henry not only ended the religious wars but also strengthened the authority of the crown and laid the foundations of absolutism.

Table of Contents

List of illustrations	x
List of tables	xi
Acknowledgements	xii
Introduction	1	(9)
France in the 1580s and 1590s	10	(13)
Brokering clemency in 1594: the case of Amiens	23	(24)
Henry IV's ceremonial entries: the remaking of a king	47	(16)
Henry IV and municipal franchises in Catholic League towns	63	(25)
Henry IV and municipal franchises in royalist and Protestant towns	88	(34)
Clientage and clemency: the making of municipal officials	122	(17)
Urban protest in Poitiers and Limoges: the pancarte riots	139	(23)
Municipal finance and debt: the case of Lyons	162	(20)
Conclusion: Henry IV, urban autonomy, and French absolutism	182	(5)
Bibliography	187	(28)
Index	215