Description:

King Louis XIII of France
Paris, France, January 7, 1612
Boy King Louis XIII Signed Doc "By the King The Queen Regent Mother" Paying French Poet
MDS
A 1p manuscript document in French signed by 10-year-old Louis XIII, King of France (1601-1643) as "Louis" at center, the large signature alone measuring 1.375" x .75." January 7, 1612. Paris, France. The document consists of nine lines of text beautifully inscribed in a secretarial hand on vellum. Co-signed by an unidentified official at lower left, who also wrote: "Par le Roy La Reyne / regente la mere presentes" ["By the King / The Queen / regent mother [here] present."] Docketed verso, and with a signed secretarial note indicating that the document was registered the same day. Expected wear to the vellum including flattened folds, wrinkles, and weathering. An area of loss at lower right, and a tiny hole near left center. The document has been artfully tipped into a contour-fitting mat, and matted and framed behind glass in a double-sided frame with a cutaway. Not examined out of the frame. The sight size of the document is approximately 14.25" x 7.875" while the frame measures 18.5" x 12.25" x .75." The frame with an engraved plaque shows some paint loss, else very good.

Louis XIII was just 8 years old when Henry IV of Navarre (1553-1610) was assassinated. Louis's mother, Marie de' Medici (1575-1642), served as regent for her son from 1610 until 1617, when she was forcibly removed from power three years past Louis's legal majority, and exiled.

The document dates from 1612, the second year of Louis XIII's reign. "Louis par la grace de dieu Roi de France et de Navarre" ["Louis by the grace of god King of France and of Navarre"] directed "Raymond Philipeaux," an official of the "Tresorerie de nre Epargne" [the royal treasury] to pay 1,200 livres to Lazare de Selve in his capacity as "nre Justice de Metz" ["our Justice of Metz."] The document should yield more fascinating discoveries when fully translated!

Lazare de Selve (1550-1623) was a French poet of mostly religious subjects, who also served as president of Metz, Verdun, and Toul (three cities in the Trois-Évêchés region, now in present day northeastern France) from 1606-1622. After 1616, de Selve was also one of the king's counselors and played a role in various political negotiations. In de Selve's 1614 "Livre de Caresme" ["Book of Lent"], he wrote such poems as "Sur ces mots: Souvienne-toi, Homme, que tu es cendre" ["On these words: Remember, Man, that you are but ash"] and "Sur ces paroles: Combien de choses avons-nous ouï dire avoir été faites en Capharnaüm" ["On these words: How many things have we heard were done at Capernaum"].

The Treasury official that Louis XIII directed to pay Lazare de Selves was almost certainly Raymond Phélypeaux, Seigneur de la Vrillière (died 1629). In 1590, Phélypeaux was appointed secretary of Henri IV's king's chamber, and in 1599 he was made treasurer of the Épargne. Later, from 1626-1629, he served as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

The French were not unaccustomed to boy kings and maternal regents; just 50 years earlier, Catherine de' Medici had acted as regent for her 10-year-old son Charles IX, between the death of François II in December 1560, and the declaration of the legal majority of Charles in August 1563 at the age of 13.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: framed: 18.5" x 12.25" x .75"
  • Medium: MDS

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