Manuscript notarial account book for regional Provence.

£12,500 · Offered by Maggs Bros Ltd

Chrétienne d’Aguerre, the Countess of Sault (1553-1611) was one of the foremost leaders of the French Catholic League in Provence during the French Wars of Religion. In the late 1500s from her home in Aix, the countess directed League forces and activities as well as brokered various political manoeuvres and agreements on the League’s behalf, including creating an alliance with Charles Emmanuel I, the Duke of Savoy. Recorded here, in a completely unrestored manuscript account book from the region of Provence, is a rare piece of physical evidence of the countess’ financial involvement with the Provençal Catholic League. Chrétienne d’Aguerre was the sister-in-law of a League military leader, Hugues de Vins. Vins, in turn, was linked to another leader of the Catholic League in Marseille, Louis de La Motte Dariès. La Motte conspired with Vins in April 1585 with the hope that Vins might bring his army to Marseille in order to bring the city firmly under Catholic League control, with Motte as its leader (a plot that ultimately failed). The present account book records two financial transactions made between the Countess of Sault and La Motte , presumably to finance their collective League efforts: “[La Comtesse de Sault] doibt donner a 25 Jung 1592 mil deulx centz cinquante cinq florins donnes au Sr. de la Motte… Plus doibt donner… a 28 de Jung 1592 sept centz florins donnes au Sr. de la Motte.” Though Louis de La Motte Dariès was executed in 1585 for his role in attempting to take

• Year: 1584

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