The Government and its Members during the Reign of the Last Capetians (1313-1328)
GOUVERNEMENT ET HOMMES DE GOUVERNEMENT SOUS LES DERNIERS CAPÉTIENS (1313-1328)
Résumé
The government and its activity are quite difficult to observe at the beginning of the 14th century : the action of the government can’t be limited to the activity of the Council, and even if it was, we often lack the necessary documents to detect them. Though, through the royal letters, and particularly through the extra sigillum mentions, it seems possible to know a bit more about the 150 men who take part to the royal government during the reigns of the last Capetians. All of these men belong to the elite, whether this notion of an elite is based on social origin, culture or wealth ; though, these men come from different backgrounds, and they have learned what they know in different fields. But the professional and personal accomplishments all of them try to reach are similar, and so they become connected by all sorts of close relationships and end up forming a proper milieu. It’s because their activity isn’t confined inside any royal institution. A precise study of the activity of the main members of the government of Philip V clearly shows that the political influence and the abilities of these men are not directly related with the institution they may belong to : if the Chambre des comptes is influent, it is because certain of its mestres have political power, and it doesn’t work the other way round. Though, during the second half of the reign of Philip V, their activity starts to be bounded by stricter institutional limits : it takes place inside the Council or the Chambre des comptes. And so, the prospects of these men are progressively reduced inside the limits of the institution in which they work ; but in the meantime, the government has ceased to form a homogeneous social sphere.
Grâce aux actes royaux eux-mêmes, notamment aux mentions hors teneur qui y sont inscrites, il est possible de cerner l'action gouvernementale des derniers Capétiens et d'appréhender les hommes qui forment leur entourage politique. Tous appartiennent aux élites du royaume, qu'il s'agisse d'élites du sang, du savoir ou de l'argent, même si leurs origines et leur formation sont diverses. Tous développent même des logiques professionnelles et personnelles proches, nouant des liens étroits entre eux et formant un véritable milieu. Leur action transcende ainsi les barrières entre les différents services de la monarchie et n'est guère conditionnée par leurs attaches institutionnelles. Néanmoins, la deuxième moitié du règne de Philippe V voit cette action enserrée dans des cadres institutionnels plus rigides. Aussi les horizons des hommes du gouvernement semblent progressivement se restreindre au service où ils œuvrent, faisant perdre au milieu gouvernemental une part de son homogénéité.
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