Campbell P. Power and Politics in Old Regime France, 1720-1745

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The cardinal de Fleury, after a portrait by Rigaud

POWER AND POLITICS IN OLD REGIME FRANCE

1720–1745

‘A sophisticated and highly interpretive study of politics in the Age of Louis XV

[that] will interest not only historians of ancien régime France, but all students of

political life in Europe prior to the nineteenth century. By redirecting our attention

to the crucial role that the King’s court played…and by demonstrating how politics

at the highest levels actually worked in practice, Campbell has rendered a valuable

service to readers interested in the nature of the early modern state.’

Albert N.Hamscher, Kansas State University

Power and Politics in Old Regime France is a major history of the politics of the first half

of the reign of Louis XV. It is based on exhaustive archival research and offers the

first comprehensive analysis of the neglected ministries of the duc de Bourbon and

the cardinal de Fleury.

Peter R.Campbell deals first with court, faction and policy. A second section offers

new interpretations of the crises provoked by Jansenism and the Paris parlement. By

contrasting the methods and practices of political management in this period of

successful government with the crisis of the old regime in the 1780s, he illuminates

the underlying character of politics in the old regime and raises new questions

about its collapse. An unusually substantial bibliography represents an invaluable

resource to the researcher.

Peter R.Campbell is a Lecturer in History in the School of European Studies,

University of Sussex. His other publications include The Ancien Régime in France

(Oxford, 1988) and Louis XIV (London, 1993).

POWER AND POLITICS

IN OLD REGIME FRANCE

1720–1745

Peter R.Campbell

London and New York

First published 1996

by Routledge

11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE

This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2003.

Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada

by Routledge

29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001

Routledge is an International Thomson Publishing company

reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic,

mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter

invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any

information storage or retrieval system, without permission in

writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data

Campbell, Peter Robert

Power and Politics in Old Regime France, 1720–1745/Peter R.Campbell.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. France—Politics and government—1715–1774.

2. Louis XV, King of France, 1710–1774.

3. Fleury, André-Hercule de, 1653–1743.

4. Jansenists—France—History—18th century.

5. France. Parlement (Paris)—History—18th century.

I. Title.

DC133.4.C3 1996

320.944–dc20 95–41006

CIP

ISBN 0-203-41369-5 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN 0-203-72193-4 (Adobe eReader Format)

ISBN 0-415-06333-7 (Print Edition)

vii

CONTENTS

List of illustrations x

Acknowledgements xi

PREFACE 1

The aims of this study; summary of the book.

INTRODUCTION: APPROACHES TO POLITICS IN THE

ANCIEN REGIME 10

Approaches to politics under the ancien régime; the debate on ‘absolute

monarchy’; institutional history and the ethic of office-holding; the history

of the royal finances; patronage, clientage and friendship; the study of

faction; office and political power; court society; political culture, public

space and the politics of contestation; defining politics in ancien régime

France: an unsolved problem; the nature of crisis within the socio-political

system; the need for a new history of politics.

Part 1 Politics in a court society

1 THE RISE TO POWER OF ANDRE-HERCULE DE

FLEURY 39

An ecclesiastical career: a family strategy; provincial patrons; royal

almoner; bishop of Fréjus; appointment as preceptor. From preceptor to

religious adviser, 1715–21: educating Louis XV; court politics in 1720; the

conseil ecclésiastique; the affair of Louis’ betrothal; Fleury’s strong position.

2 THE ACQUISITION OF A MINISTERIAL POST, 1721–3 51

The situation of the Regent; the old court; the cabal; the Regent’s strategy;

Fleury, a minister of state; the succession to d’Orléans.

3 THE MINISTRY OF THE DUC DE BOURBON, 1723–6 69

Introduction; Bourbon and Fleury; the situation of Bourbon; Fleury’s

position; foreign affairs; the marriage of Louis XV; the religious issue;

financial policy.

viii

4 THE DISGRACING OF BOURBON 93

A survey of the evidence; the rising tide of opposition; the disgrace of the

duc de Bourbon.

5 THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE MINISTRY OF FLEURY 110

Fleury, his character and situation; ministerial changes; Le Blanc and

Desforts; the state of the factions: the Orleanists and the Spanish party;

financial measures; concessions to the cabal; Fleury reconstructs his

ministry; his position consolidated.

6 THE CONTROL OF PATRONAGE AND POLICY 129

Louis XV; patronage; ecclesiastical patronage; a ‘third party’ in the

church; forms of lay patronage; the patronage of Languedoc; spheres of

ministerial influence; Daguesseau; Maurepas; Saint-Florentin;

d’Angervilliers; Orry; Chauvelin; Amelot de Chaillou; Hérault and the

police; religious policy; influential nobles: the ducs de Noailles, d’Antin,

d’Estrées; the comte de Toulouse; councils and legal form; the travail.

7 THE POLITICS OF FACTION 156

The need to master faction; the case of Chauvelin; Chauvelin’s dismissal;

the situation after Chauvelin’s fall; the Toulouse affair; the foreign policy

crisis in 1740; the factions in 1740; the Chauvelin faction; the Noailles; the

Belle-Isle faction; Belle-Isle triumphs; military campaigns and factions;

two new ministers; the death of Fleury; ministerial anarchy.

8 CONCLUSION TO PART 1: THE POLITICAL CULTURE

OF COURT SOCIETY 177

Role of the king; role of a first minister; definition of the court; socio-

political importance of the court; patronage and clientage; attitude of a

minister; interweaving of ministerial rivalries and politics; attitude of a

courtier; strategies of ambition; importance of ministerial unity; outside

influences on politics.

Part 2 Jansenism, politics and the parlement of Paris

INTRODUCTION 193

9THE PARTI JANSENISTE IN THE 1720s AND 1730s 195

Introduction; the history of Jansenism; Figurism; who were the

Jansenists?; the organisation of the parti; Jansenist strategies; ministerial

attitudes to Jansenism; the political activity of the parti janséniste;

magistrates and lawyers; Jansenism and political theory.

10 THE PARLEMENT OF PARIS 222

Social and institutional characteristics of the parlement: the parlement’s

jurisdiction; its several chambers; its venal officers; procedures;

CONTENTS

attendance; the basoche; social characteristics; rhetorical education and

wealth; self-image. The historiography of the parlement: selfish, politically

ambitious oligarchy, or defender of the people? A renewed emphasis on

judicial functions; new approaches; the study of crises.

11 THE CRISIS OF 1730–2: THE GENESIS OF THE CRISIS 237

Account of the crisis; historiography and evidence; ministerial perceptions

of Jansenism; the constitutionnaires; royal policy towards the parlement;

motives for opposition; role of the parti janséniste; hierarchy, youth and

corporate honour; errors of management and growing tensions; lawyers;

role of First President; the conflict escalates; summary of the causes of the

1732 crisis.

12 THE CRISIS OF 1730–2: RESOLVING THE CRISIS 259

Clients, spies and informants; confrontation, escalation and the process of

resolution; bluff and negotiations; return and recalcitrance; resistance and

exile; a compromise solution; the crisis reassessed; role of the Jansenists;

Gallicanism; defence of jurisdiction the key; the importance of political

management.

13 MANAGING THE PARLEMENT: 1733–43 AND BEYOND 275

Conflict and management; continuing tensions; the dixième; Jansenist

agitation 1733–6; the barristers’ pretensions defeated; the Douai affair and

interpretations of politics; a crisis averted; the affair of Saint-Vincent de

Paul; the Grand Conseil, a jurisdictional threat; the courts successfully

managed; failures of management in the 1750s; contrast with the 1730s.

14 CONCLUSION 296

Interpretations of politics reconsidered; the political system of the ‘baroque

state’; the crisis of the 1780s.

Appendices

1 The King’s ministers 1723–45 319

2 The identity of the Jansenist magistrates 321

3 Chronological table of events in the Paris parlement, 1730–2 326

Notes 328

Bibliography 378

Index 413

CONTENTS