FRANÇOIS I: (1494-1547)

FRANÇOIS I: (1494-1547)

FRANÇOIS I: (1494-1547) King of France 1515-1547. First King of France from the Angouleme branch. He succeeded his cousin and father-in-law Louis XII. A Patron of the arts who initiated the French Renaissance and attracted Italian artists to France, including Leonardo da Vinci, whose Mona Lisa was bought by King Francis. A rare L.S. 'Francoys', a clean signature, one page, 4to, Saint-Germain en Laye, 13th January 1529, in French. The letter refers to the Court trial against Louis Berquin and Antoine Papillon, Protestants, accused of heresy. The King insists, urging the judges to close the court case as soon as possible, stating in part `De par le Roy, A nos amiz et féaux...pour vacquer à toute diligence à l´expédition des procès de Berquin et Papillon... que cette affaire preine fin. Cy vous prions et néanmoins mandons et commandons tres expressement...que vous ayez a entendre incontinant à l´expédition et jugement des dits procès de sorte que les dits Berquin et Papillon n´ayent plus occasion soy retirer par devers nous pour avoir justice´ Countersigned at the base by Robertet `Robertet´. Addressed to the verso, also bearing a clerk contemporary annotation. Transcription included. Two very small areas of paper loss to the upper and bottom right corner, none of them affecting the text. Very small overall minor age wear, very slightly uneven left edge as a result of a former binding. G

This letter evokes a dramatic episode during the reign of Francis I. The trial and execution of the Protestant Louis Berquin (1490-1529) who was burned with his books in a public square. Berquin, a scholar, had joined the Reform party. Having accused the theologians of the Sorbonne of heresy, he was imprisoned for the first time in 1526. The King ordered the sentence to be suspended and thus saved Berquin's life. But he would be arrested again a few years later, preaching reform with Antoine Papillon who translated Martin Luther and introduced his writings.