The Estates of Normandy and the Revolts in the Towns at the Beginning of the Reign of Charles VI

Abstract

THE reign of Charles V seems to the modern historian a period of triumph for the French monarchy in the dark early stages of the Hundred Years' War: unlike his father and grandfather, Charles was not hampered by lack of money; unlike his son, he kept the royal court under his control; and even on the battlefield, French armies did better than they were to do again before Joan of Arc. Under the leadership of Bertrand du Guesclin, the royal armies were able to contain the advance of the English. Charles' brothers, whose disputes were to tear the country apart after his death, were for the time satisfied with the generous places he assigned them in his court. And perhaps most important, regular taxes had been established, and thus the king was spared from having to treat continually with troublesome and recalcitrant assemblies. While Charles' ability to choose and handle men does much to explain the stability of his regime at the highest levels, it does not account for the responsiveness of the provinces to his wishes. The co-operation of the important men of the provinces was essential if the crown was not to be thwarted in every undertaking or hamstrung by lack of money, and while he was still dauphin Charles moved to assure himself of their continued support for his government. The regular collection of taxes and the docility of those assemblies that did meet are the most important signs of the mutual confidence that existed between the king and the notables of the countryside and the towns. Normandy is a prime example of how effective this policy was. The Norman estates since the time of Philip the Fair had been unyielding in their defense of the liberties of the duchy. Even when there was danger of an invasion by the English, the estates had refused to grant taxes for defense until the king had dealt with their grievances. But this changed dramatically after 1360, and while Charles V ruled both regular taxes and special levies for local defense were collected without interference from the estates. Sometimes the king consulted them, as he did when he raised money for the siege of Saint-Sauveur, and sometimes he did not, as in 1378 when he gathered an army to move against the strongholds of Charles of Navarre, but it made no difference. When the estates were called, they were co-operative; when they were not called, no one protested, and the taxes were collected anyway.' The death of Charles V on 16 September 1380 ended this peaceful period. On his deathbed the king cancelled the hearth tax which had run, with one brief