L'Aristocratie parlementaire normande au XVIIIe siècle : un système de représentations : Godart de Belbeuf ou le parfait magistrat
Institution:
Paris, EHESSDisciplines:
Directors:
Abstract EN:
The study of this system representations allows a new approach of the very often criticized world of eighteenth-century parlement officers. The ideal of the perfect magistrat, created during the sicteenth-century struggles, and uniting service to the king, dignity of justice, and catholic fidelity, was always highly respected in the senat de normandie under louis xv. The procureur general, whose exceptionally rich papers lead to an analysis of his action and ideas, illustrates this fact, even though this very ideal, reinterpreted by other magistrates, led to a severe criticism of absolute monarchy. As a guardian of cohesion in a changing profession, this ideal had to face the expectations and reactions of the society in normandy, the region that godart de belbeuf had in charge. He was a staunch supporter of his own brand of christian enlightenment. However the gallican struggles, linked to the unigenitus bull, progressively turned the king's servants into provisional representatives of the nation.
Abstract FR:
L'etude de son systeme de representations autorise une approche renouvelee du monde souvent si severement juge des parlementaires du xviiie siecle. L'ideal du parfait magistrat, elabore lors des conflits du xvie siecle, et articulant service du roi, dignite judiciaire et fidelite catholique, n'avait rien perdu de sa vigueur dans le "senat de normandie " du temps de louis xv. Le procureur general godart de belbeuf, dont des archives exceptionnellement riches permettent d'analyser l'action et les conceptions, en offre la demonstration, meme si la reinterpretation de cet ideal par certains autres magistrats devait deboucher sur une critique severe de la monarchie absolue. Destine a assurer la cohesion d'un milieu en pleine evolution, il etait confronte aux attentes et aux reactions de la societe normande que godart de belbeuf administrait en partisan convaincu des lumieres devotes. Mais les querelles gallicanes liees a la bulle unigenitus transformerent peu a peu les serviteurs du roi en representants temporaires de la nation.