The Rise of Royal Justice: Analyzing the Trial of Enguerrand de Coucy under Saint Louis IX
Download
Read an extract
Themes
Royal justice, seigneurial justice, Guillaume de Nangis, Enguerrand de Coucy, Saint Louis, Louis IX, medieval justice, king authority, centralization, hagiography
Reader
Abstract
Extract
of 3
Abstract
Unlock the intricacies of medieval justice and witness the rise of royal authority through the trial of Enguerrand de Coucy, as chronicled by Guillaume de Nangis. This 13th-century account showcases the shift from seigneurial to royal justice, highlighting the growing power of the monarch. Discover how Saint Louis, renowned for his exemplary life and canonized in 1290, navigated the complexities of justice, asserting his authority against the backdrop of competing seigneurial and ecclesiastical powers. Explore the nuances of this pivotal moment in history, as Guillaume de Nangis' hagiography reveals the challenges faced by the king in his quest for centralized justice.
Extract
[...] Context : the 13th century marks an additional step in the progressive affirmation of the king's authority in the face of the lords, increasingly centralized, at a time when there were several justices (seigneurial, royal and ecclesiastical). Issue : it shows how the royal authority is built in the face of the power of the lords through the story of a contemporary character. The king's severity impressed the great men of the time. He also shows the difficulties encountered by the king in the face of the barons. Problématique : in what this text shows the passage from a seigneurial justice to a royal justice? [...]
[...] The King, impartial judge: the trial of Enguerrand de Coucy - Guillaume de Nangis (1259) - In what this text demonstrates the passage from a seigneurial justice to a royal justice? - Introduction and detailed plan Elements of introduction Hook : Jean de Joinville in History of Saint Louis, reports an episode where Louis IX, back from the crusade in 1254, is welcomed by a religious man who says : "Or that the king ( . ) take good and prompt justice to his people, so that Our Lord allows him to hold his kingdom in peace all the course of his life [ . [...]
[...] Seigneurial Justice : A Justice in Decline A. Seigneurial Justice, Arbitrary and Biased - Absence of trial therefore of defense - All-Power of the Lord: State of Affairs of the Barons' Privileges B. A Justice in Competition - A justice for the weak versus a justice for the powerful - The Declining Influence of Peers II. The Royal Justice: A New Way of Rendering Justice A. A justice increasingly centralized - Assert the power of the king - Mastering the barons B. [...]
