French Secretary Hand, brown ink on paper, 38 lines, initials at top left margin & autograph signature bottom right; single sheet folded in two, inscribed on front only, each side measuring 6.25″ x 9.5″; significant fading, some foxing, fraying & tearing.
PB [the writer’s initials]
1. Le Vingtiesme Jour de Janvyer mille
The Twentieth Day of January, one thousand
2. cinq cent quattrevingtz et cinq auant
five hundred eighty and five, before
3. midy En vertu de certeine commission
noon. In pursuance of a certain commision
4. en si cy attachee signee p[ar] le c[on]sul
in si attached here, signed by the councilman
5. Gohory et sellee de cire Jaulne
Gohory, and sealed with Yellow wax,
6. en datte de xxvije Jour doctobre dern[ier]
under date of (the) 27th Day of October last,
7. Et ala Requeste de Martine Le Vayer
And at the Petition of Martine le Vayer
8. y denominee Jay a haulte voix et cry
here named, I have with loud voice and cry
9. public[que] Lev[e] et publye a lissue de
public Raised [i.e. announced publicly] and
proclaimed at the end of
10. la messe grande messe p[ar]ochialle
the mass parochial high mass
11. de bazoges le contenu en certeine
of Bazoges, the contents of a certain
12. a[rti]cle denchere expedye en la Court
record of auction dispatched to the Court
13. de p[resen]tement a p[r]es le xiije aoust dern[ier]
at this time, after the 13th of August last,
14. Signe dehevez aussi cy attache
Signed (by) de Hevez,* also attached here,
[* Jean de Hevez: Parliamentary Official of the late 16th c.]
15. Et desd[icts] commission et enchere Laisse
And of the said commission and (bill of) auction, Left
16. p[ar] affixe coppyes Auec aultant de
by affixing copies, Therewith, moreover,
17. p[rese]nt p[ro]ces pr[esidi]al ala grande porte
the present (law-)suit of the presidial,* to the great door
[* Law Court established by Henri II, with jurisdiction
extending between Parliament & the Bailiwick]
18. et principalle entree de leglize
and main entrance of the church
19. dud[ict] Lieu de bazoges Letout ace [i.e. a ce]
of the said Locale of Bazoges, All the which so
20. que aulcun nen pretende cause
that no one should claim the reason
21. dIgnorance faict p[ar] moy Pyerre
of Ignorance; performed by me, Pierre
22. Boudet sergeant Royal soubz Ligue
Boudet, King’s sergeant under (the) League*
[* Extremist Catholic Union, in opposition to Henri III’s
policies of religious tolerance]
23. dem[ourant] en la p[ar]oysse de S?rens(?) P[ri]ns
living in the parish of [undeciphered*], Taken from
[* See note at end of transcript]
24. Jehan guillemeaux et Rene Le sayne
Jean Guillemeaux and Rene le Sayne
25. de Lad[icte] p[ar]oysse tesm[oins] Et plusieurs
of The said parish (as) witnesses, And many
26. auttres de lad[icte] p[ar]oysse de bazoges
others of the said parish of Bazoges,
27. Lesquelz ont Reffuse me dire Leurs
The which have Refused to tell me Their
28. non[ns] dece faire deuement Interpellez
names, twice Summoned to do this;
29. Pour faire lequel exploict Je
To perform the which deed, I
30. me suys transporte auec et
I have conveyed myself with and
31. mene auec moy Lesd[icts] Le sayne et
brought with me The said le Sayne and
32. Guyllemeaulx Jusques au lieu de
Guyllemeaux, Just to the area of
33. bazoges distant de cinq lieues ou
Bazoges, five leagues distant, or
34. envyron Et ay vacque p[ar] deux Jours
thereabouts, And (I) had leisure, for two Days
35. entyers faict
entire made [i.e. was at leisure for two full days].
36. Receu pour le p[rese]nt exploict
Received for the present deed,
37. tant pour moy que mes
as much for me as my
38. Records vng escu vng tyer P Boudet
Recorders, one ecu (&) one third. P Boudet
[Signature framed by flourishes]
* With over 1.5 million parishes in France before the reorganisation instituted by Henri IV, it has been impossible to clarify Pierre Boudet’s extremely unclear hand with a standard geographical look-up. This represents a typical problem encountered in the transcription of early documents, particularly when the MS is frayed, ink-faded, water-damaged, or – as in this case – when it has been executed in haste as a rough draft, which will later be neatly re-copied with further details filled in. With multiple possibilities existing for the interpretation of numerous letters, Names and Places can be particularly challenging to decipher. It is therefore, unfortunately, not uncommon for question marks to remain in an otherwise completed transcript.