Chapter 1.3.I: Dishonoured Bills
Notes
patriotic Malesherbes, whose rule is conscience and the public good Malesherbes (or Lamoignon-Malesherbes) was president of the Cour des Aides (“Court of Aids”), a part of the parlement system that was especially concerned with finance, from 1750-1775. Though a committed monarchist, he was a critic of royal overreach, and reacted strongly against Maupeou’s neutering of the parlements in 1771. From 1775 to 1776 he was Louis XVI’s Secretary of State of the Maison du Roi. He then retired, though he will return in 1792 to defend Louis XVI.
d’Eprémesnil Jean-Jacques Duval d’Eprémesnil was the Counsellor of the Parlement of Paris beginning in 1775.
The Lepelletiers, Lamoignons have titles and wealth; yet, at Court, are only styled “Noblesse of the Robe.” There are Duports of deep scheme; Fréteaus, Sabatiers Refers in turn to Louis-Michel le Peletier, Malesherbes, Adrien Duport, Emmanuel Marie Michel Philippe Fréteau de Saint-Just, and Antoine Sabatier, all figures of the Paris Parlement.
solid phlegmatic M. de Vergennes Vergennes was Louis XVI's Minister of Foreign of Foreign Affairs from 1774, and succeeded Maurepas as the most Louis's most important minister in 1781.
Saint-Germain Appointed Louis XVI's Minister of War in 1775, he attempted to introduce Prussian disciple into the French army. The backlash led him to resign in 1777.
Mousquetaires The Musketeers of the Guard were disbanded in 1776 for budgetary reasons.
Duke de Polignac The husband of Marie Antoinette's close confidant, promoted to brigadier of the King's Army in 1781, a position from which he resigned in 1785.
Duke de Coigny Another court military figure.
Joly de Fleury Controller General from 1781 to 1783, had a relatively uneventful tenure.
Controller d’Ormesson Controller-General for seven months in 1783, he will be replaced by Calonne.