GB 0096 MS 33 - Treatises on French commerce and diplomacy during the Thirty Years War

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0096 MS 33

Title

Treatises on French commerce and diplomacy during the Thirty Years War

Date(s)

  • [1581]-1638 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

1 volume containing 88 leaves

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Maximilien de Béthune, Duc de Sully (1560-1641) was a French statesman, who acted as director of the king's Council of Finance in 1596, and sole superintendent of finances, 1598.
The Thirty Years War was a series of wars fought by various European nations for various reasons, including religious, dynastic, territorial, and commercial rivalries. Its destructive campaigns and battles occurred over most of Europe.

Archival history

This manuscript was part of the library of Sir Thomas Phillipps, 1st Baronet (1792-1872) as MS 2662.
GB 0096 MS 33 [1581]-1638 Collection (fonds) 1 volume containing 88 leaves Unknown
Maximilien de Béthune, Duc de Sully (1560-1641) was a French statesman, who acted as director of the king's Council of Finance in 1596, and sole superintendent of finances, 1598.
The Thirty Years War was a series of wars fought by various European nations for various reasons, including religious, dynastic, territorial, and commercial rivalries. Its destructive campaigns and battles occurred over most of Europe.

This manuscript was part of the library of Sir Thomas Phillipps, 1st Baronet (1792-1872) as MS 2662.

Bought from Bertram Dobell in 1908 as an addition to the Goldsmith's Library of Economic Literature.

Volume mainly containing treatises on French financial administration, [1581-1610], namely a report by Maximilien de Béthune, Duc de Sully, Director of the Council of Finance, on the finances of France, [1607]; a paper on the Estates General of France, [1583]; a history of royal taxation in France up to the reign of King Henry III, ending with a statement of the revenue in 1581, [1581-1589]; and a paper giving instructions on the powers and authority of the officers of the French Chambre des Comptes (Chamber of Accounts), [1589-1610]. The manuscript also contains papers relating to diplomatic negotiations during the Thirty Years War, comprising a speech on a peace assembly at Cologne, Italy, [1636], and a letter from the Swedish Chancellor Count Axel Greve Oxenstierna to the English Ambassador, Sir Thomas Roe, on the alliance between England and Sweden, 1638.

Single item.

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Uncatalogued material may not be seen. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.
French
Manuscript folio. Bound in vellum.

Collection level description.

The treatise on the Estat General may also be found in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris (Ref: MSS fr 4014 ff 43-81 and 11165 ff 1-30).

Sully's treatise of [1607] formed the basis of the Traicté du revenu et despense des finances (1614), and is discussed in Roger Doucet 'Les finances de la France en 1614', Revue d'Histoire Économique et Sociale, XVIII (1930). The text of the history of royal taxation was incorporated in Sully's treatise of [1608] printed in Économies royales, ed Joseph François Michaud and Jean Joseph François Poujoulat (1837).

Compiled by Sarah Smith as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project. ISAD(G) 2nd edition, and NCA rules for the construction of personal, place and corporate names (1997). Jun 2000 Béthune , Maximilien de , 1560-1641 , Duc de Sully , French statesman x Rosny , Marquis de x Bethune , Maximilien de Cologne Diplomacy England Europe Finance Fiscal policy Foreign relations France Germany International conflicts International relations Italy Northern Europe Oxenstierna , Axel Greve , 1583-1654 , Count , Swedish diplomat Public finance Roe , Sir , Thomas , ? 1581-1644 , Knight , English diplomat and author Sweden Taxation Thirty Years War (1618-1648) UK War Western Europe Wars (events) London

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Bought from Bertram Dobell in 1908 as an addition to the Goldsmith's Library of Economic Literature.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Volume mainly containing treatises on French financial administration, [1581-1610], namely a report by Maximilien de Béthune, Duc de Sully, Director of the Council of Finance, on the finances of France, [1607]; a paper on the Estates General of France, [1583]; a history of royal taxation in France up to the reign of King Henry III, ending with a statement of the revenue in 1581, [1581-1589]; and a paper giving instructions on the powers and authority of the officers of the French Chambre des Comptes (Chamber of Accounts), [1589-1610]. The manuscript also contains papers relating to diplomatic negotiations during the Thirty Years War, comprising a speech on a peace assembly at Cologne, Italy, [1636], and a letter from the Swedish Chancellor Count Axel Greve Oxenstierna to the English Ambassador, Sir Thomas Roe, on the alliance between England and Sweden, 1638.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Single item.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Uncatalogued material may not be seen. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

French

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Collection level description.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

The treatise on the Estat General may also be found in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris (Ref: MSS fr 4014 ff 43-81 and 11165 ff 1-30).

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Senate House Library, University of London

Rules and/or conventions used

ISAD(G) 2nd edition, and NCA rules for the construction of personal, place and corporate names (1997).

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area