Pretences of hatred: The accession of Henri IV seen by Sébastien Le Pelletier, priest, theologian, grammarian of the choir boys of chapter of Chartres from his original manuscript (1579–1592)

Xavier Le Person PhD in History, associate professor, Early Modern History at Sorbonne Université (Paris IV) (rue Victor Cousin, 1, Paris, France, 75230)
xavier.le_person@paris-sorbonne.fr

Le Person X. Pretences of hatred: The accession of Henri IV seen by Sébastien Le Pelletier, priest, theologian, grammarian of the choir boys of chapter of Chartres from his original manuscript (1579–1592), Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2019, vol. 8, pp. 232–251.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2020-00010

Language: Russian

The priest, theologian, grammar teacher of choir boys of chapter Sébastien Le Pelletier was an eyewitness to a Catholic world in peril. In 1589, he started writing the history of Chartres and the surrounding area during the warsof the League. He lived daily near the cathedral, in the heart of the communityof canons of Notre-Dame, protected by the cloister. He took care of the choirboys of Chartres. In this environment, he attended masses where the maininhabitants of the city thronged. He was in a privileged position to glean information. The chapter of Chartres was closely involved in the municipal government of the city. His lordship included a large part of the city. The canons wererepresented by reigning aldermen and deputies, both at townhouse meetingsand at general assemblies. Le Pelletier gives a detailed description of the siegeof the town by Henri IV’s army, the League’s resistance, and the firm takingin hand by the royal side. He also gives his impressions of his Calvinist adversaries and of the French king’s religious policy. Contained for a long time bymemorable deeds of brave and prestigious defenders of the Catholic faith sincethe treacherously murdered hatred of the heretic was unleashed against Chartres in 1589. For fear of the destruction of his religion and of the desecrationof his church, priest, theologian, grammar teacher of choir boys of chapter,Le Pelletier puts in writing what goes behind the schismatic policy of the Kingof Navarre, a policy similar to the earlier one of Henry VIII. Under an appearance of objectivity, the writing of Le Pelletier dissimulates a violent hateagainst heresy and its proponents.

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Key words: King of Navarre, the League, Notre-Dame, canons, Calvinism

URL: http://rcs-almanac.ru/en/le-person-2020-en/

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