Ordonnances de Louis XIV, Roy de France et de Navarre, servant de reglement pour le commerce des marchands; donnés à Saint Germain en Laye au mois de mars 1673

by Jacques Savary

Paris: Chez les associez choisis (Denis Thierry), 1673

143, [1], 40, [8] p. | 12mo | A-P^8/4 ã^4 | 109 x 54 mm

A little pocket guide to the latest trade regulations in France—this particular text known as the Ordonnance du commerce of 1673, a foundational document for French business law, sometimes called the Code Savary. The work was set in motion by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Louis XIV's chief minister, but the text was prepared by Paris merchant Jacques Savary. Taken with Colbert's three other ordonnances, the four "constitute a legislative programme without parallel in other monarchies" (Grossi). We find at least two other editions from the same year (and expect there are others).  ¶ More than a legal and mercantile landmark, the text offers insights into all manner of trades and professions, a fantastic little peek at labor in early modern France. The 40-page index provides an excellent bird's-eye view of its coverage. Just a taste: age requirement for becoming a merchant (20 years), apprenticeship details, time requirements for payment, how long children can work for their parents, bookkeeping rules, and much more. We here find rules governing masons, carpenters, plumbers, bakers, butchers, cooks, glaziers, bankers, and many more—and of course regulations on the roles of women and wives (see especially p. 89, 103-105). ¶ We find no copies of this edition in North America.

CONDITION: Contemporary sprinkled leather, spine tooled in gold and edges sprinkled. Last leaf is blank. ¶ Some minimal scattered staining. Tail of spine chipped, and upper inch of rear joint wormed; extremities moderately worn. A solid little book.

REFERENCES: Paolo Grossi, A History of European Law (Wiley, 2010), p. 74 (cited above); Antonio Padoa-Schioppa (Caterina Fitzgerald, tr.), A History of Law in Europe (Cambridge Univ, 2017), p. 335 (citing Savary as author); Clive M. Schmitthoff, "American and European Commercial Law," Select Essays on International Trade Law (1988) p. 116 ("The ordonnances of Colbert were the forerunners of the final codification of French commercial law by Napoleon")

Item #686