349 - King Henry IV Document Signed During the French Wars of Religion (1591)

King Henry IV Document Signed During the French Wars of Religion (1591) King of France (born 1553), the first of the Bourbon line, who ruled from 1589 until he was assassinated in 1610. Manuscript vellum DS in French, signed “Henry,” one page, 12.5 x 6, June 19, 1591. King Henry IV of France expresses his desire to reward Charles de Hamine, identified as a “huissier ordinaire” of the royal chamber and ordinary commissioner, for various services rendered to the king, particularly during a military campaign. Boldly signed at the conclusion by Henry IV. In fine condition, with some creasing to the upper right corner and a few small holes to the lower left. Henry IV issued this document during the French Wars of Religion, less than two years after succeeding Henry III to the French throne in August 1589. Although king, the Protestant Henry had yet to secure control over much of the kingdom, with the Catholic League continuing its resistance and receiving Spanish support. The year preceding this document had seen Henry's decisive victory at Ivry and his unsuccessful siege of Paris; in 1591, fighting continued on several fronts as royalist forces sought to consolidate his authority. Contemporary France remained divided, with active campaigns involving royalist and League forces in regions including Brittany and Provence. The document's reward for services rendered during a military campaign therefore dates from the period in which Henry was still actively fighting to establish his rule, two years before his conversion to Catholicism and nearly three years before he entered Paris.