marie seong-hak kim ited royal power incurred among his old colleagues. L’Hôpital once candidly told the parlementaires that he had been of the same opinion as theirs when he was a member of the court like them; he was aware of all the importance of remonstrances of which the purpose was “reaching the good.” Since then, however, he learned that “one benefits more doing otherwise.”He told the judges, “I believe that you too would have changed your opinion had you served the king close to the throne.”114 De Thou was not in a position any less onerous than L’Hôpital. He was repeatedly ordered by the king to register the edicts without delay, while he was pressed by the parlementaires to present its remonstrances. His correspondences with the royal family members revealed the thorny situations of the premier président, torn between his duties to the king and his responsibility as the head of the court.115 On two occasions in 1561, de Thou was delegated to the king to request that the judges’ salaries, in arrears, be paid.116 He also signed the remonstrance on the royal order prohibiting the judges from receiving payments from someone other than the king. The king bombarded himwithorders and demands.117 De Thou’s position was a delicate one. The king could blame him for disobeying him and the Parlement could blame him for being too willing to obey the orders of the crown. He was accused of pressuring his colleagues to meet the promises he had made to the king and the princes. According to the contemporary Pasquier, de Thou was criticized by his colleagues at the Parlement “for being committed to the king and wanting to go against the opinions of his company in order to keep the promises he had made.”118 In a letter to Catherine de Medici, de Thou confided that his colleagues at the Parlement “yelled and are yelling at me all the time.”119 114 Discourse of 12 November 1563, at the Parlement of Paris, in L’Hospital, Michel de 2013 p. 65. 115 Daubresse, Sylvie 1998a p. 396. 116 Ibid. p. 392. 117 Filhol, René 1937 p. 26. 118 Pasquier, Étienne 1723 vol. 2 col. 190; Filhol, René 1937 p. 35; Daubresse, Sylvie 1998a p. 399. 119 Daubresse, Sylvie 1998a p. 397. 159
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