LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2007 May Marketplace Auction #87051  / 

90122

Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, Document Signed "P

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:50.00 USD Estimated At:200.00 - 300.00 USD
Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, Document Signed P
<B>Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, Document Signed</B></I> "<I>Philippe D'Orléans</B></I>", one page, 6.5" x 8.75", in French, September 7, 1717, n.p. Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, (1674-1723) was Regent of France from 1715 to 1723. On the death of his uncle, Louis XIV, the late king's five-year-old great-grandson was crowned king Louis XV of France. The Duke of Orléans went to the parliament, had the will annulled, and himself invested with absolute power, and the then forty-one-year-old Philippe became Regent. On the majority of the king, which was declared on February 15, 1723, the Duke of Orleans resigned the supreme power; but he became first minister to the king, and remained in office till his death. Philippe had great qualities, both brilliant and solid, which were spoilt by an excessive taste for pleasure. His dissolute manners found many imitators, and the regency was one of the most corrupt periods in French history. Philippe was a professed atheist who boasted to read the satirical works of François Rabelais inside a Bible binding during mass, and liked to hold orgies even on religious high holidays. He acted in plays of Molière and Racine, composed an opera, and was a gifted painter and engraver. Despite his atheism, Philippe favored the Jansenists against the decrees of the Pope. He was a great collector of art, and his collection of paintings, mostly sold in London after the Revolution, was one of the finest ever assembled. The city of New Orleans, Louisiana is named after him. Excellent condition. <BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Flat Material, Small (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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