Any Ideas? (Informed ones, that is!)

Askari

I just received this interesting (and anonymous, undated) medal of Henry III, King of France & Poland. Note that the rev. has two scenes separated by a horizontal ground line which are properly viewed from opposite directions. The legend reads "Multis Hæc Cunctis Hæc". What is the proper translation of this line and what event might the medal commemorate? Especially note the paired letters above the two arms in each scene -- 'FH' & 'LR'. I have to wonder if this doesn't represent a political message. TIA

cosmicdebris

Sorry can't help with the translation but it is a cool medal.

1jester

Askari, that is one super-looking medal, obviously with multiple meanings. I love the dichotomy represented on the reverse. Unfortunately, I can't help you with the proper translation either. By the way, the medal looks a lot newer than when he held forth.

laurentyvan

Multis translates as penalty or fine, Haec as this or these, Cunctis as all or altogether or the whole.
multis haec cunctis haec" could translate as "this penalty applies to all." Does that make sense?

Multis might also mean decree or judgement.. this decree or ruling applies to all or perhaps to both sides (if I do see two warring parties facing each other with a holy or universal or royal judgement symbolised above by the hands on the coin).

laurentyvan

Henri III, 1551-89, was elected king of Poland in 1573 but returned to France in 1574 to succeed his brother Charles IX. His reign was almost continually disturbed by the Wars of Religion. The death in 1584 of his brother François made him the last male member of the House of Valois. His recognition of Henri de Navarre (later Henri IV) as heir presumptive was opposed by Henri, 3rd Duc de Guise, head of the Catholic League (the "War of the Three Henrys" resulted). Having procured the murder of Guise (1588), the king was faced with a revolt of the League and was expelled from Paris. Henri de Navarre came to his aid, but Henri III was assassinated in the siege by Jacques Clément, a fanatic monk. --Columbia-Viking desk encyclopedia, 1953

Henri III is something of an historical enigma. The beautiful sketches of the royal family by Clouet show a young man with compellingly soulful eyes; later there is a certain haunted quality to them. He was the military hero of Jarnac and Montcontour (notable royal victories over the Huguenots), a keen blade and afficionado of the fence, who occasionally dressed in women's clothing and whose taste for luxury was considered the height of decadence. He kept a retinue of "mignons" -- his fanatically loyal courtiers, pretty boys with sharp swords who picked duels with the retainers of his enemies. He was sincerely, if intermittently, religious, establishing congregations of Penitents in Paris and walking barefoot in their processions, flagellating himself (there is a certain masochistic quality to his outbreaks of piety). In 1577 he gave the Protestants all the rights they would later have in the Edict of Nantes in 1598, although these were annulled over the years under pressure from the Catholic wing. In the end he valued blood ties over religion, and named Henri de Navarre his heir on his deathbed. History remembers him as an indolent "Prince of Sodom", but he was the most intelligent and capable of Catherine's brood. Destined to be the last of the Valois, he nevertheless kept his throne for 15 years in the face of chaos. --c. t. iannuzzo


In 1577 he gave the Protestants all the rights they would later have in the Edict of Nantes in 1598-perhaps this event?

JohnZ

Damn. I didn't know that my ideas had to be informed around here.

Why didn't someone tell me earlier?

laurentyvan

I found the following on a french geneological site in rather difficult french: An abbreviated translation follows the text.


Noble Arnaud, Bernard Capitaine Campaigno, Seigneur Dudit lieu , et Cô-seigneur de Liguardes, fils de Noble Bernard de Patras et de Noble Catherine Dubouzet, se maria avec Noble Louise de Timbrune le 15 Juillet 1584.
Nota. Cette famille mérite les plus grandes recommandations, non seulement par ses services continués dans la possession des armes ; mais encore par les actions honorables qui les ont couronnés.

"Mr. Girard rapporte dans l'Histoire du Duc d'Espernon : Tome I, Livre II, page 48, et précédente, année 1589,dans la Guerre que ce Duc soutenait contre la Ligue en Guienne, qu'au siège de la Place de Bourg, distante de deux lieues de Blaye, située sur une éminence d'un accès très difficile ; elle commande entierement sur la rivière de Dordogne et de Garonne, n'étant qu'à un quart de lieue du bec d'Ambez, où ces deux rivières s'assemblent pour former la Gironde. C'était donc un grand avantage au parti de la Ligue d'avoir cette Place, puisque par ce moyen Bordeaux demeurait entierement privé du secours de ces deux riviéres ; cette place fut conservée par la belle défense de la Jouïziere, personne de valeur, qui donna le temps au Duc de le secourir. Les ennemis à la vûe de ses Troupes se retirèrent, et lui après avoir loué la valeur du Capitaine, et la fidélité de quelques bons habitants qui l'avaient fort bien assisté, retira le chef à son service pour les témoignages qu'il avait rendus en cette occasion de sa valeur ; mais il remplit sa place de Campaigno depuis Capitaine au Régiment des Gardes, et enfin Gouverneur de Boulogne, il lui donna une bonne Garnison, ayant jugé cette Place de telle importance, qu'elle méritait bien une personne de cette autorité pour la maintenir contre les efforts de la Garnison de Blaye, qui en étoit si proche ". Une pareille note ne peut être que d'un grand poids pour confirmer l'estime qu'on avait pour cette famille, à qui on avait déjà accordé une médaille l'année 1588, où d'un côté on lie cette Inscription. " HENRICUS. PRUS. DG. FRANCORUM. ET. POL. REX. et de l'autre une Troupe armée qui va au secours d'une Ville ; avec deux mains qui semblent se secourir, et deux autres mains qui paraiffent soutenir des munitions de guerre, avec cette inscription " . HÆC CUNCTIS, HÆC MULTIS. On ne sait à quelle occassion cette médaille fut accordée, mais il paroit que l'action qui suit est digne d'une pareille récompense.

I'm not going to try for a full translation as this is somewhat arcane. This is a recounting from the history of the Duke of E'espernon who, in the year 1589 fought a gallant defense of La Place de Bourg near Bordeaux at the junction of two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne against The League in Guienne. In reward for his spirit he and his family were awarded two medals, the second of which shows "an army troop which is going to the relief of a town; with two hands which seem to symbolize rescue, and two other hands which are holding (?) war munitions with the following inscription:HÆC CUNCTIS, HÆC MULTIS. One does not know at what occasion the medal was awarded but the action described was worthy of the reward."

Well, those seem to be the actions which inspired the medal, without resolving the initials or the exact meaning of the latin phrase. I now consider myself better "informed".

MacCrimmon

Maybe Laurent should be Darkside Detective; Inspector Laurent!!

Askari

Thank you, Laurent!! I suspect from that description I must have the second medal awarded to him, since it doesn't look like munitions being dropped.

Askari

ttt for the weekend crowd, in case they might have any further information.