ABBOT PHILIP de CAVEREL 1555-1636
The family background
By H. de Verhille
English Benedictine Congregation History Commission Symposium 2006

Introduction

Today we are going to talk about an important personage from the Artois, a province which is now in the French North Region. The individual in question was also the protector of the future college of Downside which at the beginning of the XVIIth century was called the Benedictine College of Douai. We refer, of course, to the great abbot Philip of Caverel who lived and worked from 1555 1636.

In order to better understand his life and works, I will briefly outline the context in which he lived. I will begin by presenting the situation of the Low Countries in the Habsburg Empire, in particular the role played by the southern regions, during the XVIth century, with particular emphasis on the monarchs of this territory including Charles V, his son Philip II, and finally the two Archdukes who presided over the definitive separation of the Low Countries into the Seven Provinces in the north and the Spanish Low Countries (the other ten provinces). This will lead us on to talk about the state apparatus surrounding these sovereigns, and in particular the network constituted by the Croy family who from modest Picardy origins had become by the XVIth century extremely powerful. The pivotal family member in this ascension was Guillaume (William) of Croy, Lord of Chivres, and advisor to the young Charles of Ghent, future emperor Charles V and Carlos Primero of Spain. He left no children but at his death in 1521 his family was by then definitively implanted as one of the most important in Europe.

I will then go on to talk about other families from the Artois close to the Croy family. Most of the noble or bourgeois families from the Artois served Burgundy and then the Imperial power structure during the XVIth and XVIIth centuries. Apart from two exceptions, the dHumires and the de Hautecloque, these families provided the basis of the bureaucracy, the army and the court of the new European empire of Charles V, to such an extent that they were called the Spanish despite their geographical origins.. Within this framework the position of the Caverel family and that of Philip Caverel around the Croy family and the Spanish Low Countries monarchs will become clearer. Finally after outlining the careers of Jean Sarrazin and Jean de Caverel, his mentors, and those of the father and the brother of our great abbot Philip of Caverel, we will bring our talk to an end with the life and works of Philip de Caverel himself, and reflect on the application of the college motto apud bonos iura pietatis to this universe.

The Spanish Low Countries in the 16th century

The two great economic poles in the Middle Ages in Europe were Flanders and the North of Italy. Initially these two areas communicated by road and the creation of the great fairs of Champagne by the end of the XIIth century meant regular encounters for the merchants of both regions. Their agriculture and textile industries were highly efficient. From the XIVth century commerce by road had given way to a great maritime trade. The two regions retained their supremacy and gradually Genoa and towns in Flanders played an increasingly important role. By the XVth century, textile was no longer as important as it had been before the 100 Years War but the seventeen provinces were extremely important economically both on account of their own trades and crafts infrastructure as well their openness onto the world outside.

The Seven Provinces in the north around Amsterdam were turned towards the outside world while the ten Southern Provinces (modern Belgium and the Nord-Pas de Calais departments in France) were centred around several major towns such as Arras, Cambrai, Bruges, Ghent , Brussels and Antwerp. The way the land was shared out between Burgundy and the kingdom of France meant that the Artois and Flanders were not at all integrated into France during the XVIth century. The French border was north of the Somme River and the Boulogne coast was also French. Although the populations of Brabant, Flanders and Artois may have felt themselves to be French, they nevertheless became part of Burgundy during the 100 Years War and by the XVIth century they were part of the German Empire. This confirmed the Artesian nobility in particular in their belonging to Burgundy and so they recognised Charles of Ghent, Archduke and future Charles V as one of their own. The Artois was an agricultural region, an essential supplier of cereals to urban, industrialised Flanders. It was the southernmost and most westerly province of the ten provinces which were to become the Spanish Low Countries during the XVIIth century.

The history of the XVIth century in France consists mainly of wars of religion, royal successions and the League. Right up to 1594 when Henri IV of Navarre (a Protestant who became a convert to Catholicism for political reasons) came to power, France was extremely unstable and wars against the Habsburg Empire went on permanently. The League united great noblemen, church dignitaries and many cities in protesting against royal power in the name of the defence of Christendom and was of course supported by the Spanish monarchy.

Given that France was then in an extremely weak and disorganised state, the Spanish Low Countries would seem to be the stronger of the two powers. The situation is not as simple as it seems, however, because the seventeen provinces were the centre of intensive Protestant propaganda which was encouraged not only by the urban elite but also by several noble families. Throughout this period the sovereigns of the Low Countries had to cope with the bourgeois oligarchy, and due in part to their relative ignorance of the way the world economy worked, they did not always make the right decisions. These sovereigns were supported by the old-established Artesian landed nobility combining military tradition with the Church:

By the XVIth century the Low Countries was still one of the two economic centres of the western world. Antwerp was at the centre of an economy-world as defined by Fernand Braudel where capital is recycled and world trade organised, together with Amsterdam, Cadix Sevilla, Venice and Genoa. The Spanish colonisation of the Americas , in particular of Mexico, was bringing her huge masses of colonial products, such as cochineal, the precious red dye, but principally gold and silver. The Habsburgs went through enormous amounts of capital but they were always in need of more money. They needed towns like Antwerp in the south in order to recycle capital and transform these masses of liquidities and state expenses into something like a real economy. The north around Amsterdam played an important role in the mobility of goods by building a fleet of lightweight, rapidly constructed cheap ships. Finally Charles V was always having to negotiate with the great Flemish, Rhenish or Genoan bankers to finance his political or cultural projects.

The struggle between the Protestants and the Antwerp patriarchy on the one hand and the power of the Habsburgs on the other, was to end in the relative ruin of Antwerp : the economic centre of Europe became Genoa by the end of the XVIth century and then Amsterdam in the early XVIIth century. By that time the seven provinces had become politically independent despite the moderate policies pursued by the Archdukes Albert and Isabelle.

The Low Countries and Germany were at the centre of religious effervescence where the intellectual , bourgeois elites opposed those upholding the values and behaviour of the medieval world. The exorbitant power of a religious oligarchy, ill-timed papal decisions concerning indulgences, the need for the urban elites to have a better understanding of religious doctrine and an awareness of the need for better care for the poor were among the contributing factors which led to rejection of existing religious structures.

The Council of Trent (1545-1563) which Charles had fought to impose was the forum of a real debate within the Catholic Church. Its debates lasted a long time and its conclusions were to be little or not at all applied in states such as France or Spain. It is important to understand that the term used by modern historians is that of the Catholic Reform and no longer the Counter Reform because it was not just a reply to the position of the Protestants. There were so many missed opportunities: the Diet of Worms with mutual incomprehension between both sides, for one, and the inability of various political-religious leaders to really understand the thinking of a man like Erasmus , for another. Francois I, Henry VIII and Charles V all considered themselves to be friends of Erasmus (1469-1536) but that went for nothing in the overwhelming tide of egoisms, hatred, and the defence of local interests. Even Erasmus closest friends were incapable of putting aside their prejudices about a supposed enemy. The decisions of the Council of Trent were first applied in the virgin territory of the New World, i.e. New Spain, and then later in Europe but only very gradually from the turn of the XVIth century. By then it was too late and the situations on both sides had definitively hardened.

Charles V, Philip II and the Archdukes

One of the most powerful men the world has known was Charles V and he lies at the heart of our subject. He was born with the century in 1500 and died in 1558. On 25 October 1555, the year Philip Caverel was born, Charles abdicated his sovereignty over the Low Countries in favour of his son Philip. However, it was during his reign as Count of Flanders from 1507-1555, that the Caverel emerged and consolidated its position.

Charles was born in Ghent on 25 February 1500, the grandson of Jeanne the Catholic in Spain and the son of the Archduke Philip of Austria, called Philip the Handsome, in the Low Countries. When his father died in September 1506, Charles inherited the Low Countries. He was given Guillaume de Croy Lord of Chivres as governor. The two became inseparable until the death of Croy in 1521.

Charles was thoroughly Flemish; the language he spoke was franco-picard (today he would be called a Walloon). Until 1516 he never left Flanders. Thanks to the political action of his governor Chivres, he became first of all king of Castile and Aragon thereby replacing his mother Jeanne who although still alive was incapable of assuming her sovereign role. Then on the death of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1519, Charles succeeded to the title despite opposition from Francois I. This date also marked the arrival of Cortes in Mexico. The empire which he was to rule magisterially was then in place and stretched from Russia to the Pacific Ocean. During his childhood until the age of twenty-one, Charles was to be dependent on Guillaume de Croy, Lord of Chivres. This dependency was such that Chivres slept in his pupils bedroom in order to discuss matters of state with him as soon as he woke up.

An important moment in the adolescence of Charles was his sea voyage to Spain in September 1517 a difficult journey materially and politically. After his experience of this first voyage where he was not particularly welcomed by the Spanish nobility, Charles henceforth travelled for the rest of his life surrounded by a retinue of about 800 persons. His first Imperial Diet began in Worms on 28 January 1521 and Chivres was advising him at that important moment. Luther, already excommunicated by Rome, appeared in front of the Diet on 17 and 18 April. Despite the efforts of Chivres who sought to reach a compromise, the relations worsened between the two camps. Unfortunately Chivres became ill and died on 23 May. On the same day Charles signed the decree which banned Luther from the Empire. In that way the rupture was finalised not just with the Pope but also with the young emperor.

After Chivres death, Charles fully assumed his role as world leader, ably seconded by well-chosen counsellors such as Gattinara then Nicolas and Antoine de Granvelle. Despite the importance he attached to seeking a compromise with the Protestants as well as with the king of France, Charles was not very successful at attaining either of these objectives. His dealings with Herman Cortes, the victorious conquistador of New Spain, were also difficult. On the credit side however can be placed one the other great projects of the Habsburgs, the war against the Turks which culminated in the western victory of Lepanto on 7 October 1571

In 1526, Charles married Isabella of Portugal in Sevilla and his son and heir Philip was born a year later. Because Charles wished to retire from political life as soon as possible, he gave early responsibility to his son from the age of sixteen. In 1553 on the death of Edward VI of England Charles attempted to create a dynastic link between the English crown and the Empire through the marriage of his son and heir Philip (26 years old) and Mary Tudor, the new English queen.

In 1555 he renounced his sovereignty over the Low Countries in favour of his son; the following year he did the same for Spain. He then retired to the monastery of Yuste on 3 February 1557 in the company of John IV of Croy, Count of Roeulx and his brother-in-law Philip of Recourt, Lord of Licques, He died surrounded by his Flemish retainers on 21 September 1558.

Philip II then took over his fathers responsibilities but with certain differences of approach :Philip lived mostly in Spain and his tastes ran more to bureaucracy than to travelling which raised problems concerning the delay of transmission of information many historians now take the view that Philips decisions were often made too late. Through his mother, Philip inherited also the crown of Portugal which at this time was the European country with the widest world outlook from Africa to Brazil and on to the Indian Ocean. Philip died at the age of seventy-one in 1598 never having become Holy Roman Emperor. He did however go bankrupt three times in fact, in 1557, 1575 and 1597.

Philip never knew the Low Countries very well although he was surrounded by a certain number of Flemish retainers. His reign was to witness more and more violent conflicts with the Flemish urban elites and the seven provinces. Despite having great personal confidence in Cardinal de Granvelle, Philip had to part with him owing to his other counsellors animosity. Having come to the conclusion that it was impossible to govern the Low Countries from Spain, Philip decided to appoint archdukes who would be politically responsible for the territory and he imposed this extraordinary structure upon his successor. Albert of Austria (1559-1621) cardinal archbishop of Toledo, renounced his religious position in order to become archduke of the Low Countries. Although impotent, he married Isabella (1566-1633) the daughter of Philip II. Together they ruled over this difficult country, careful of its privileges and its economic power.

The reign of the Archdukes ended before the death of Philip of Caverel in 1636; by that time, political responsibility for the Spanish Low Countries was re-assumed by the king of Spain Philip IV. During the period which interests us the most from 1598 to 1606, it can be said that the Archdukes maintained a period of peace not only with France but also with the northern provinces. The separation between the seven provinces of the north and the ten provinces of the south was officially recognised by the Treaty of Munster in 1648, but the struggle for freedom by the United Provinces began at the turn of the XVIIth century.

The Croy family network

After this geopolitical excursion around the world of that time, let us turn to individuals or rather to families. During the reigns of Charles V and Philip II, one family was on the forefront of the stage. This family had been chosen for service by the Dukes of Burgundy, and Charles went even further by giving it a dominating position in the three main areas of power : politics, religion and the army. Unlike the great Italian families of that time , this family was totally absent from trade and banking.

During the XIIIth century, this family, originally from a village called Crouy north-west of Amiens in the north of France, held active political and religious offices in the town of Amiens. They were related by marriage to other influential families in the region such as the dAiraines, de Guines, de Picquigny and de Renty. The battle of Agincourt on 25 October 1415 was to be a turning point in the fortunes of the family. That fateful day near Vieil Hesdin in the westernmost part of the Artois, the French nobility surrounding Charles VI suffered its most humiliating defeat inflicted by the troops (the archers, in fact) of the English king Henry V. The flower of the landed nobility, particularly from Picardy, was decimated. The Croy family also suffered badly when the head of the family ,John I was killed along with most of his male offspring and both his sons-in-law. He left two sons however who had not been old enough to fight : Antoine called the Great (1390-1475) and John II (1395-1472)

From these two survivors of the butchery that was Agincourt one of the greatest families to serve first the Burgundy state, then the Habsburgs, emerged. The next generation included four cousins: Philip I, John, Philip and Michael. A generation later boasted another eight cousins: Henry, Anthony, William, Ferri, John III, Charles , Antoine and finally Michel the bastard of Sempy. These two generations represent the basis of the network of the ramifications of the Croy family: twelve famous men, solidly competent, on whom the sovereigns of the Low Countries were to depend.

An indication of the importance of the attachment of the house of Burgundy to these faithful servants can be seen by the number of Knighthoods of the Golden Fleece bestowed upon them. In the first generation of cousins mentioned above, Michel, Seigneur de Sempy (d. 1516) obtained that distinction, while in the next generation four of the eight cousins were so honoured. These five were from the same age group and they were able to provide the Burgundy state with a form of medieval techno-structure. Besides these state servants , there were also the head of the family Henri (1456-1514) and his brother Antoine , Bishop of Therouanne (1457-96).

The social success of the family was now assured by a certain Guillaume de Croy, the right man in the right place at the right time. He was appointed Knight of the Golden Fleece by Philippe le Beau in 1491 at the same time as his first cousin Charles Count of Chimay. His work and that of his cousins, also Knights (Charles, Michel and Ferri) only confirmed importance of the family. By marriage, the family became allied to the greatest families of Flanders and Brabant The Croy network was to become so densely worked that no noble family of the Habsburg Empire was absent from it.

This situation lasted at least until the end of the XVIIth century, since out of the 540 Knights of the Golden Fleece appointed by the Habsburgs twenty bore directly the name of Croy and more than half of the others had family links with the Croys.

The political outlook of Guillaume de Croy, Seigneur de Chivres, always led him to seek to minimise conflicts of interest not only with the kingdom of France but also with that of England. His reasoning was the same concerning the Reformation ; he feared the results of unbridled religious passions in XVIth century Europe.

On the other hand, it would appear that this family was much less involved in the struggle against the Turks, in the colonies in the New World, and above all in the management of the world economy although the main centres of economic power were to be found within the Habsburg domain.

A fascinating document , now available (edited 1965) outside the family archives, the Albums de Croy published by Charles de Croy (1560-1612) gives an excellent idea of the landed importance of the family estates. Chalres de Croy was a great collector and had this family census written and charmingly illustrated by many drawings by Adrien de Montigny describing the great family estates.

Our Knights of the Golden Fleece were great servants of the state but alongside them must be added the impressive number of servants of the Church, including women as Abesses and men as Bishops, Archbishops or Cardinals. All these individuals may be said to be men of the corridors of power even if they were also extremely competent. The Croy family had, in a way, taken over the Habsburg Empire. The book by Jean Scohier La gnalogie et descente de la tres illustre Maison de Croy published in Douai in 1589 renders a good account of the reality of the Croy family as perceived by themselves at the end of XVIth century.

The powdered and perfumed bishops of the family were certainly much less competent but they shared out the four bishoprics of Lige, Cambrai, Tournai and Throuanne, as well as that of Arras (Jean VI, Jacques, Robert, Antoine, Charles and Eustache). In 1559, Philip II tried to impose a reorganisation of the system: this move was not welcomed by the hierarchy for the simple reason that it dramatically reduced revenues.

Guillaume de Croy, Seigneur de Chièvres, called the wise

Guillaume de Croy was appointed Knight of the Golden Fleece by Philippe le Beau in 1491 at the same time as his first cousin Charles, comte de Chimay. The Dukes relied on him as did Louis XII, king of France, who in 1506named him governor of Charles of Ghent and Austria. He was then 48 years old and had been carrying out high level political functions_ activities for more than fifteen years. His experience, his sound judgment and his ability to form the young sovereign were recognised by the court of Burgundy.

A book written by Varillas in 1586 (La Pratique de lEducation des Princes a practical manual for the education of princes) describes in great detail his behaviour as a mentor. We have already mentioned the total trust between the young prince and his mentor until Croys death in 1521. Two important moments in this relationship should be gone into in some detail:

1 — The voyage to Spain of Charles of Ghent in 1517 He left Flessingues on 7 September and arrived at Villaviciosa on the Cantabric coast twelve days later, after an extremely uncomfortable journey. The voyage which had been organised in haste by Chivres to confirm Charles sovereignty over Spain was a voyage of discovery for the young prince. He discovered a totally strange country whose language he didnt even speak! Chivres managed to convince Jeanne, Charles mother, shut away in the prison-hospital of Tordesillas on the road to Madrid, to remain neutral. All these episodes are recounted by Laurent Vital. Guillaume de Croy had a difficult role to play on behalf of his pupil Charles. He had landed in Spain with his Flemish government; having already imposed two eminent personalities on Prime Minister Cardinal Cisneros Spain. These men were respectively the future Pope Hadrian VI (Adrien dUtrecht or Florisson Boeyens) whom Croy had appointed Bishop of Tortosa and Cardinal, as well as his young nephew and godson Guillaume (born in 1498) also appointed cardinal. On the well-timed death of the all-powerful Archbishop of Toledo (Cisneros) at the end of the year 1517, Croy had his nephew installed as his successor.

In the retinue of Charles V, now Carlos Primero of Spain, Chivres placed a community of several hundred Flemish who spoke the same language as Charles i.e. franco-picard. Since Charles learned neither Latin nor Spanish before 1517, all his life he desired to be surrounded by these Flemish and also some individuals from the region Franche Comt, such as the de Granvelle family.

Among these Flemish were to be found military men, civil servants, clergy, servants and doctors ; the whole range of a society that Charles had loved in Ghent and which was to follow him throughout his life. It has not been possible to establish the complete list of all these people but even a cursory consultation of the civil registry at the end of the XVIth century in Artois reveals constant mention of members of different local families of various ranks as having worked in the service of Charles V. When the emperor greatly reduced his court in preparation for his retirement to Yuste in February 1557, his retinue was still mainly composed of French-speaking non-Spaniards.

1 — The Diet of Worms: The second noteworthy event in the life of Charles (now 21) before the death of Chivres was the Diet of Worms. This could have been an opportunity to repair the schism which Luther was preparing after his excommunication by the Pope on 3 January 1521. The Diet began on 28 January and Luther appeared before it on 17 and 18 April. There were of course many behind-the-scenes discussions where Chivres no doubt tried with the aid of humanist friends to extract some concessions from Luther. These efforts were all in vain however and on 23 May the emperor signed the decree which banished Luther from the Empire. That day Chivres died during an epidemic which caused many deaths. A short while previously (10 1 1521) Chivres nephew Guillaume was mortally injured in a fall from a horse.

After the death of his childhood friend Guillaume, cardinal archbishop of Toledo ( and no doubt future Pope) Charles was no longer able to resist the pressure from the papal legate Jerome Alexander concerning Luther. The wise counsels of Gattinara and above all of Chivres were unable to prevent the final decision of banishment. From then on, Charles was fully autonomous , assuming his duty as a sovereign . this was commented upon by many diplomats at the time. He did however continue to keep in mind Chievres counsels and remained surrounded by his trusty Flemish entourage. The Spanish detested Chievres because he favoured those close to him with posts in the Low Countries and of course in Spain itself. Given the Spanish notions of honour, they could not tolerate these Flemish whose character was so different from theirs. The worst affront was certainly the appointment of the young Guillaume as Archbishop of Toledo.

The De Caverel family

In the present state of my research, I have not yet been able to follow back the De Caverel family beyond the beginning of the XVIth century. However there are some promising leads. A historical place-name study would suggest several possible places of origin such as Mont Cavrel near Boulogne, or Ceverlieu, Gavrelle or Caurel in the parish district of Fiefs, five miles north of Saint Paul sur Ternoise. Sometimes we come across Caverel written as Caurel which encourages the Fiefs hypothesis. The origin of the place name is probably linked to capra or goat. Just to complicate matters further, the name of Caverel was also given to other families as we shall see. Genealogical research here is difficult since the family died out from the XVIIth century and the specialists of that period have not attempted to reconstitute Philippe de Caverels family tree or that of his cousins or nephews. The gaps in our knowledge will no doubt be gradually filled in, but here is an up to date report on the state of my research.

Five points would appear to be essential here:

1 - On 21 June 1578, Francois de Caverel, seigneur de la Vasserie, residing at Buneville, received official confirmation that he belonged to the nobility (sentence de noblesse).

2 - An act of marriage dated 25 July 1579 gives us the names of some cousins in the period shortly after Francois de Caurels ennoblement. The husband mentioned was PIERRE DE MONCHEAUX, ecuyer guidon de la compagnie des ordonnances de sa Majeste; his brother-in -law, Maitre Jehan CARPENTIER, ecuyer licencie es loix , Sieur de Grogilliers, lawyer at the Council of Artois; his first cousins, Joseph de MONCHEAUX called Adin, ecuyer Seigneur de PENIN in part, Francois DE CAURET ecuyer, Seigneur de la Vasserie, Jehan DU CARIEUL ecuyer receveur du Roi au Quartier de BAPAUME; and his nephew, Maitre Philippe CARPENTIER licencie es loix advocate at the Council of Artois.

3 - Antoinette de Caverel seigneur de Magnicourt sur Canche, Neuville au Cornet and Ligny Saint Flochel, marries Francois de Hautecloque on 5 February 1585 at Ligny Saint Flochel

4 - In the official document confirming the noble title of Jacques Le Marchand in Brussels on 25 June 1607 we discover that the Le Marchand, de Pronville, Billot and Carpentier families have a connection with Philippe de Caverel, Abbot of Saint Vaast of Arras and with his late brother Pierre de Caverel en son temps gouverneur des pages des archiducs, gentilhomme de leur maison et gouverneur de leur pays de Laloeu, mort, en service a la journee de Nieuport. All these families are ecuyers and lawyers or counsellors at the court and also echevins of the town of Arras. They are what we call in French la noblesse de robe.

5 - It is traditionally maintained that Philippe de Caverel was born in Maizieres on 7 July 1555. His mother was Peronne or Perinne de Prez or du Pre (1513-1600) and his father Pierre de Caverel from Doullens.

The family can be put into a geographical and social context:

- Magnicourt sur Canche, Neuville au Cornet, Ligny Saint Flochel and Buneville are adjacent to one another and are situated a few miles south-east of Saint Pol sur Ternoise and north-west of Frevent. Arras is 10 miles east of Saint Pol sur Ternoise.

- The noble titles are of recent origin and the active family members belong to the liberal professions or are public servants.

The family connection can be established between Francois de Caverel (Cauret), ennobled in 1578, and his niece Antoinette de Caverel, seigneur of three nearby villages. On the occasion of her marriage into the de Hautecloque family, an ancient noble military family, the de Caverels own titles to nobility were swallowed up. Philippe and Pierre de Caverel and their parents Pierre and Peronne de Prez were indeed connected to Francois and Antoinette but how? It would appear no doubt that Peronne de Prez was also married to Bauduin de Moncheaux : in that case the marriage to Pierre de Caverel could have been a second marriage.

A nineteenth-century genealogist, Arthur de Rosny, knew the region well and made an attempt at a family tree for the de Caverel family. In it, he suggests the possibility of a marriage between a certain Jean de Caverel and a Jeanne de Croy. I myself have only found one Jeanne of Croy who might fit into the family tree established in 1589 by Jean Scohier for the de Croy. She would have been the only surviving child (b.1586). of Philippe III of Croy and Anne de Beaufort. Her godmother at her christening was the very illustrious Dame Madame Jenne de Bloys, Duchess of Arschot from another branch of the Croy family. Her mother Anne died on 26 March 1588. Philippe de Croy was then sent on a mission to Spain by Philip II and appointed count of Molembais and made captain of the Kings Guard, the charge of the office being at his expense to be maintained to the level of the great lords of Spain. According to de Rosny, Jeanne de Croy died young and Jean de Caverel then married a certain Mme de Limal from a great Brabant family. If Arthur de Rosny is correct about Jeanne de Croy, born in 1586, the marriage could have taken place in 1606. This would not appear to fit in with the generation of Philippe de Caverel born in 1555.

Through the marriage of Antoinette de Caverel into the de Hautecloque family, the landed titles of the de Caverels de Magnicourt, Ligny Saint Flochel and Neuville au Cornet were swallowed up into the more important family. However, there remained the landed title of La Vasserie belonging to Francois de Caverel. Francois lived in Buneville just next to Neuville au Cornet. The estates of the Moncheaux family or their allies lie very close to those of Antoinette de Caverel and to where her uncle Francois lived. Families such as the de Beauffort, de Sacquepee, de Moncheaux, dHumieres, de Reptain, de Ricametz, du Pre, de Noyelle-Wion, de Baillencourt called Courcoul, all formed part of the noble environment of the de Caverel family.

Some families had a very ancient lineage, and in the XVIth century were from old-standing military nobility: for example, the de Hautecloque (1163), dHumieres (1200) or de Beauffort (1100). Others were of a more recent creation such as the de Baillencourt or the de Moncheaux. In this context, the de Caverel family appeared later on (noblesse de robe) and was to disappear rapidly by the beginning of the XVIIth century.

Unlike the dHumieres or the Hautecloque families who were astride both Picardy and the Artois, which complicated matters, the de Caverel family was quite clearly from the Artois and depended on the Habsburg sovereigns. The de Croy family had chosen its camp with Charles of Ghent after serving the Dukes of Burgundy. The de Caverel family were in the same camp. By the early XVIIth century there would appear to be no more male descendants with the name of de Caverel. However, at that time appeared a Caverel family with a slightly different coat-of-arms in Aire-sur-la Lys. The family financed the construction of the baillage and Saint James Chapel not far from the Jesuit college. A certain Jacob Caverel Ariensis entered St Vaast Abbey on 5 March 1606 at the age of fifteen and died there on 21 February 1675. On 30 July 1612, Etienne Caverel, licenci s lois, counsellor and fiscal lawyer of the town and baillage of Aire received his official ennoblement documents. In 1690, a certain Joseph Caverel Ariensis pursued his studies in St Omer at the Jesuit college.

Jean Sarrazin, Jean de Caverel

Saint Vaast Abbey in Arras was the most powerful abbey in the Artois. In 1577, Jean Sarrazin became abbot, following on from Hieronymus Rufaut (1537-62) whose motto was Vive Deo , Roger de Montmorency (1562-73) whose Greek motto was ??? ???? then Thomas de Parenty (1573-77) whose motto was Deo Parenti. Roger de Montmorency was the only one to come from a great family.He became Abbot 20 years later in 1577.

During the same period an uncle of Philippe de Caverel was also at the Saint Vaast Abbey : Jean de Caverel, born in 1542 and entered the Abbey in April 1553 at 11 years old. He used the same coat of arms as those of Philippe de Caverel and his motto was Conatibus omnia cedunt.

Philippe de Caverel, born in 1555, entered the Abbey in 1569 at the age of 14. On his arrival, his uncle was 29 and only the fourth prior of the Abbey. Jean Sarrazin and Jean de Caverel were often opponents, in particular on the occasions of local Arras unrest called the Days of the Purple Hats against those wearing Green

When Philip II became the ruler of the Low Countries in 1555, relations between the urban oligarchies and the nobility on the one hand and the Spanish power on the other greatly worsened. Three significant illustrations of this are: In August 1566, the violent riots of the Iconoclasts in Artois and in particular in the area of Alleu near Lille. This revolt was severely repressed by the Duke of Alba and Louis de Requesens. Arras at that time was calm.

The period between 1577 and 1579 after the appointment in 1576 of Philip IIs half-brother Don Juan of Austria as governor of the Low Countries. In the town of Arras, there were two violently opposing camps: on the one hand, the Purple Hats under the direction of Jean Sarrasin who had just been appointed Abbot of Saint Vaast, and those wearing Green , a military group serving William of Orange under Ambroise Leducq. Despite the opposition between Jean Sarrazin and Jean de Caverel, the latter was supported by Don Juan of Austria who appointed him Abbot of Gembloux in 1579 (no doubt to get him out of the way). This was a politically important post because there had just taken place in Gembloux on 31 August 1578 the battle where Don Juan defeated the army of the Etats Generaux which had the support of the former Count-Abbot of Gembloux, Lambert Hancart. As it can be seen here, the de Caverel family could be relied upon by the Spanish monarchy. In 1578 Jean Sarrazin exchanged coded letters with the court of Don Juan at Namur. Jean Sarrazin reproached (no doubt wrongly) Jean de Caverel with hiding the treasure of Saint Vaast. At that time, the Bishop of Arras, Matthieu Moullart (1575-1600) had fled Arras to take refuge in Namur. The pseudonym given to Jean de Caverel was he who left without saying good bye : Four members of the Croy family are mentioned in the letters: Charles Philippe, Marquis de Havre, Eustache, Sgr de Crecques, general of artillery, another Eustache, Sgr of Ruminghem, governor of Saint Omer and Philippe III Duke of Aerschot.

The abbot Jean de Caverel died in Namur on 20 November 1582.

In 1582 a reconciliation was esteemed necessary between the Flemish oligarchy and the king, Philip II. Jean Sarrazin was to accomplish this accompanied by his brother Chrestien Seigneur de Lambersart, by the seigneur of Anthin and his chaplain Philippe de Caverel who was then 27.

Philippe de Caverel, his father and his brother

We now come on to Philippe de Caverels close family. So far, we are not totally sure about the complete genealogy of the de Caverel families. Some elements have not been able to be verified. But two things seem certain: Philippe was born and baptised in the village of Mager in Artesia. Maizires at the heart of the titled lands held by the de Caverel family. Philippe had at least one older brother called Pierre, and his father was also Pierre. We are not sure whether their mother and wife was really Peronne du Prez (1513-1600): This Peronne du Pre, from Arras, was buried on 4 March 1600 in the parish of Sainte Madeleine (Arras). According to the Necrology of the Abbey of Saint Vaast compiled by Van Drival and published in 1878, Philippe de Caverel was of noble extraction, his father having been archer of Charles V in exercitibus. He was a brilliant student and had written and published many books.

We know from other sources that his brother Pierre was an eminent personage first at the court of Philip II and then at the Archdukes. He was killed in 1600 at the battle of Nieuport fought on the beach between the supporters of the Duke of Orange and the troops of the Archdukes. Moreover we know in a 1607 document that he used to be the governor of the Archdukes pages, gentleman of their house and governor of Laloeu.

The position of their mother Peronne de Prez is more difficult to define for the moment. Let us return to the personality of Philippes brother, Pierre de Caverel. For the time being, we have two facts which back each other up. On the one hand, the 1607 document , and on the other hand the book written by Philippe de Caverel in 1588 where he recounts the diplomatic voyage of Jean Sarrazin in 1582 to meet Philip II in Portugal. In this very interesting book which we will come back to later, we learn that Philippe de Caverel did not go to Portugal but stayed in Spain and in particular in Madrid with part of the troops while the rest, following Jean Sarrazin , went to Portugal. As soon as Jean Sarrazin arrived in Portugal on 26 April 1582 the chaplains brother came to meet them. Since Jean Sarrazins chaplain was Philippe , then it must be Pierre de Caverel. At that time he was very close to Philip II and must have been about thirty years old. He was then an archer in his majestys body guard just like his father was once. Between that date and 1600 we know that he was governor of the pages and then governor of Lalleu. This area to the west of Lille had been hardly hit by the Iconoclasts in 1566 and so its governor had to be a reliable man.

There is a remarkable book by Philippe de Caverel, monk from Saint Vaast: Embassy in Spain and Portugal (in 1582) Of the Reverend Father in God Dom Jean Sarrazin, Abbot of Saint Vaast, of the Council of State of His Catholic majesty, his main advisor in Artois etc.This document was written in the Priory of la Boeuvriere before 12 October 1588. It is a lively account of an important journey for the Artois and for Flanders where Jean Sarrazin was to rebuild shattered relations between Philip II and the Flemish oligarchy. The group made up of at least nine people left Arras on 20 February 1582 and arrived in Genoa on 19 March. They set sail on 22 March along the coast to Barcelona where they arrived on 9 April. At that point the group divided into two, one led by the diplomat Jean Sarrazin who met Philip II for the first time on 27 April at Alcouchette, then in Lisbon. They kept in contact until 10 June, feast day of the Holy Trinity when they left the king. During this time the other group led by Philippe de Caverel rejoined Madrid via Valence and arrived in Madrid on 21 April.

There he met Cardinal Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle (1517-86), former head of government of Philip II who appreciated his moderate attitude. Due to pressure from the Spanish nobility, however, he had to reduce his political importance. He was then president of the Council for Italian affairs. A friendly relationship grew up between these two men, both humanists and highly cultivated, and this no doubt had an influence on the future career of Philippe de Caverel. Cardinal Granvelle had been Bishop of Arras. In 1559 Philip II had asked Cardinal Granvelle to reorganise the dioceses and create 14 new bishoprics. Philip IIs objective was to reorganise forces to combat the Reformation. This was not welcomed by the Flemish oligarchy

The two groups met up again in Madrid on 19 June, then they went together to Barcelona,, they visited Montserrat and finally embarked on their return voyage from San Feliu on 6 July. They were back in Arras on 3 August . Their embassy had been a complete success.

One of the most interesting things about the works of Philippe de Caverel is his amazing erudition. No fewer than 52 classic or medieval authors are quoted at length, although what interests us most are the quotations from the historian Justin. In the 1859 edition there are long quotations concerning the history and geography of the Iberian peninsula by Justin or Trogus on pages 239/240, 327/328, 334, 379/383.

As Dom Leo reminded us in his article in The Raven, it is important to remember that an edition of quality of Justins works had been published by Bongarsius in Paris in 1581. Philippe must certainly have had access to this edition before he finished his account of his travels on 12 October 1588. It may even just be possible that Granvelle introduced it to his young friend. Philippe de Caverels writing demonstrates his great culture which can also be observed in his other publications more closely linked to the history of the monastery.

It is clear that in 1598, when he had to choose a motto, that phrase of Justins , although taken out of context , must have seemed an obvious choice apud bonos iura pietatis. Had Dom Leo not launched his full text research this phrase would have remained without a source. Conclusion

In conclusion let us remember how pertinent this motto was for XVIth century rulers. Monarchs, princely families and the intellectual elite of the time were certainly concerned by its application.

The beginning of the motto is straightforward enough: Apud bonos, among the elite, iura, the law must be applied. The last word however is far more debatable: pietatis, from pietas, feeling of duty, love of ones country, honesty and mercy in classical Latin, but also meaning pity and compassion in the Latin Glossary by Ducange (1679). It would be interesting to study the evolution of the meaning of the Latin pietas in the period from Justin to the Renaissance humanists.

For those in power - monarchs, the oligarchy of the nobility or religious intellectuals - the classical Latin idea of iura pietatis cannot be avoided. Whether it be Charles V or Philip II, Cardinal Guillaume de Croy, Cardinal Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle, knights of the Golden Fleece or personages of lesser rank such as Pierre and Philippe de Caverel or members of the dHumieres or de Hautecloque families, the question is the same: how will they use the privileges of their birth and education when they assume political or religious responsibilities?

Abbot de Caverel would certainly seem to have taken this motto to heart for the whole of his life. Through the establishment of the Jesuit college in Arras and then the Benedictine college in Douai he contributed to the education of other elites. He himself had studied at Anchin college in Douai following the classes of the university of Douai established in 1562. He was ordained priest in 1579 in Amiens and then learned how to preach within the Saint Vaast monastery itself. Between 1582 and 1598, Philippe took on further responsibilities in that immense abbey finally becoming prevot of La Beuvriere near Bethune. There is a remarkable illustration of this latter reproduced in the Croy Albums shortly after its reconstruction by Philippe de Caverel. La Beuvriere is very near to a part of his family (seigneurie de la Vasserie). He took advantage of his retreat in La Beuvriere to write an account of his voyage and also a chronicle of the Saint Vaast monastery. In 1589 he was a deputy for the Etats du Hainaut where he defended the interests of another prevot of the abbey, that of Haspres. He was appointed grand-prevot of the Abbey in 1590 whereupon he visited all the Benedictine monasteries in the province of Flanders with his Abbot. On the death of Jean Sarrazin in 1598, the Archdukes Albert and Isabelle appointed Philippe de Caverel to succeed him - Philippe de Caverel a highly cultivated person whose family had always unfailingly supported the Habsburg interests.

If we consider the quality of his education and his gradual assumption of responsibilities in all areas, then the rest of the Abbots long life clearly demonstrates that he was indeed following the iura pietatis.