Noblesse d'épée

The Nobles of the Sword (French: noblesse d'épée) were the noblemen of the oldest class of nobility in France dating from the Middle Ages and the Early Modern periods but still arguably in existence by descent. It was originally the knightly class, owing military service (usually to a king, who might be the king of France or the king of England), in return for the possession of feudal landed estates. The term "noblesse d'épée" is largely synonymous with noblesse de race (nobility of family) and noblesse ancienne (old nobility) and is used in distinction from the other classes of the French nobility:

As with officer of the sword, the expression "noble of the sword" derives from the right of such noblemen to wear a sword, which reflected their duty of knightly service to their feudal overlord.

In later centuries, a nobleman of the sword was not recognized as such unless his family had held this status for at least four generations. The Nobles of the Sword also provided non-military services to the king, holding positions in all branches of government. However, from the Renaissance on kings upset the old nobility by the creation of a new "nobility of the robe", the first such men coming into the nobility through their own merit, by being appointed to various judicial or administrative offices and later members buying the offices which carried such status. That angered the nobles of the sword, who saw their own opportunities being lost to the bourgeoisie.

In the 17th century, the nobility of the sword began to demand the new nobility of the gown to be limited in its access to the court. To maximize its income, however, the government continued to sell ever more positions, which caused conflict between the two groups of the nobility.

The trend had other benefits for the monarchy, as it reduced the power of the old nobility and made it less able to revolt against the Crown. However, the nobility of the sword continued to provide much of the officer class of the French army and navy and so the kings of France needed to maintain good relations with them. Also, many such noblemen saw the importance of maintaining strong relations with the monarch and courting his good will and so remained at court.

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