42 EMPLOYMENT OF THE PLEBISCITE [340 



The case of the people of Pamiers, agreeing by acclama- 

 tion to the change of overlordship in 1285, assumes a very 

 different aspect from that shown in Soliere's presentation 

 if we consider in their entirety the sources quoted and re- 

 ferred to. Soliere states: 



In 1285 Philippe le Hardi, having invaded Roussillon, traversed 

 the Pyrenees and besieged Gerone, saw his army decimated by fever 

 and warfare. It could not retire save by the aid of Roger Bernard, 

 Count of Foix. To show his gratitude to the latter, Philippe ceded 

 to him by diverse charters his riehts over Pamiers. In order that 

 the seigneurie of Pamiers be well-assured him, Roger Bernard has- 

 tened to present his credentials to the consuls. ■•^ The people con- 

 vened in the public place, consented by acclamation to agree with 

 him. 



Soliere then quotes part of the approbatio conccssionis 

 . . . per consules et trnwcrsitatem ville Appamie, which, 

 in its essentials, may be given as follows : " And there the 

 said lord, the count, asked and inquired of the said people 

 {hominihns^ of the said city, whether they consented to the 

 agreement and pact. . . . And the people answering to- 

 gether, or the greater part of them, said at the same time 

 [plur'ies] with a loud voice ' thus, thus we will it, we will 

 it.'" But the same source continues: "and the said lord, 

 the comes, in turn replied to the said people and the afore- 

 said city [universitati] and said that 'he himself wished 

 always to have harmony and agreement with them and 

 that at the present [in present!] consented to this under- 

 standing and agreement.' " Would it be saying too much 

 to assert that the mutual assurances between the people and 

 the new lord resembled more the contractual relations and 

 agreements of the feudal lord and his vassals than the free 

 choice of allegiance in the sense in which we are wont to 

 speak of it today? A further examination of the same 

 source referred to by Soliere shows that owing to the oppo- 

 sition of Bernard Saisset, the Abbe de Saint Antonin. the 

 mutual agreement of people and lord was of no avail. 



A royal patent, approving the transfer of Pamiers from 



*' Consul, administrateur d'une ville libra dans le midi et le centre 

 de la France, officier feodal dans certaincs villcs du Midi . . . (Lu- 

 chairc, pp. 365-366, 401, 429-443). 



