Leges Palatinae Iacobi III Regis Maioricarum

The ''Leges palatinae'' ("Palatine Laws") were the laws governing the functioning of the royal court of the Kingdom of Majorca, promulgated by James III at Palma on 9 May 1337. The ''Leges'' were probably conceived to lend weight to James's position as an independent king. The ''Leges'' are preserved in an

illuminated manuscript An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared manuscript, document where the text is decorated with flourishes such as marginalia, borders and Miniature (illuminated manuscript), miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Churc ...

with colourful images by an Italian artist of the court officers about their duties. The ''Leges'' were translated from

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

and revised as the Catalan ''Ordenacions de cort'' by

Peter IV of Aragon Peter IV (Catalan: ''Pere IV d'Aragó;'' Aragonese; ''Pero IV d'Aragón;'' 5 September 1319 – 6 January 1387), called the Ceremonious (Catalan: ''El Cerimoniós''; Aragonese: ''el Ceremonioso''), was from 1336 until his death the king of ...

, after he conquered Majorca, in 1344. The original manuscript was brought with James III to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

when he fled Peter's invasion. He there gave it to King Philip VI. It was later given to Philip the Bold and ended up in the Bibliothèque Royale in

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

. A facsimile edition by Joan Domenge i Mesquida, with an introduction in English describing the artistic value of the manuscript, was published by

Indiana University Press Indiana University Press, also known as IU Press, is an academic publisher founded in 1950 at Indiana University that specializes in the humanities and social sciences. Its headquarters are located in Bloomington, Indiana. IU Press publishes ...

in 1994. The ''Leges'' are divided into seven sections and are "the most elaborate set of ordinances to survive from this period".Malcolm Vale (2004), ''The Princely Court: Medieval Courts and Culture in North-West Europe, 1270–1380'', (Oxford: Oxford University Press, ), 202–3. Much of the text is spent explaining the roles of the four great officers of state: the majordomo (or ''maître d'hôtel''), great chamberlain (or ''camerlingue''), the

chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

, and the ''maestre racional'' (also ''maître des comptes'' or ''maître rational''). The lesser officers included the butler,

marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...

, and

constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. ''Constable'' is commonly the rank of an officer within a police service. Other peo ...

. The majordomo was in charge of maintaining court protocols and oversaw the king's table, much like the later '' grand maître d'hôtel'' in Valois

Duchy of Burgundy The Duchy of Burgundy (; ; ) was a medieval and early modern feudal polity in north-western regions of historical Burgundy. It was a duchy, ruled by dukes of Burgundy. The Duchy belonged to the Kingdom of France, and was initially bordering th ...

. The

, the vice-chancellor, and the scribes of the chancery were accorded the right to issue documents pertinent to their offices without the prior permission of the king. The subsection ''De mimis et joculatoribus'' ("On actors and entertainers") prescribes two

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

ers, a drummer, and two other performers permanently at court.Malcolm Vale (2006), "Ritual, Ceremony and the 'Civilising Process': The Role of the Court, c.1270–1400," ''The Court as a Stage: England and the Low Countries in the Later Middle Ages'', Steven J. Gunn and A. Janse, edd. (Oxford: Boydell Press, ), 18. They played when the king arrived at dinner, when he left the table, and at the end of the meal; an early version of '' Tafelmusik''.

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