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Blasphemy Hunters: Nicolas de Verdun and the Punishment of Criminal Speech in Early Bourbon France


 This article explores a fascinating account of a blasphemy case tried by the Parlement de Toulouse, found in a letter written by the premier président Nicolas de Verdun to Henri IV. Such archival sources provide valuable insights into the ways in which magistrates judged a case, as well as their engagement with legal theory and royal legislation upon which modern sources often base their analyses. The article begins by outlining early modern definitions of blasphemy and legislation on this crime, before considering Verdun’s description of the investigation and trial. It then comments on the second half of the letter, in which Verdun explains his reasons for taking such an active role in hunting blasphemers. This article demonstrates the need to balance early modern legal theory with archival sources attesting to the actual practice of meting out criminal justice.