Nobles of the Sword

The Nobles of the Sword (Template:Lang-fr) refers to the class of traditional or old nobility in France during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern periods. This class was heir to a militaristic ideology of professional chivalry. It is largely synonymous with the expressions noblesse de race and noblesse ancienne, and is used in opposition to other classes of French nobility, namely:

noblesse de chancellerie - chancellor nobility made noble by holding certain high offices for the king
noblesse de lettres - person made noble by "lettres patentes" from the king
noblesse de robe (nobility of the gown) - person or family made noble by holding certain official charges, like maître des requêtes, treasurer or president of a provincial parlement
noblesse de cloche (nobility of the "bell") or noblesse échevinale - person or family made noble by being a mayor or "échevin" or "prévôt des marchands" (municipal leader) in certain towns (such as Angers, Angoulême, Bourges, Lyon, Toulouse, Paris, Perpignan, Poitiers)
noblesse militaire - person made noble through military position

As with officer of the sword, the expression derives from the right of nobles to wear a sword.

To be considered a noble of the sword, a nominee had to be a fourth generation noble. During the Renaissance, the nobles of the sword provided services for the monarchy, finding positions in all branches of government. This was beneficial for the monarchy by reducing the potential for the nobility to revolt against it. The nobility of the sword often had members in the military, so maintaining good connections with the nobles not only ensured they would not revolt against the monarchy, but they would support it militarily. Recognizing the importance of maintaining strong relations with the monarch, many nobles remained at court rather than at their appointed seats so they could continue courting the good will of the king.

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