Old French Documents for translation

[Bookbox]

On the first page it says it is a register of deeds and contracts drawn up by Pons BAUDOIN notary royal in residence in the town of Pradelles in the years 1594 and 1595, plus some words I can't make out.  On Généanet, there is a tree which includes a Pons Baudoin 1560-1610 notary in Pradelles, Haute Loire, so it very much looks like him.  The second paragraph is in Latin and quite beyond me.

The second half of the page consists of four quotations from the Bible, in Latin, to illustrate the qualities of Justice, Peace, Security and Liberality.

The first one reads ...

Justice
Pondus equum voluntas eius     Pro
(A false balance is abomination to the Lord, but) a just weight is his delight, from Proverbs

... and they continue in similar vein.

(I'm sure this volume should be deposited in a local French archive, as jayaygee suggests. An excellent find!)

[Craig tilton7]

Thank you BookBox that is very interesting and useful. I'm glad I picked it up and saved it from the obscurity of a dusty box.

Best wishes

[P. Feaster]

I've happened across your post somewhat belatedly, but to build on what others have written, this is a fine example of a French notarial register.  I have a similar one from the 1580s, bought on eBay, that I've been researching and reading.  My understanding is that notaries drafted legal documents in books like this before copying the texts onto vellum for the parties to keep.  Based on what I can see in your photos, you have a nice range of document types: a purchase ("achapt"), a will ("testament"), and so on.  Some start with conventional formulas ("A nom de Dieu soit / a tous presens et advenir..." = "In the name of God, Amen; to all present and future..." etc.), while others begin with a date ("Lan mil cinq cens quatre vingtz quinze....." -- "In the year 1595....," etc.), if that helps you at all with decipherment.