Prince Charles Edward book by Andrew Lang. Printed in 1900 only 1,500 copies printed. This image is from copy number 220. The plates were engraved by Manzi Joyant & Co at Asnieres-sur-Seine, near Paris. Marquis DEeguilles as Prsident A Mortier of AIX. The prEsident - mortier (French pronunciation: ?[p?ezid?~t?a m??tje]) was one of the most important legal posts of the French ancien rEgime. The prEsidents were principal magistrates of the highest juridical institutions, the parlements, which were the appeal courts. They numbered 11 in 1789. They were spread over chambers, comprising those who were counsellor to the parliament, who assessed and dispensed justice, and prEsidents who chaired sessions. The most important chamber was the Grand'Chambre. Its presidents, to mark their status as superior to that the presidents of lower chambers, took the mortier,[1] a black velvet toque with two gold braid ribbons. The position was venal, being freely bought, sold and inherited, subject to payments to the King. In practice, the parlements' consent was needed, and a law examination was required. This limited candidates to those with an academic background in law. After 20 years, the position brought entry to the noblesse, but in fact, the purchase of the office ensured that it was held only by nobles. Typically, the presidents served under a premier prEsident, who was a royal appointee, not a purchaser of the office. This led to constant tensions.