thel. In civil matters, such as the making
of a contract, where the law requires the free assent of the person who
undertakes the obligation, coercion is a ground for invalidating the
instrument.

The term "coercion" is inevitably somewhat ambiguous, and depends on the
circumstances of the case. In a political sense, the application of the
Crimes Act of 1887 to Ireland was called "coercion" by those opposed to
the English Unionist party and government, as being special legislation
differing from the ordinary law applicable in the United Kingdom.

COEUR, JACQUES (_c._ 1395-1456), founder of the trade between France
and the Levant, was born at Bourges, in which city his father, Pierre
Coeur, was a rich merchant. Jacques is first heard of about 1418, when
he married Macee de Leodepart, daughter of Lambert de Leodepart, an
influential citizen, provost of Bourges, and a former valet of John,
duke of Berry. About 1429 he formed a commercial partnership with two
brothers named Godard; and in 1432 he was at Damascus, buying and
bartering, and transporting the wares of the Levant--gall-nuts, wools
and silks, goats' hair, brocades and carpets--to the interior of France
by way of Narbonne. In the same year he established himself at
Montpellier, and there began those gigantic operations which have made
him illustrious among financiers. Details are wanting; but it is certain
that in a few years he placed his country in a position to contend not
unsuccessfully with the great trading republics of Italy, and acquired
such reputation as to be able, mere trader as he was, to render material
assistance to the knights of Rhodes and to Venice herself.

In 1436 Coeur was summoned to Paris by Charles VII., and made master
of the mint that had been established in that city. The post was of vast
importance, and the duties onerous. The country was deluged with the
base moneys of three reigns, charged with superscriptions both French
and English, and Charles had determined on a sweeping reform. In this
design he was ably seconded by the merchant, who, in fact, inspired or
prepared all the ordinances concerning the coinage of France issued
between 1435 and 1451. In 1438 he was made steward of the royal
expenditure; in 1441 he and his family were ennobled by letters patent.
In 1444 he was sent as one of the royal commissioners to preside over
the new parlement of Languedoc, a dignity he bore till the day of his
disgrace. In 1445 his agents