que ▁district ▁becoming ▁the ▁smallest ▁province ▁and ▁exc lave ▁of ▁the ▁kingdom ▁and ▁the ▁most ▁distant ▁from ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁power , ▁Paris . ▁It ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁surrounded ▁by ▁the ▁so ver eign ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Navar re ▁on ▁the ▁south ▁and ▁west ▁and ▁the ▁independent ▁princip ality ▁of ▁Vis count y ▁of ▁Bé arn ▁on ▁the ▁east . ▁In ▁ 1 5 1 1 , ▁King ▁Francis ▁I ▁of ▁France ▁ur ged ▁the ▁Sou let ins ▁to ▁set ▁down ▁their ▁institution al ▁and ▁legal ▁framework ▁on ▁paper , ▁which ▁they ▁did ▁in ▁Bear n ese , ▁the ▁administrative ▁written ▁language ▁up ▁to ▁that ▁point . ▁In ▁ 1 5 3 9 , ▁an ▁am end ment ▁to ▁their ▁region ▁specific ▁laws ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁be ▁written ▁in ▁French , ▁the ▁new ▁official ▁language ▁as ▁decre ed ▁by ▁King ▁Francis ▁I . ▁Despite ▁number ing ▁more ▁than ▁fifty ▁towns ▁and ▁villages , ▁Sou le ▁was ▁populated ▁by ▁fewer ▁than ▁ 4 , 0 0 0 ▁people . ▁The ▁only ▁town ▁was ▁Ma ul éon , ▁with ▁a ▁population ▁tot alling ▁fewer ▁than ▁ 3 5 0 ▁people . ▁As ▁of ▁ 1 5 1 2 , ▁given ▁its ▁proxim ity ▁to ▁France ▁and ▁its ▁particular ▁ge ographic ▁situation ▁surrounded ▁by ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Navar re - B ear n ▁and ▁the ▁recently ▁inv aded ▁Navar re ▁to ▁the ▁south , ▁Sou le ▁became ▁ens n ared ▁in ▁the ▁political , ▁religious ▁and ▁military ▁man oe uv res ▁derived ▁from ▁its ▁sh ak y