Enguerrand de Monstrelet
Encyclopedia
Enguerrand de Monstrelet (c. 1400 – 20 July 1453), French
chronicler, belonged to a noble family of Picardy
.
In 1436 and later he held the office of lieutenant of the gavenier (i.e. receiver of the gave, a kind of church rate) at Cambrai
, and he seems to have made this city his usual place of residence. He was for some time bailiff
of the cathedral chapter and then provost of Cambrai. He was married and left some children when he died.
Little else is known about Monstrelet except that he was present, not at the capture of Joan of Arc
, but at her subsequent interview with Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy. Continuing the work of Froissart
, Monstrelet wrote a Chronique, which extends to two books and covers the period between 1400 and 1444, when, according to another chronicler, Mathieu d'Escouchy
, he ceased to write. But following a custom which was by no means uncommon in the Middle Ages, a clumsy sequel, extending to 1516, was formed out of various chronicles and tacked on to his work.
Monstrelet's own writings, dealing with the latter part of the Hundred Years' War
, are valuable because they contain a large number of documents which are certainly, and reported speeches which are probably, authentic. The author, however, shows little power of narration; his work, although clear, is dull, and is strongly tinged with the pedantry of its century, the most pedantic in French history. His somewhat ostentatious assertions of impartiality do not cloak a marked preference for the Burgundians in their struggle with France.
Among many editions of the Chronique may be mentioned the one edited for the Société de I'histoire de France by M Douet d'Arcq (Paris, 1857–1862), which, however, is not very good. See A Molinier
, Les Sources de I'histoire de France, tomes iv. and v. (Paris, 1904).
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
chronicler, belonged to a noble family of Picardy
Picardy
This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...
.
In 1436 and later he held the office of lieutenant of the gavenier (i.e. receiver of the gave, a kind of church rate) at Cambrai
Cambrai
Cambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Cambrai is the seat of an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages. The territory of the Bishopric of Cambrai, roughly coinciding with the shire of Brabant, included...
, and he seems to have made this city his usual place of residence. He was for some time bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
of the cathedral chapter and then provost of Cambrai. He was married and left some children when he died.
Little else is known about Monstrelet except that he was present, not at the capture of Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
, but at her subsequent interview with Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy. Continuing the work of Froissart
Jean Froissart
Jean Froissart , often referred to in English as John Froissart, was one of the most important chroniclers of medieval France. For centuries, Froissart's Chronicles have been recognized as the chief expression of the chivalric revival of the 14th century Kingdom of England and France...
, Monstrelet wrote a Chronique, which extends to two books and covers the period between 1400 and 1444, when, according to another chronicler, Mathieu d'Escouchy
Mathieu d'Escouchy
Mathieu d'Escouchy was a Picard chronicler during the last stages of the Hundred Years War. His Chronique was a continuation of the chronicle of Enguerrand de Monstrelet, with manuscripts of which it occurs as a third volume; it was edited by G. du Fresne de Beaucourt,...
, he ceased to write. But following a custom which was by no means uncommon in the Middle Ages, a clumsy sequel, extending to 1516, was formed out of various chronicles and tacked on to his work.
Monstrelet's own writings, dealing with the latter part of the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
, are valuable because they contain a large number of documents which are certainly, and reported speeches which are probably, authentic. The author, however, shows little power of narration; his work, although clear, is dull, and is strongly tinged with the pedantry of its century, the most pedantic in French history. His somewhat ostentatious assertions of impartiality do not cloak a marked preference for the Burgundians in their struggle with France.
Among many editions of the Chronique may be mentioned the one edited for the Société de I'histoire de France by M Douet d'Arcq (Paris, 1857–1862), which, however, is not very good. See A Molinier
Auguste Molinier
August Molinier was a French historian.He was born at Toulouse. He was a pupil at the École des Chartes, which he left in 1873, and also at the École des Hautes Études; and he obtained appointments in the public libraries at the Mazarine , at Fontainebleau , and at Sainte-Geneviève, of which he...
, Les Sources de I'histoire de France, tomes iv. and v. (Paris, 1904).
External links
- Online text of the Chronique in English - 19th century translation.