Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Dedication
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- List of abbreviations
- Glossary
- Introduction
- The book of the deeds of my good lord Jean Le Meingre, known as Boucicaut
- [6] I Here begins the book of the deeds of my good lord Jean Le Meingre, known as Boucicaut, marshal of France and governor of Genoa
- [176] I Here begins the second part of this present book, which will speak of the wisdom and prudence of Marshal Boucicaut, and of his principal gallant deeds from his governorship of Genoa until his return from Syria. First, we shall speak of the [177] ancient custom of the Guelphs and Ghibellines that holds sway in Italy
- [295] I Here begins the third part of this book, which describes the marshal's deeds from the time of his return from Syria to the present And first, the Italian lords who sought [296] the acquaintance of the marshal because of all the good things they had heard of him
- [390] I Here begins the fourth and last part of this book, which will list the virtues, the good habits and the good disposition of the marshal, along with his good conduct; this first chapter deals with his appearance and physique
- Select bibliography
- Index
[390] I - Here begins the fourth and last part of this book, which will list the virtues, the good habits and the good disposition of the marshal, along with his good conduct; this first chapter deals with his appearance and physique
from The book of the deeds of my good lord Jean Le Meingre, known as Boucicaut
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 July 2017
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Dedication
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- List of abbreviations
- Glossary
- Introduction
- The book of the deeds of my good lord Jean Le Meingre, known as Boucicaut
- [6] I Here begins the book of the deeds of my good lord Jean Le Meingre, known as Boucicaut, marshal of France and governor of Genoa
- [176] I Here begins the second part of this present book, which will speak of the wisdom and prudence of Marshal Boucicaut, and of his principal gallant deeds from his governorship of Genoa until his return from Syria. First, we shall speak of the [177] ancient custom of the Guelphs and Ghibellines that holds sway in Italy
- [295] I Here begins the third part of this book, which describes the marshal's deeds from the time of his return from Syria to the present And first, the Italian lords who sought [296] the acquaintance of the marshal because of all the good things they had heard of him
- [390] I Here begins the fourth and last part of this book, which will list the virtues, the good habits and the good disposition of the marshal, along with his good conduct; this first chapter deals with his appearance and physique
- Select bibliography
- Index
Summary
.
I have now recorded in detail, thanks be to God, all the memorable deeds performed and achieved by my lord Boucicaut, marshal of France, [391] whose history I have been commissioned to write. As far as my memory serves, I have put them in chronological order; the importance of the history means that my record is imperfect, for I do not have the resources or the gifts to prevent this. I shall say no more, for the moment, as to his deeds, but rather proceed to talk about his appearance and conduct; now that we have talked of the richness of the treasure, and although his deeds speak for themselves, we should rightly turn to the treasure-chest itself. His steady conduct and his well-ordered life being such as to act as an example to all, it seems to me that we should describe them in detail; I shall begin with a few words on his appearance. He is not especially tall, but nor is he short. His physique is lean, but well built: he is athletic, and sturdy. He is broad in the chest, with wide and muscular shoulders; his hips, his thighs and his calves are sinewy; no-one could be more well developed. His face is uniformly handsome, lightly tanned, with a becoming flush, having a good beard, auburn in colour. His habitual expression is bold, self-assured, measured, and his countenance is composed and confident. [392] In particular, God has furnished him with an air of calm command such that he impresses and daunts everyone by his looks alone, so he is revered everywhere and by everyone, and even by those who are his superiors in rank. On the other hand, nothing in his appearance suggests pride or arrogance; these are things he particularly hates – although he might feel such emotions for an enemy, and in such a case he will show due pride and scorn. His garments are costly, but they are tasteful and stylish.
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- Information
- The Chivalric Biography of Boucicaut, Jean II le Meingre , pp. 187 - 214Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2016