Royal MS 20 C IX

JEAN CHARTIER, 'La cronicque du temps de treschrestien roy Charles de France .viie. de ce nom' [1422- 1461]. For another copy see below, 20 E. VI. The author, who was a brother of Alain Chartier, the poet, and of Guillaume Chartier Bishop of Paris, names himself in the preface as 'Iehan Charetier, chantre de leglise monseigneur saint Denizen France et cronicqueur dudit royaulme a ce commis ordonne et depute de par le roy'. The passage in which he mentions his being an eyewitness of the siege of Harfleur in Jan. 1450 is at f. 195 b. The text agrees in general with the edition of A. Vallet de Viriville (1858), who gives some account of the MSS. and earlier editions. There are, however, some discrepancies at the end in the years 1458-1461 (ch. 286-289 of the ed.). These last chapters in the printed editions are common to the present work and to the shorter chronicle written in the name of Alain Chartier by Gilles le Bouvier, Berry King of Arms (Les Cronicques du feu roy Charles VII, Paris, 1528, repr. as Discours sur l'histoire, &c., and as L'hisloire memorable des grands troubles, &c., 1594), and possibly there may be a doubt as to their authorship. After table of chapters, preface beg. 'Ou nom du pere et du filz et du saint esperit, de la glorieuse vierge Marie, de monseigneur saint Denis patron de France et de la beatitude celeste si commence la cronicque'; text, 'Pour entrer doncques en la matiere'. Ends 'commencerent les pages chascun tresfort a plourer. Explicit'. Colophon, 'Cy fine la cronicque du tresvictorieux et excellent prince Charles viie. de ce nom roy de France. Libro finito sit laus et gloria Xpristo'.

Vellum; ff. 314. 151/2 in. x 11 in. Late XV cent. Gatherings (beg. f. 11) of 8 leaves (iii⁷, xx⁵, xxiii⁷, last³), lettered, a second series beginning at xxi, so that the MS. might be bound in two volumes. Double columns of 29 lines. Sec. fol. in table 'Comment Iehanne'; in text, 'Toutesfoiz'. Illuminated initials, borders, and miniatures in Franco-Flemish style. A space is left for arms in the border of f. 11 and supporters (lions ?) faintly sketched in. The subjects of the miniatures are:-

1. Funeral procession of Charles VI: Charles VII is represented (incorrectly) as riding in it; the monastery of S. Denis in the distance. f. 11 (large).

2. The Prince of Orange (banner of arms of the Duke of Burgundy) defeated by the French. f. 61.

3. Entry of the English into, and retreat of the French (banners of arms) from, S. Denis, f. 83 b.

4. Death-bed of Queen Isabella. f. 96.

5. Battle of French and English before S. Denis. f. 101.

6. French army before Château- Landon; one banner with device a boar, probably intended for Bernard d'Armagnac, Comte de la Marche; another ermine a label of three points gu., for Arthur: Comte de Richemont, constable of France. f. 108 b.

7. Storming of Meaux. f. 114 b.

8. Scaling of the walls of Pontoise. f. 127 (large).

9. The Kings of France and Sicily and army before Metz. f. 137 b (large).

10. Pont de l'Arche taken by stratagem: carter kills an English soldier who stoops to pick up a coin; banners (a) gu., a bend cotised between two lions rampant or, of uncertain significance, and (b) ermine, for Brittany. f. 149 (large).

11. Scaling of Pontaudemer. f. 156 b (large).

12. The King riding into Évreux. f. 167 (large).

13. The King riding with his army. f. 221 b.

14. Storming of Blaye. f. 227 b.

15. Entry of the French into Bordeaux; banners of France with a bordure gobony, vert, gu. and az. (perhaps meant for the Comte de Dunois, bastard of Orleans, Lieutenant-General for the King, but not for his arms). f. 248 b (large).

16. Sic of Castillon-Bur-Dordogne; banners of France and England quartered and of France. f. 263 (large).

17. Capitulation of Bordeaux: citizens issuing from the gates, one with a box of gold, and kneeling before the French army. f. 268 (large).

18. Hungarian victory over Turks; Turkish fleet behind. f. 278 b.

19. Beheading of the Sire de Lesparre. f. 282.

20. The King of France receives a letter from Hungary. f. 292.

21. The King holding a 'lit de justice'. f. 299 b (large).

22. Death-bed of Charles VI I; bishop, doctor, mourners, &c. f. 311 (large). Cat. of 1666, f. 12 b; not in CMA.