Lives of Fair and Gallant Ladies. Vol 1

Transcriber’s Note

In the following transcription, italic text is denoted by _underscores_.
Small capitals in the original text have been transcribed as ALL
CAPITALS.

Superscripts in the text are denoted by a prefixing caret symbol (^).
A letter (as in 8^o), or letters in curly braces (as in I^{er}), that
follow the caret symbol are to be read as superscripts.

See end of this document for details of corrections and other changes.

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                               Lives of

                        Fair and Gallant Ladies

                                 ————

                               VOLUME I




                       [Illustration: BRANTÔME]




                                 Lives

                                  Of

                        Fair and Gallant Ladies

                                  By

                       The Seigneur De Brantôme


                     TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL


                                 ————
                               VOLUME I
                                 ————


                     The Alexandrian Society, Inc.

                          London and New York

                                 1922




                          COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY
                     THE ALEXANDRIAN SOCIETY, INC.


                PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA


               _This work is strictly limited to twelve
              hundred and fifty numbered sets, which are
              for sale only to subscribers. The type has
              been distributed on publication and no more
                           will be printed._

                            _Copy No._ ....




       [Illustration: Decorative scrollwork above chapter start]




                               FOREWORD


This very fine and accurate translation of _The Lives of Fair and
Gallant Ladies_ was made by Mr. A. R. Allinson and because of its
merit must be considered one of the great English translations,
equalling in every quality those of the 16th and 17th centuries. The
text of Brantôme’s great work is given practically complete in these
volumes and the only modifications are based upon good taste and not
on any fearful prudery. A few of Brantôme’s examples that illustrate
his points belong more in a treatise on abnormal pathology than in a
book of literary or historical interest and value, so nothing of any
value is lost by omitting them. The rare charm, shrewd wisdom, amusing
anecdote, literary merit and historical and social information will be
appreciated by intelligent readers.

The cover design used on this book was made by C. O. Czeschka.




                [Illustration: BRANTÔME’S HANDWRITING.

               (From a fac-simile page of the manuscript
          _Recueil des Dames_. Biblio. Nat: Mss. Nouv. fses.
                       No. 20-474, folio 163.)]




       [Illustration: Decorative scrollwork above chapter start]




                              DEDICATION
                    TO MONSEIGNEUR LE DUC D’ALENÇON
                   OF BRABANT AND COUNT OF FLANDERS

                SON AND BROTHER OF OUR FRENCH KINGS[1*]


  MY GRACIOUS LORD,

Seeing how you have full often done me the honour at Court to converse
with me in great privity of sundry jests and merry tales, the which
are so familiar and ready with you they may well be said to grow apace
before men’s very eyes in your Lordship’s mouth, so great your wit is
and so keen and subtile, and your speech the same, and right eloquent
to boot,—for this cause have I set me to indite these discourses, such
as they be, to the best of my poor ability, to the end that in this
wise some of them may please you, making the time to pass lightly and
reminding you of me in your conversations, wherewith erstwhile you have
honoured me as much as any gentleman of all the Court.

To you then, my Lord, do I dedicate this present book, and do beseech
you fortify the same with your name and authority, till that I may find
leisure to attend to discourses of a more serious content. Of such I
pray you note one in especial, the which I have all but finished,
wherein I do deduce a comparison of six great Princes and Captains
that be to-day abroad in this our Christendom, to wit: the King Henri
III. your brother, Your Highness’ self, the King of Navarre your
brother-in-law, the Duc de Guise, the Duc de Maine, and the Prince
of Parma, making record for each one of you of your noblest deeds of
valour and high emprize, of your excellencies and exploits, the full
tale and complement whereof I do resign to others better qualified than
I to indite the same.

Meanwhile, My Lord, I do beseech God to bless you always more and more
in your greatness, happiness and nobility.

And I am for all time

Your very humble and very