The historie of Philip de Commines, knight, lord of Argenton / [Philippe de Commynes].
- Philippe de Commines
- Date:
- 1614
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The historie of Philip de Commines, knight, lord of Argenton / [Philippe de Commynes]. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![rica 2 . . eg fo A IEEE fore neceflitie enforcing him to defend himfelfe, he pleaded there by the fpace of two howers, being verieattentiuely heard by the whole audience, and in the ende{o acquit himfelfe, that by the ludges fentence he was difcharged. Among other things he rehearfed at the barre how fundrie troublefome and dangerous voiages he had fuftained for the King and the common wealth. How highly King Lewis both had fauoured him, and for his faithfull feruice rewarded him: for his owne part, he faid that he neuer had done any thing couetoufly , ambiti- oufly, nor cruelly ; and further,that if he had fought only toaduance and inrich himfelfe, he might haue hadas goodly pofleflions as any man in Fraunce. He was prifoner almoft three yeeres. The next yeere after his deliuerie hehada daughter borne named Jane, which married with Rene Earle of Pantabria defcen- ded of the Dukes of Britaine, by whom among diuers other children fhee had iffue John late Duke of Eftampes, Lieutenant of Britaine, Knight of he French Kings order, and Lord of diuers goodly Seniories. Buttoreturne to Commines, in profperity he gaue for his pofie this fentence. He that will nor labour let him not eate: butinaduerlity this, J /ailed into the deepe of the fea, and a [udden tempeft ouer- whelmedme. He died the threefcore and fourth yeere of hisage, the yeere of our ' Lord 1 509.the 17. day of O@ober, in his owne houfe of Argenton in the coun- trey of Poidtu, from whence his bodie was conueighed to Paris, and there lieth buried in the Auguftine Friers. I was heere purpofed to haneftaied my pen, and further not to haue {poken either of Commines hiftory orhis life , had I nor called to minde diuersaccufations of Jacobus Meyerus, who in fundry places of his An- nals of Flaunders inueigheth very bitterly as wellagainft Communes life as his hi- ftorie, whofe accufations 1am forced to lay open to the iudgement of the world, to the end it may appeare whether they be grounded vpon iuft proofe.Notwith- ftanding before ] enter into the examination ofthem,thus much in the commen- dation of Commin:s hiftorie I cannot paffe ouer in filence, that two ofthe greateft & worthieft Princes that raigned in Europe thefehundred yeeres ; namely, the Emperor Charles the fift,and Francis the firit King of Fraunce, made fo great ac- count ofthis hiftorie, that the Emperor carried it continually about with him,as Alexander did the workes of Hemer, no leffe efteeming it than he did them, & the King wasas much difpleafed withthe printing and publifhing therof, as was the fame Alexander in times paft for the fetting forth of Arifforles workes called Acro- amatica, as rehear{eth Gellius : fo defirous was he to haue referued to himfelfeand a few of his owne fubieéts the great treafures of wifedome hidden in this {mall volume. But let vs now heare what Afeyer obiecteth againft this hiftorie. Inthe 1 7. booke of his Annalesof Flaunders writing of the battell fought at Saintron betweene Charles Duke of Burgundieand the Liegeois , hee hath thefe words, Pugna commi(faceduntur magno numero cx profligantur , ad nowem millia cecidiffe tradit quiinterfuit Philippus Cominius, Sed Brabantia [cripter ¢r quidem fcriptor Flandrie ( quibus plus habeo fidei ) triatantum millia occubuiffe memorant. For anfwere here- unto, if this place be indifferently weighed it thall appeare to be wholy groun- ded.vpon malice and no colour of reafon, much lefle iuft proofe: Firft, becaufe Meyer preferreth the credit of thefe obfcure Annaliftes that write but vpon re- port, before the credit of him that wasan eie witneffe,and that no way could ad- uantage him({eife by reporting a lye. Secondarily , fir Oliuer de la Marche, who liued alfo in that time and was Steward of the Duke of Burgundies houfe, wri- teth thata great number of thefe Liegeois were flaine at this battell , and alfo at the fiege of Saintron, but that cheir friends and kinsfolkes trufled vppe their](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30320549_0016.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
