CHASTELAIN, Georges (1403-1475), called L ’ Adventureux, the celebrated Burgundian chronicler, was born at Alost in Flanders. When only seven years old be began the study of letters. This, however, he abandoned to become a soldier, serving first of all as a squire. Particularly favoured by Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy, he quitted the career of arms towards 1443, and devoted himself to the service of that prince, who made him successively pantier, orator, and finally grand chronicler of the house of Burgundy. In addition to such duties as these offices entailed upon their holder, Chastelain was often employed diplomatically, and was also accustomed to direct the dramatic entertainments designed for the amusement of the ducal court. A heavy but insolent opuscule in verse, published by him in 1455, had nearly compromised his safety, as it was held to contain reflections injurious to the honour of the king and nobility of F rance; Chastelain, however, extricated himself from the difficulty by issuing a sort of reply (in prose) to his own libel. About this time, too, at the request of Philip, he began his most important work, the Grande Chronique. Philip’s son, Charles the Bold, continued to confide in and favour Chastelain as his father had done, and conferred on him the order of the Golden Fleece, with the title of Indiciaire— a designation intended as descriptive of one who “démonstroit par escripture authentique lee admirables gestes des chevaliers et confrères de l’ordre.” At the beginning of the new reign, however, Chastelain retired to Valenciennes, where he busied himself till his death in the production of his Chronique (in which he was assisted by Jean Molinet, his disciple and continuator) and of other works, imaginative aud historical....