Brantôme, PIERRE DE BOURDEILLES, SEIGNEUR DE

Brantôme, PIERRE DE BOURDEILLES, SEIGNEUR DE, one of the most notable of French memoir-writers, was born about 1540 in the province of Périgord. The exact date and place of his birth are unknown. He was the third son of François, Comte de Bourdeilles, and was educated at Paris and at Poitiers. In his sixteenth year the abbacy of Brantôme was bestowed on him by Henry II., but he never took orders, and spent most of his life as a courtier and free-lance. In 1561 he accompanied Mary Stuart on her journey from France to Holyrood, and in 1565 he joined the expedition sent to Malta to assist the Knights of St John against the sultan. He served in Italy under the Maréchal de Brissac, in Africa under the Spaniards, and in Hungary as a volunteer against the Turks. He was made chamberlain to Charles IX. and Henry III., and took part against the Huguenots in the religious wars of his time. About 1594 he began to write his memoirs, and thenceforth lived in retirement until his death on the 15th of July 1614. His works were not published until 1659. They comprise Vies des Grands Capitaines Étrangers et Français, Vies des Dames Galantes, and Vies des Dames Illustres. Their literary merit and historical interest are very considerable. Their matter is often of the most scandalous description, but they give a wonderfully vivid and faithful picture of their author's times. Brantôme depicts the corrupt court society with the most complacent frankness; he writes as if he were immoralised rather than demoralised. He had a keen eye for character; the men and women who appear in his crowded, brightly-coloured pictures have each a lifelike, sharply-marked individuality. His style is easy, lively, and picturesque. There are editions of Brantôme by Lacour and Merimée (11 vols. 1859-94), and by Lalanne (10 vols. 1865-81).