sart's narrative may be due to the eye-witnesses
from whom he had obtained information; but genius was needed to
preserve--perhaps to enhance--the animation of their recitals. If he
understood his own age imperfectly, he depicted its outward appearance
with incomparable skill; and though his moral sense was shallow, and
his knowledge of character far from profound, he painted portraits
which live in the imagination of his readers.

The fifteenth century is rich in historical writings of every
kind--compilations of general history, domestic chronicles, such as
the _Livre des Faits du bon Messire Jean le Maingre, dit Bouciquaut_,
official chronicles both of the French and Burgundian parties,
journals and memoirs. The Burgundian Enguerrand de Monstrelet was
a lesser Froissart, faithful, laborious, a transcriber of documents,
but without his predecessor's genius. On the French side the so-called
_Chronique Scandaleuse_, by Jean de Roye, a Parisian of the time of
Louis XI., to some extent redeems the mediocrity of the writers of
his party.

In PHILIPPE DE COMMINES we meet the last chronicler of the Middle
Ages, and the first of modern historians. Born about 1445, in Flanders,
of the family of Van den Clyte, Commines, whose parents died early,
received a scanty education; but if he knew no Latin, his acquaintance
with modern languages served him well. At first in the service of
Charles the Bold, in 1472 he passed over to the cause of Louis XI.
His treason to the Duke may be almost described as inevitable; for
Commines could not attach himself to violence and folly, and was
naturally drawn to the counsels of civil prudence. The bargain was
as profitable to his new master as to the servant. On the King's death
came a reverse of fortune for Commines: for eight months he was cramped
in the iron cage; during two years he remained a prisoner in the
Conciergerie (1487-89), with enforced leisure to think of the
preparation of his _Memoires_.[3] Again the sunshine of royal favour
returned; he followed Charles VIII. to Italy, and was engaged in
diplomatic service at Venice. In 1511 he died.

[Footnote 3: Books I.-VI., written 1488-94; Books VII., VIII.,
written 1494-95.]

The _Memoires_ of Commines were composed as a body of material for
a projected history of Louis XI. by Archbishop Angelo Cato; the writer,
apparently in all sincerity, hoped that his unlearned French might
thus be translated into Latin, the language of scholars;