s "_ecolier_" at
Louvain in 1430, his birth may probably be placed nearer 1415 than 1405.
He saw active service in the Anglo-French wars and probably elsewhere,
winning the surname of _L'adventureux_. In 1434 he received a gift from
Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy, for his military services, but on the
conclusion of the peace of Arras in the next year he abandoned
soldiering for diplomacy. The next ten years were spent in France, where
he was connected with Georges de la Tremoille, and afterwards entered
the household of Pierre de Breze, at that time seneschal of Poitou, by
whom he was employed on missions to the duke of Burgundy, in an attempt
to establish better relations between Charles VII. and the duke. During
these years Chastellain had ample opportunity of obtaining an intimate
knowledge of French affairs, but on the further breach between the two
princes, Chastellain left the French service to enter Philip's
household. He was at first pantler, then carver, titles which are
misleading as to the nature of his services, which were those of a
diplomatist; and in 1457 he became a member of the ducal council. He was
continually employed on diplomatic errands until 1455, when, owing
apparently to ill-health, he received apartments in the palace of the
counts of Hainaut at Salle-le-Comte, Valenciennes, with a considerable
pension, on condition that the recipient should put in writing "_choses
nouvelles et morales_," and a chronicle of notable events. That is to
say, he was appointed Burgundian historiographer with a recommendation
to write also on other subjects not strictly within the scope of a
chronicler. From this time he worked hard at his _Chronique_, with
occasional interruptions in his retreat to fulfil missions in France, or
to visit the Burgundian court. He was assisted, from about 1463 onwards,
by his disciple and continuator, Jean Molinet, whose rhetorical and
redundant style may be fairly traced in some passages of the
_Chronique_. Charles the Bold maintained the traditions of his house as
a patron of literature, and showed special favour to Chastellain, who,
after being constituted _indiciaire_ or chronicler of the order of the
Golden Fleece, was himself made a knight of the order on the 2nd of May
1473. He died at Valenciennes on the 13th of February (according to the
treasury accounts), or on the 20th of March (according to his epitaph)
1475. He left an illegitimate son, to whom was paid in 1524 one hund