FROISSART, JEAN

born 1333?, Valenciennes, Brabant died 1400/01, Chimay, Hainaut European medieval poet and court historian whose Chronicles of the 14th century remain the most important and detailed documents of feudal times and the best contemporary exposition of chivalric and courtly ideals. As a scholar, Froissart lived among the nobility of several European courts. In England he served Queen Philippa of Hainaut, King Edward III, and his sons the Black Prince and the Duke of Clarence; he became the chaplain of Guy II de Chatillon, comte de Blois, under whose auspices he was ordained canon of Chimay. He travelled to Scotland, Italy, France, and the Iberian Peninsula. The main subject of Froissart's Chronicles (Eng. trans. by Lord Berners , ed. by W.P. Ker, 6 vol., ) was the honourable adventures and feats of arms of the Hundred Years' War. He used his privileged position to question central figures and observe key events. The firsthand narrative covers weddings, funerals, and great battles from 1325 to 1400. Book I was based on the work of the Flemish writer Jean le Bel and later rewritten; Book II concerns the events in Flanders and the Peace of Tournai; Book III, Spain and Portugal; and Book IV is based on the Battle of Poitiers and a final visit to England, where he was shocked by the weakness of the royal government. Froissart cites exact dialogues and all available facts, allowing the reader to draw his own conclusions. The splendour and pageantry are emphasized, however, according to the courtly traditions of his patrons, while the victims and causes of suffering are overlooked. A didactic moral tone urges readers to aspire to the ideals of chivalry. Froissart's allegorical poetry celebrates courtly love. L'Horloge amoureux compares the heart to a clock, and Mliador is a chivalrous romance. His ballades and rondeaux expose the poet's personal feelings. Despite his fame during his lifetime, Froissart apparently died in obscurity; his tomb has never been discovered.