The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel Volume 1 Chapters 1-60 1307-1342
The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel offer one of the most vivid and immediate accounts of 14th-century Europe, written by a knight who lived through the events he describes, and experienced some of them first hand. Covering the early decades of the Hundred Years’ War, this remarkable chronicle follows the campaigns of Edward III of England, the politics of France and the Low Countries, and the shifting alliances that shaped medieval warfare. Unlike later historians, Jean le Bel writes with a strong sense of eyewitness authenticity, drawing on personal experience and the testimony of fellow soldiers. His narrative captures not only battles and sieges, but also the realities of military life, diplomacy, and the ideals of chivalry that governed noble society. A key source for Jean Froissart, Le Bel’s chronicle stands on its own as a compelling and insightful work, at once historical record and literary achievement. This translation builds on the 1905 edition published in French by Jules Viard, adding extensive translations from other sources Rymer's Fœdera, the Chronicles of Adam Murimuth, William Nangis, Walter of Guisborough, a Bourgeois of Valenciennes, Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke and Richard Lescot to enrich the original text and Viard's notes.
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1863. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 34]. Drawing of Ellen Smith.
1863. Retouched 1873. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 34]. "Die Geliebte" aka "The Beloved" aka "The Bride". Models: Alice aka Alexa Wilding [aged 16], Ellen Smith, Marie Ford Model, Fanny Entwhistle aka Eaton [aged 27] and Keomi aka Keytumas Gray [aged 21].
Two Biblical texts are inscribed on the frame below the painting.
My beloved is mine and I am his. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: For thy love is better than wine. [The Song of Songs by King Solomon]
She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins that be her fellows shall bear her company, and shall be brought unto thee.
Before 5th February 1865. Edward Poynter 1st Baronet [aged 28]. "The Peacock Fan". Model Ellen Smith. See entry in George Price Boyce's diary.
The Diary of George Price Boyce 1865. 5th February 1865. Called on Poynter [aged 28] to see his competition drawings for the Old Water Colour Society. One of them, that with Ellen Smith with fan in her hand [See Painting], very good. Called on Jopling.
The Diary of George Price Boyce 1865. 5th May 1865. Rossetti [aged 36] sent for the study he gave me, a pencil head of Ellen Smith, said it was by inadvertence he had parted with it, as he particularly wished to dispose of it with other studies of the same picture (Bride in Song of Solomon) to the purchasers of the picture. He promised me good measure" in exchange. Dined at Mills' Coffee House. The beautiful Rafiaelesque girl has left—the waiter thinks for Australia. Alas!
The Diary of George Price Boyce 1865. 22nd May 1865. Rossetti [aged 37] sent down by Pope 13 pencil studies of heads, of which 2 (one of Ellen Smith and another ¾ of a new model) are gifts.
The other 11, viz, 3 of Fanny Cornforth [aged 30], 2 of Ellen Smith, 1 of Ada, 1 of Mrs. Morris of Upton, £10, 1 of the negro boy, 1 of a negro girl, 1 of Mrs. Eaton, and 1 of Marie Ford I pay £60 for.
The Diary of George Price Boyce 1865. 6th August 1865. Called on Gabriel Rossetti [aged 37]. He and Fanny1 only there. He was at work upon a drawing of a girl washing her hands, and of her lover; the former painted from Ellen Smith, the latter from Howell.
Note 1. Probably Fanny Waugh [aged 32] who married William Holman Hunt [aged 38] in December 1865.
The Diary of George Price Boyce 1865. 16th November 1865. Ellen Smith came to sit. Worked on old water colour head I made of her some time ago.
1867. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 38]. "Jolie Coeur". Model Ellen Smith.
1867. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 38]. "A Chrismas Carol". Model Ellen Smith. Text bottom center: "Here a maid, well-apparelled, sings a song of Christ's birth with the tune of Bululalow: 'Jesus Christus hodie Natus est de Virgine'. i.e. 'Jesus Christ today was born of the Virgin.'".
1867. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 38]. Chalk study for "A Chrismas Carol". Model Ellen Smith.
Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall
The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall (Chronicon Anglicanum) is an indispensable medieval history that brings to life centuries of English and European affairs through the eyes of a learned Cistercian monk. Ralph of Coggeshall, abbot of the Abbey of Coggeshall in Essex in the early 13th century, continued and expanded his community’s chronicle, documenting events from the Norman Conquest of 1066 into the tumultuous reign of King Henry III. Blending eyewitness testimony, careful compilation, and the monastic commitment to record-keeping, this chronicle offers a rare narrative of political intrigue, royal power struggles, and social upheaval in England and beyond. Ralph’s work captures the reigns of pivotal figures such as Richard I and King John, providing invaluable insights into their characters, decisions, and the forces that shaped medieval rule. More than a simple annal, Chronicon Anglicanum conveys the texture of medieval life and governance, making it a rich source for scholars and readers fascinated by English history, monastic authorship, and the shaping of the medieval world.
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1867. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 38]. "Ellen Smith" in chalk.
1867. Dante Gabriel Rossetti [aged 38]. Study for "A Chrismas Carol". Model Ellen Smith.