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.

Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.

Fess

Fess is in Charges.

fess. A horizontal bar across the centre of the escutcheon. From the Latin fascia meaning band.

Avenell Arms. Argent, a fess between five annulets gules. Modified from source.

Louvain Arms. Gules billety or a fess of the last. Source.

Camden Arms. Or, a fess engrailed between six crosses crosslet fitchy sable. Source.

Lucas Arms. Argent, a fess between six annulets gules.

Roper Arms. Per fess azure and or, a pale counter-changed and three buck's heads erased of the second. Source.

Tennant Arms. Argent, two crescents in fess sable on a chief gules a boar's head couped of the first. Source.

Cromwell Arms. Quarterly per fess indented, azure and or, four lions passant counterchanged. Source.

Ayscough Arms. Sable, a fess or, between three asses passant argent, maned and unguled of the second. Source.

Clere Arms. Argent on a fess azure, three eagles displayed or. Source.

Walpole Arms. Or a fess between two chevrons sable three cross crosslets of the field. Source.

Watkins Arms. Azure, a fess vair between three leopard's faces jessant-de-lys or. Source.

Woodville Arms. Argent, a fess and a canton conjoined gules. Source.

Fess Argent

Around 1577 George Gower [aged 37]. Portrait of Richard Drake [aged 42]. The heraldic escutcheon shows seven quarters as follows:

1: Drake of Ash Arms. Drake of Ash in the parish of Musbury, Devon.

2: Argent, on a chief gules three cinquefoils of the first; Billet of Ash.

3: Gules, on a fess argent two mullets sable; Hamton of Rockbere and Ash.

4: Ermine, on a chief indented sable three crosslets fitchee or; Orwey of Orwey and Ash.

5: Barry of seven argent and sable.

6: Azure, six lions rampant argent crowned Gules, 3, 2, 1; Forde of Forde.

7: Argent, two chevrons sable (Esse/Ash of Ash); Esse or Ash of Ash.

Carteret Arms. Gules four fusils in fess argent.

Daubigny Arms. Gules, four fusils conjoined in fess argent. Source.

Hood Arms. Sable, on a fess argent between three leopards passant guardant or spotted of the field as many escallops gules. Source.

Kitson Arms. Sable three fishes hauriant in fess argent a chief or. Source.

Fess Azure

Fess Dancetté

Duff Arms. Vert, a fess dancetté ermine, between a buck's head caboshed in chief and two escallops in base or.

Rolle Arms. Or, a fess dancetté between three billets azure each charged with a lion rampant of the first three bezants. Source.

Fess Gules

Onslow Arms. Argent, a fess gules, between six Cornish Choughs proper. Source.

Fitzwalter Arms. Or, a fess gules between two chevrons of the last. Source.

Lumley Arms. Argent a fess gules between three parrots vert, collared of the second. Source.

Montagu Arms. Argent, three fusils conjoined in fess gules. Source.