See also:

• RAIS (or RETZ), GILLES DE (1404-1440)

RAIS (or See also:

• RETZ, JEAN FRANCOIS PAUL DE GONDI, CARDINAL DE (1614-1679)
• RETZ, SEIGNEURS AND DUKES OF

RETZ), GILLES DE (1404-1440)  , See also:

• MARSHAL (med. Lat. marescalcus, from O.H.Ger. marah, horse, and scalc, servant)

marshal of See also:

• FRANCE
• FRANCE, ANATOLE (1844– )

France and the central figure of a 15th-See also:

• CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century cause celbbre, whose name is associated with the See also:

• STORY, JOHN (c. 1510-1571)
• STORY, JOSEPH (1779-1845)
• STORY, ROBERT HERBERT (1835-1907)
• STORY, WILLIAM WETMORE (1819—1895)

story of See also:

• BLUEBEARD

Bluebeard, was the son of See also:

• GUY, THOMAS (1644–1724)

Guy de See also:

• MONTMORENCY
• MONTMORENCY, ANNE
• MONTMORENCY, MATHIEU JEAN FELICITE DE

Montmorency-See also:

• LAVAL
• LAVAL, ANDRE DE, SEIGNEUR DE LOHEAC (c. 1408-1485)

Laval, the adopted son and See also:

• HEIR (Lat. heres, from a root meaning to grasp, seen in heres or erus, master of a house, Gr. xeip, hand, Sans. hat ana, hand)

heir of Jeanne de See also:

• RAIS (or RETZ), GILLES DE (1404-1440)

Rais and of See also:

• MARIE

Marie de Craon . He was See also:

• BORN, IGNAZ, EDLER VON (1742–1791)

born at Machecoul in See also:

• SEPTEMBER (Lat. septem, seven)

September or See also:

• OCTOBER

October 1404, and, being See also:

• EARLY
• EARLY, JUBAL ANDERSON (1816-1894)

early See also:

• LEFT

left an See also:

• ORPHAN

orphan, was educated by his maternal grandfather, See also:

• JEAN

Jean de Craon . See also:

• CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

Chief among his See also:

• GREAT

great possessions was the See also:

• BARONY

barony of Rais (erected in the 16th century into the See also:

• PEERAGE
• PEERAGE (Fr. pairage, med. Lat. paragium; M.E. Pere, 0. Fr. per, peer, later pair; Lat. Paris, " equal ")

peerage-duchy of See also:

• RETZ, JEAN FRANCOIS PAUL DE GONDI, CARDINAL DE (1614-1679)
• RETZ, SEIGNEURS AND DUKES OF

Retz), See also:

• SOUTH
• SOUTH, ROBERT (1634–1716)

south of the See also:

• LOIRE

Loire, on the See also:

• MARCHES, THE (It. Le Marche)

marches of See also:

• BRITTANY

Brittany . He joined the party of the Montforts, supporting Jean V. of Brittany against the See also:

• RIVAL

rival See also:

• HOUSE
• HOUSE (O. Eng. hiss, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dut. huis, Ger. Haus; in Gothic it is only found in gudhiss, a temple; it may be ultimately connected with the root of " hide," conceal)

house of Penthievre . He helped to See also:

• RELEASE (O.Fr. reles, variant of relais, from relaisser, to release, let go, Lat. relaxare)

release See also:

• DUKE (corresponding to Fr. duc, Ital. duca, Ger. Herzog)

Duke See also:

• JOHN
• JOHN (1167–1216)
• JOHN (1290-c. 1320)
• JOHN (1296-1346)
• JOHN (1371–1419)
• JOHN (1468-1532)
• JOHN (1801-1873)
• JOHN (Heb. llni')
• JOHN (ZAPOLYA) (1487-1540)
• JOHN, 4TH MARQUESS OF TWEEDDALE (c. 1695-1762)
• JOHN, DON (1545-1578)
• JOHN, DON (1629–1679)
• JOHN, GOSPEL OF ST
• JOHN, or HAYS (1513–1571)
• JOHN, THE APOSTLE
• JOHN, THE EPISTLES OF

John from See also:

• OLIVIER, JUSTE DANIEL (1807-1876)

Olivier de See also:

• BLOIS

Blois, See also:

• COUNT (Lat. comes, gen. comitis, Fr. comte, Ital. conte, Span. conde)

count of Penthievre, who had taken him prisoner by See also:

• CRAFT (a word common to Teutonic languages for strength, or power; cf. Ger. Kraft)

craft, and was rewarded by extensive grants of See also:

• LAND

land, which were subsequently commuted by the See also:

• BRETON, BRITTON
• BRETON, JULES ADOLPHE

Breton See also:

• PARLIAMENT (Anglo-Lat. parliamentum, Fr. parlement, from parler, to speak)

parliament for See also:

• MONEY

money payments . In 1420, after other projects of See also:

• MARRIAGE

marriage had fallen through, in two cases by the See also:

• DEATH

death of the See also:

• BRIDE (a common Teutonic word, e.g..Goth. bruths, O. Eng. bryd, O. H. Ger. prs2t, Mod. Ger. Bract, Dut. bruid, possibly derived from the root bru-, cook, brew; from the med. latinized form bruta, in the sense of daughter-in-law, is derived the Fr. bru)

bride, he married Katherine of See also:

• THOUARS

Thouars, a great heiress in Brittany, La See also:

• VENDEE
• VENDEE, WARS OF THE

Vendee and See also:

• POITOU

Poitou . In 1426 he raised seven companies of men-at-arms, and began active warfare against the See also:

• ENGLISH

English under Artus de Richemont, the newly made . See also:

• CONSTABLE (0. Fr. connestable, Fr. connetable, Med. Lat. comestabilis, conestabilis, constabularius, from the Lat. comes stabuli, count of the stable)
• CONSTABLE, ARCHIBALD (1774-1827)
• CONSTABLE, HENRY (1562-1613)
• CONSTABLE, JOHN (1776-1837)
• CONSTABLE, SIR MARMADUKE (c. 1455-1518)

constable of France . He had already built up a military reputation when he was chosen to accompany See also:

• JOAN

Joan of Arc to See also:

• ORLEANS
• ORLEANS, CHARLES, DUKE OF (1391-1465)
• ORLEANS, DUKES OF
• ORLEANS, FERDINAND PHILIP LOUIS CHARLES HENRY, DUKE OF (1810-1842)
• ORLEANS, HENRI, PRINCE
• ORLEANS, HENRIETTA, DUCHESS
• ORLEANS, JEAN BAPTISTE GASTON, DUKE
• ORLEANS, LOUIS
• ORLEANS, LOUIS PHILIPPE JOSEPH
• ORLEANS, LOUIS PHILIPPE ROBERT, DUKE
• ORLEANS, LOUIS PHILIPPE, DUKE OF (1725–1785)
• ORLEANS, LOUIS, DUKE OF (1372–1407)
• ORLEANS, PHILIP I
• ORLEANS, PHILIP II

Orleans . He continued to be her See also:

• SPECIAL

special See also:

• PROTECTOR

protector, fighting by her See also:

• SIDE
• SIDE (mod. Eski Adalia)

side at Orleans, and afterwards at Jargeau and Patay . He had advocated further See also:

• MEASURES

measures against the English on the Loire before carrying out the See also:

• CORONATION (Lat. corona, crown)

coronation of See also:

• CHARLES
• CHARLES (1270-1325)
• CHARLES (1421-1461)
• CHARLES (1525-1574)
• CHARLES (c. 1319-1364)
• CHARLES (Fr. Charles; Span. Carlos; Ital. Carlo; Ger. Karl; derived from O.H.G. Charal,latinized as Carolus, meaning originally " man ": cf. Mod.Ger., Kerl," fellow," A.S. ceorl, Mod. Eng. " churl ")
• CHARLES (KARL EITEL ZEPHYRIN LUDWIG; in Rum. CAROL)
• CHARLES [KARL ALEXANDER] (1712-1780)
• CHARLES, ELIZABETH (1828-1896)
• CHARLES, JACQUES ALEXANDRE CESAR (1746-1823)
• CHARLES, THOMAS (1755-1814)

Charles VII. at See also:

• REIMS
• REIMS (RHEIMS)

Reims . On the 17th of See also:

• JULY

July he was made marshal of France at Reims, and after the See also:

• ASSAULT (from Lat. ad, to or on, and saltare, to leap)

assault on See also:

• PARIS
• PARIS (also called ALEXANDROS)
• PARIS, ALEXIS PAULIN (1800-x881)
• PARIS, BRUNO PAULIN GASTON (1839-1903)
• PARIS, FRANCOIS DE (169o-1727)
• PARIS, LOUIS PHILIPPE ALBERT
• PARIS, TREATIES OF (1814-1815)

Paris he was granted the right to See also:

• BEAR
• BEAR, BLACK
• BEAR, BROWN
• BEAR, GRIZZLY
• BEAR, ISABELLINE
• BEAR, WHITE

bear the arms of France as a border to his See also:

• SHIELD (0. Eng. scild, cf. Du. and Ger. Schild, Dan. Skjold; the origin is doubtful, but may be referred to the root seen in " shell " or " scale "; another suggestion connects it with Icel. skjalla, to clash, rattle; it is not connected with the Indo-Ger
• SHIELD, WILLIAM (1748—1829)

shield, a See also:

• PRIVILEGE

privilege that was, however, never ratified . In the See also:

• WINTER, JOHN STRANGE
• WINTER, PETER (c. 1755-1825)

winter he was in See also:

• NORMANDY

Normandy, at See also:

• LOUVIERS

Louviers, whether with a view to the release of Joan, then a prisoner at See also:

• ROUEN

Rouen, cannot be stated .

Meanwhile his See also:

• FORTUNE, ROBERT (1813-188o)

fortune was disappearing, although he had been one of the richest men in France . He had expended great sums in the See also:

• KING
• KING (O. Eng. cyning, abbreviated into cyng, cing; cf. O. H. G. chun- kuning, chun- kunig, M.H.G. kiinic, kiinec, kiinc, Mod. Ger. Konig, O. Norse konungr, kongr, Swed. konung, kung)
• KING [OF OCKHAM], PETER KING, 1ST BARON (1669-1734)
• KING, CHARLES WILLIAM (1818-1888)
• KING, CLARENCE (1842–1901)
• KING, EDWARD (1612–1637)
• KING, EDWARD (1829–1910)
• KING, HENRY (1591-1669)
• KING, RUFUS (1755–1827)
• KING, THOMAS (1730–1805)
• KING, WILLIAM (1650-1729)
• KING, WILLIAM (1663–1712)

king's service, and he maintained a See also:

• COURT
• COURT (from the O. Fr. court, Late Lat. cortis, curtis, a popular form of class. Lat. cohors, gen. cohortis; the mod. Fr. form tour is due to the influence of the Lat. curia, the word used in medieval documents to translate " court " in the feudal sense)
• COURT, ANTOINE (1696-176o)

court of knights, See also:

• SQUIRE

squire-a, heralds and priests, more suited to royal than baronial See also:

• RANK (O.Fr. rant or rent, mod. rang, generally connected with the O.E. and O.H.G. bring, a ring)

rank . He kept open house, was a munificent See also:

• PATRON

patron of literature and of See also:

• MUSIC

music, and his library contained many valuable See also:

• WORKS

works, he himself being a skilled illuminator and binder . He also indulged a See also:

• PASSION (post-classical Lat. passio, formed from pati, passus, to suffer, endure)

passion for the See also:

• STAGE (Fr. 6/age; from Lat. stare, to stand)

stage . At the chief festivals he gave performances of mysteries and moralities, and it has been asserted that the Mystere de la Passion, acted at See also:

• ANGERS

Angers in 1420, was staged by him in See also:

• HONOUR (Lat. honos or lwnor, honoris; in English the word was spelled with or without the u indifferently until the 17th century, but during the 18th century it became fashion-able to spell the word " honor "; Johnson's and Webster's Dictionaries stereoty

honour of his own marriage . The See also:

• ORIGINAL

original draft of the See also:

• MYSTERY (Gr. µw(Trilpcov, from tcuvrm, an initiate, µfew, to shut the mouth)

Mystery of Orleans was probably written under his direction, and contains much detail which may be well accounted for by his intimate acquaintance with the Maid . In his See also:

• FINANCIAL

financial difficulties he began to alienate his lands, selling his estates for small sums . These proceedings provided his heirs with material for lawsuits for many years . Among those who profited by his prodigality were the duke of Brittany, and his See also:

• CHANCELLOR (M. Eng. and Anglo-Fr. canceler, chanceler, Fr. chancelier, Lat. cancellarius)

chancellor, Jean de Malestroit, See also:

• BISHOP (A.S. bisceop, from Lat. episcopus, Gr. irio-Korros, " overlooker " or " overseer ")
• BISHOP, ISABELLA (1832-1904)
• BISHOP, SIR HENRY ROWLEY (1786-1855)

bishop of See also:

• NANTES
• NANTES, EDICT OF

Nantes, but in 1436 his kinsfolk appealed to Charles VII., who proclaimed further sales to be illegal . Jean V. refused to acknowledge the king's right to promulgate a See also:

• DECREE (from the past participle, decretus, of Lat. decernere)

decree of this See also:

• KIND (O. E. ge-cynde, from the same root as is seen in " kin," supra)

kind in Brittany, and replied by making Gilles de Rais See also:

• LIEUTENANT

lieutenant of Brittany and by acknowledging him as a See also:

• BROTHER

brother-in-arms . Gilles hoped to redeem his fortunes by See also:

• ALCHEMY

alchemy; he also spent large sums on necromancers, who engaged to raise the See also:

• DEVIL (Gr. &a,3oXos, " slanderer," from &ctflisXX sty, to slander)

devil for his assistance . On the other See also:

• HAND
• HAND (a word common to Teutonic languages; cf. Ger. Hand, Goth. handus)
• HAND, FERDINAND GOTTHELF (1786-185r)

hand he sought to See also:

• GUARANTEE (sometimes spelt " guarantie " or " guaranty "; an O. Fr. form of " warrant," from the Teutonic word which appears in German as wahren, to defend or make safe and binding)

guarantee himself from evil consequences by extravagant charity and a splendid celebration of the See also:

• RITES

rites of the See also:

• CHURCH
• CHURCH (according to most authorities derived from the Gr. Kvpcaxov [&wµa], " the Lord's [house]," and common to many Teutonic, Slavonic and other languages under various forms—Scottish kirk, Ger. Kirche, Swed. kirka, Dan. kirke, Russ. tserkov, Buig. cerk
• CHURCH, FREDERICK EDWIN (1826-1900)
• CHURCH, GEORGE EARL (1835–1910)
• CHURCH, RICHARD WILLIAM (1815–189o)
• CHURCH, SIR RICHARD (1784–1873)

church .

The abominable practices of which he was really guilty seem not to have been suspected by his equals or superiors, though he had many accomplices and his criminality was suspected by the peasantry . His wife finally left him in 1434-35, and may possibly have become acquainted with his doings, and when his brother Rene de la Suze seized Champtoce, all traces of his crimes had not been removed, but See also:

• FAMILY

family considerations no doubt imposed silence . His servants kidnapped See also:

• CHILDREN, LAW RELATING TO

children, generally boys, on his behalf, and these he tortured and murdered . The number of his victims was stated in the ecclesiastical trial to have been 140, and larger figures are quoted . The amazing impunity which he enjoyed was brought to an end in 1440, when he was imprudent enough to come into conflict with the church by an See also:

• ACT (Lat. actus, actum)

act of violence which involved See also:

• SACRILEGE

sacrilege and infringement of clerical See also:

• IMMUNITY (from Lat. immunis, not subject to a munus or public service)

immunity . He had sold See also:

• SAINT (lat. sanctus, " holy ")

Saint See also:

• ETIENNE, CHARLES GUILLAUME (1778-1845)

Etienne de Malemort to the duke of Brittany's treasurer, Geffroi le Ferron . In the course of a See also:

• QUARREL

quarrel over the delivery of the See also:

• PROPERTY

property to this See also:

• MAN
• MAN, ISLE OF (anc. Mona)

man's brother, Jean le Ferron, Gilles seized Jean, who was in clerical orders, in church, and imprisoned him . He then proceeded to defy the duke, but was reconciled to him by Richemont . In the autumn, however, he was arrested and cited before the bishop of Nantes on various charges, the chief of which were See also:

• HERESY

heresy and See also:

• MURDER

murder . With the latter count the ecclesiastical court was incompetent to See also:

• DEAL

deal, and on the 8th of October Gilles refused to accept its See also:

• JURISDICTION
• JURISDICTION, CRIMINAL LAW, DIVORCE

jurisdiction . Terrified by See also:

• EXCOMMUNICATION (Lat. ex, out of, away from; communis, common)

excommunication, however, he acknowledged the See also:

• EVIDENCE (Lat. evidentia, evideri, to appear clearly)

evidence of the witnesses, and by See also:

• CONFESSION (Lat. confessio, from confiteor, acknowledge, confess)

confession he secured See also:

• ABSOLUTION (Lat. absolutio from absolvo, loosen, acquit)

absolution . He had been pronounced guilty of See also:

• APOSTASY (aaoafiavis, in classical Greek a defection or revolt from a military commander)

apostasy and heresy by the inquisitor, and of See also:

• VICE

vice and sacrilege by the bishop .

A detailed confession was extracted by the See also:

• THREAT

threat of See also:

• TORTURE (from Lat. torquere, to twist)

torture on the 21st of October . A See also:

• SEPARATE

separate and parallel inquiry was made by See also:

• PIERRE

Pierre de 1'Hbpifal, See also:

• PRESIDENT (Fr. president, from Lat. praesidens, post-Augustan Lat. for praeses, director, ruler, from praesidere, to sit in front of, preside)

president of the Breton parliament, by whose See also:

• SENTENCE (Lat. sententia, a way of thinking, opinion, judgment; vote, sentire, to feel, think)

sentence he was hanged (not burned alive as is sometimes stated), on the 26th of October 1440, with two of his accomplices . In view of his own repeated confessions it seems impossible to doubt his See also:

• GUILT

guilt, but the numerous irregularities of the proceedings, the fact that his necromancer Prelati and other of his chief accomplices went unpunished, taken together with the financial See also:

• INTEREST

interest of Jean V. in his ruin, have left a certain mystery over a trial, which, with the exception of the See also:

• PROCESS

process of Joan of Arc, was the most famous in 15th-century France . His name is connected with the See also:

• TALE (O.Eng. talu, number, account, story; the word is common to many Teutonic languages; cf. Ger. Zahl, number, Erzahlung, narrative, Du. taal, speech, language)

tale of Bluebeard (q.v.) in See also:

• LOCAL

local tradition at Machecoul, Tiffauges, Pornic and Chemere, though the similarity between the two histories is at best vague . The records of the trial are preserved in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, at Nantes and elsewhere . See See also:

• EUGENE

Eugene Bossard, Gilles de Rais, dit Bathe Bleue (2nd ed., x886), which includes the See also:

• MAJORITY (Fr. majorite; Med. Lat. majoritas; Lat. major, greater)

majority of the documents of the trial published originally by De Maulde; E . A . See also:

• VIZETELLY, HENRY (1820-1894)

Vizetelly, Bluebeard (Igo2); H . C . See also:

• LEA, HENRY CHARLES (1825–1909)

Lea, Irish of the See also:

• INQUISITION, THE (Lat. inquisitio, an inquiry)

Inquisition (iii . 468, seq.); A . See also:

• MOLINIER, AUGUSTE (1851-1904)

Molinier, See also:

• LES

Les See also:

• SOURCES

Sources de l'histoire de France (No .

4185) . See also:

• HUYSMANS
• HUYSMANS, JORIS KARL (1848–1907)

Huysmans in Ld-bas describes his See also:

• HERO (Gr. open)
• HERO, THE YOUNGER

hero as engaged on a See also:

• LIFE

life of Gilles de Rais, and takes the opportunity for a striking picture of the trial .