Comines Philippede

Comines, Philippe de, Sieur d'Argenton, a French statesman and historian of Flemish extraction, and born at Comines in 1445. He went to Burgundy and rose into high favour with the then Duke and his successor, Charles the Bold, with whom his name is more generally associated. He was sent on various missions to France, England, and Spain. When Louis XI. made his imprudent visit to Charles the Bold at Peronne, De Comines had much to do with calming down the duke's anger. Scott has given a graphic account in Quentin Durward of the transactions of the king and the future historian. In 1472 De Comines forsook the court of Burgundy for that of France, and Louis XI. rewarded him with the fief of Talmont. Under Charles VIII. he was deprived of his possessions and imprisoned, but was liberated, and took part in Charles's Italian expedition, during which he had an interview with Machiavelli. He was in favour with Louis XII., who rewarded him with office and pension. He died in 1509. Of the seven books of his Memoirs, six are taken up by the affairs of Louis XI, and the seventh deals with Charles VIII. in Italy. There are also his Lettres et Negotiations.