Gaston Du Fresne Beaucourt

Charles VII, Volume 2 of 6 Gaston Du Fresne Beaucourt

Gaston Du Fresne, Marquis de Beaucourt (1833-1902), began his project on Charles VII in 1856 and saw it published beginning in 1881. One must assume that a man who worked on a six volume biography of a king was not opposed to monarchy. Beaucourt had a charitable view of his subject, if not of jealous and protective admiration. And yet, he did not fail to discuss views opposed to his own. The work as a whole is a precursor in some ways to total history, in which the subject is put in context of almost everything that was written about him in the sources. One must assume that Beaucourt read every document penned during the reign of Charles VII, at least as it related to royal history. The result is an astounding monument. This second volume covers the years of Charles as so-called King of Bourges, his base of operations in central France. It is thoroughly sourced, with copious notes.