Jacques de Lalaing has garnered significant scholarly attention in recent years, rendering him nearly as prominent today as he was during his lifetime. As a nobleman from the county of Hainaut, Jacques de Lalaing (born circa 1421, died 1453) became a paragon of ideal knighthood during the Burgundian “Golden Age”--a period marked by the ambitious Dukes of Burgundy forging a consolidated state through inheritance, marriage, and warfare. Jacques himself achieved widespread fame as a jouster and military commander, inspiring contemporary authors to compose laudatory accounts of his chivalric life. This “chivalric” biography, titled The Book of Deeds of the Good Knight Jacques de Lalaing, was penned in the 1470s to commemorate his heroic deeds for posterity and to serve as a moral exemplar for young noblemen at the Burgundian court.
Following a well-received scholarly edition by Rosalind Brown-Grant and Mario Damen, and Elizabeth Morrison’s edited volume published by the Los Angeles Paul Getty Museum--based on a sixteenth-century illuminated manuscript from their collection--this new edition distinguishes itself by aiming to be accessible to the less academically specialized reader. [1] It offers a concise yet comprehensive analysis of the intriguing genre of biographical chivalric literature. This effort to democratize access to the genre aligns well with the expertise of modern scholar Nigel Bryant, who is well acquainted with the prolific memoire-writing culture of the Hundred Years’ War. In recent years, Bryant has translated Jean le Bel’s history of early events of the Hundred Years’ War and revived interest in notable knights of the Late Middle Ages, such as William Marshal and Bertrand du Guesclin. Now, Jacques de Lalaing--also known as “the Knight without Reproach” (Le chevalier sans reproche)--is added to this distinguished list.
Bryant’s study comprises two main sections: first, a brief introduction and contextualization of the work; second, a translation from medieval French into English alongside an edition of The Book of Deeds. The authorship of Lalaing’s biography has long been debated, but recent scholarship generally concurs that the text constitutes a “patchwork,” assembled from diverse late medieval sources, including eyewitness accounts, official records of Burgundy’s heralds (notably Charolais and Talent), and the Ghent war chronicle of Jean le Fèvre de Saint Rémy (c. 1394-1468). Le Fèvre, known as the Golden Fleece and King of Arms of the Burgundian Order of Chivalry, appears to have played an instrumental role in the compilation, with the final chapters deriving from a now-lost section of his chronicle. The frontispieces of all three illuminated manuscripts of The Book of Deeds depict a herald, dressed in Burgundian tabard, strongly suggesting an identification with the Burgundian King of Arms.
The introduction’s second chapter explores the text’s rich intertextuality and its function as an exemplum of ideal knighthood, referencing works such as Jean de Waquelin’s Romance of Alexander and Antoine de la Salle’s Le Petit Jehan de Saintré, illustrating a medieval tradition of cross-pollinating discourses for purposes of memorialization (8). Bryant also emphasizes Jacques’s diplomatic visits to the Iberian Peninsula and Scotland, framing these interactions as strategic displays of Burgundian influence and power. Key to understanding Jacques’s exploits is the culture of chivalric performance and status, exemplified by passages of arms (pas d’armes), symbolic mock-battles between knights and squires of various regional and social origins that were central to his chivalric lifestyle. Additionally, Bryant closely examines Jacques’s participation in the Ghent War (1449-1453), a pivotal event that culminated in his death at the siege of Poeke in 1453, when he was killed by a cannon shot.
Overall, the introduction (1-30) provides a balanced overview of recent scholarship but does not delve deeply into primary sources. Researchers seeking a more detailed, source-based reconstruction of Jacques de Lalaing’s life are advised to consult the edition by Brown-Grant and Damen. Nonetheless, this edition is highly recommended as an accessible introduction to the subject. The included maps--depicting Burgundian domains and France, Lalaing’s Iberian journey, Flanders, and the Ghent War--as well as the index, are valuable tools for understanding the geographical and biographical context. The translation and editorial work of The Book of Deeds, executed with evident professionalism and erudition, reflects the standards expected from someone who was awarded the Norris J. Lacy Prize in 2019 for outstanding editorial achievement in Arthurian studies.
Finally, three minor points of interest--rather than substantive criticisms--merit mention. First, the author’s decision to publish the manuscript preserved in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, dating from the late 1470s or early 1480s, is a legitimate, albeit briefly justified, heuristic choice (31). Considering that at least thirteen different manuscript copies have survived, and that previous research by Brown-Grant and Damen demonstrated the existence of the earliest copy--potentially the autograph--held in the State Archives of Kortrijk, Belgium, within the collection of Jacques Goethals-Vercruyssen, an inclusion of astemma codicum would have elucidated the reasons for specifically selecting the Paris manuscript. Moreover, the Paris manuscript is distinguished as the first to be illustrated with exquisite miniatures.
Second, the author could have expanded the identification of individuals through a more thorough review of Burgundian scholarly literature. Notable experts such as Werner Paravicini (e.g., Jean de Werchin, 38; Hervé de Mériadec, 8), Bertrand Schnerb (e.g., Robert de Wavrin, 39; Philippe de Saveuses, 57), Alain Marchandisse (e.g., Corneille of Burgundy, 59), Bert Verwerft (e.g. Sanche de Lalaing, 38; Jehan Rasoir and Oste de Marquette, 89-90) and Marie-Thérèse Caron (e.g., Pierre de Bauffremont, 152) offer valuable insights that could have enriched the identification of different characters. [2] For instance, Aymé de Rabutin, Lord of Épiry--an opponent of Jacques de Lalaing during the passage of arms before the Fountain of Tears--remains unascertained (162-164); he was a Burgundian knight later killed at the siege of Beauvais (1472). Additionally, some locations within the translation (such as Dunkirk, 131; Sluis, 132) would benefit from clearer contextualization for the reader.
Third, the work would have been strengthened by an analysis of Jacques’s social network. While some individuals are identified, only a detailed account of his familial ties--such as his relationships with his brother Philippe and his uncles Simon, Sanche, and Jean de Créquy--and patronage connections (notably with John, Duke of Cleves) reveals the vibrant social fabric of the Burgundian court. Understanding these interwoven relationships is crucial to appreciating how the Burgundian dukes cultivated loyalty among the regional elites, thereby consolidating their political and dynastic ambitions.
In conclusion, this edition provides an accessible and engaging rendition of the text, making it highly suitable for scholars interested in the social elite, literary history, military and political developments within the Burgundian state and late medieval chivalric culture.
--------
Notes:
1. Rosalind Brown-Grant and Mario Damen, eds. and trans., A Chivalric Life: The Book of the Deeds of Messire Jacques de Lalaing (Woodbridge: Boydell and Brewer, 2022); Elizabeth Morrison, ed., A Knight for the Ages: Jacques de Lalaing and the Art of Chivalry (Los Angeles, CA: Getty Publications, 2018).
2. Werner Paravicini, “Jean de Werchin, sénéchal de Hainaut, chevalier errant,” in Saint-Denis et la royauté. Études offertes à Bernard Guenée, ed. Françoise Autrand, Claude Gauvard, and Jean-Marie Moeglin (Paris, Éditions de la Sorbonne, 1999): 125-144; Bertrand Schnerb, La Noblesse Au Service Du Prince: Les Saveuse: Un Hostel Noble De Picardie Au Temps de L'Etat Bourguignon (v. 1380-v. 1490) (Turnhout: Brepols, 2018); Bertrand Schnerb and Alain Marchandisse, “Le livre de prières de Robert VII et Marguerite, seigneur et dame de Wavrin,” Publication du Centre Européen d’Etudes Bourguignonnes (xive-xvie s.), 50 (2010): 261-264; Alain Marchandisse, “Corneille, bâtard de Bourgogne (ca. 1426-1452),” Le Bâtardise et L’Exercice Du Pouvoir en Europe du XIIIe au début du XVIe siècle, ed. Éric Bousmar, Alain Marchandisse, Christophe Masson, and Bertrand Schnerb (Lille, Collection Histoire N° 31, 2015): 53-90; Bert Verwerft, “De Goede Ridder Onder de Loep Genomen : Een Detailanalyse van de Militaire Compagnie van Jacques de Lalaing Ten Tijde van de Gentse Opstand (1453),” Handelingen der Maatschappij voor Geschiedenis en Oudheidkunde te Gent 75, 3 (2021): 3–76; Marie-Thérèse Caron,La Noblesse Dans Le Duché De Bourgogne 1315-1477 (Lille, Presses universitaires de Lille 1987): 315ff..