Jean Meschinot (1420, Monnières, near Clisson – September 12, 1491) was a Breton poet who wrote in French at the court of the

dukes of Brittany This is a list of rulers of the Duchy of Brittany. In different epochs the sovereigns of Brittany were kings, princes, and dukes. The Breton ruler was sometimes elected, sometimes attained the position by conquest or intrigue, or by hereditary r ...

. His birthplace was in the Mortiers domain, around 30 km south of Nantes, capital of the duchy, and he came from the minor nobility. A squire of the ducal household under John VI, he was highly favoured under dukes Peter II and Arthur III, composing rondeaus and

ballade Ballad is a form of narrative poetry, often put to music, or a type of sentimental love song in modern popular music. Ballad or Ballade may also refer to: Music Genres and forms * Ballade (classical music), a musical setting of a literary ballad ...

s. Just as he was about to become 'official poet' he came into disfavour with duke Francis II. Historian

Johann Huizinga Johan Huizinga (; 7 December 1872 – 1 February 1945) was a Dutch historian and one of the founders of modern cultural history. Life Born in Groningen as the son of Dirk Huizinga, a professor of physiology, and Jacoba Tonkens, who died two ...

quotes a ballad of his indicting Louis XI for crimes against France: "You have sinned against peace..."Huizinga, Johann, ''The Waning of the Middle Ages'' (New York: Anchor Books 1989) pp. 291-292 He was

maître d’hôtel ''Maître'' (spelled ''Maitre'' according to post-1990 spelling rules) is a commonly used honorific for lawyers, judicial officers and notaries in France, Belgium, Switzerland and French-speaking parts of Canada. It is often written in its abbre ...

to the young

Anne of Brittany Anne of Brittany (; 25/26 January 1477 – 9 January 1514) was reigning Duchess of Brittany from 1488 until her death, and Queen of France from 1491 to 1498 and from 1499 to her death. She is the only woman to have been queen consort of France ...

from 1488 onwards, dying before her marriage and Brittany's merger into France.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meschinot 1420 births 1491 deaths Poets from Brittany French Catholic poets French male poets