"[59] Later on, after naming the painting of
a statute of St. Martin, for which he received twenty golden crowns, is
a note of his painting a MS., which we translate: "To the said
Bourdichon for having had written a book in parchment named the
Papalist--the same illuminated in gold and azure and made in the same 19
rich histories (miniatures) and for getting it bound and covered, thirty
crowns of gold. For this by virtue of the said order of the King and by
quittance of the abovenamed written the 5th April One thousand four
hundred and eighty (milcccciiiixx) after Easter, here rendered the sum
of ?19 1. 8."
[59] Comptes de l'H?tel de Louis XI., 1478-81.
Another quittance shows him to have been employed on the decorations of
the ch?teau of Plessis les Tours. We may easily see how it is that these
artists, when they came to illuminate the books entrusted to them, had
such special knowledge of embroideries and decoration of armour when we
read in the accounts how they were constantly employed in designing
dresses for weddings, tournaments, and funeral obsequies, and making
"patterns for the dress and equipment of war."
A notice in 1508 tells us that Anne of Brittany made an order of payment
to Bourdichon of 1,050 _livres tournois_ for having "richly and
sumptuously historiated and illuminated a great Book of Hours for our
use and service to which he has given and employed much time, and also
on behalf of other services which he has rendered hitherto.
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