Deschamps - Selected Poems

Eustache Deschamps, born in 1346 in Vertus, France, was a notable French poet often referred to by the byname "Morel" or "Nightshade." He was a protégé of Guillaume de Machaut, under whom he studied versification, and later pursued law at Orleans University. Deschamps served as a diplomatic messenger for King Charles V of France, undertaking missions across Europe, including to Bohemia, Hungary, and Moravia.

In 1372, he was appointed huissier d'armes to Charles V, a role that preceded several significant positions including bailli of Valois, bailli of Senlis, squire to the Dauphin, and governor of Fismes. His career faced obstacles, however, following Charles's death in 1380. His estate was pillaged by the English - an event that led him to adopt the name "Brulé des Champs."

Deschamps's poetic work is extensive, comprising approximately 1,175 ballades. His poems are predominantly short and often satirical in nature, frequently targeting the English – whom he despised due to their invasion of France – as well as corrupt officials and clergy. His sharp criticisms, particularly of the latter, may have contributed to his dismissal as the Bailli of Senlis.

His treatise "L'Art de dictier et de fere chansons, balades, virelais et rondeaulx" (1392) represented a significant contribution to French literature in which he discussed theories on poetry and music. Deschamps's only long poetic work, "Le Miroir de Mariage," is a satirical piece on women, which influenced Geoffrey Chaucer, whom Deschamps admired and honoured in a ballade.

Deschamps's writings reflect the moral decline and troubled state of the late Middle Ages, encapsulating themes of war, famine, and disease. He commemorated Machaut, his mentor, in two ballades upon Machaut's death in 1377. Deschamps died in 1406 or 1407, not long after Chaucer.

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