Blue-beard: A Contribution to History and Folk-lore Being the history of Gilles de Retz of Brittany, France, who was executed at Nantes in 1440 A.D., and who was the original of Blue-beard in the tales of Mother Goose

CHAPTER III

Chapter 395 wordsPublic domain

GILLES’S LIFE AT HOME IN BRITTANY 1430–1439

The Personal Appearance of Gilles de Retz. An Epitome of his Life. His Extravagance and Ruinous Expenditures. His Inheritance. His Sales and Transfers of Property. His Love for the Theatre. Mysteries. That of the Siege of Orleans. Mysteries at Nantes. The Cathedral. Expensive Visit to Orleans. Maison de la Suze. The Decree of the King Interdicting his Sale or Incumbrance of Property. An Increasing Demand for Money Drives him to Magic in Search for the Philosopher’s Stone and the Transmutation of Base Metals into Gold. Magic 24