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

by Thomas Wilson

Transcriber’s Note:

Words on the cover were added by Transcriber and placed in the Public Domain. The rubric in the middle was on the original cover.

Château (Castle) of Nantes, where Gilles was tried.—From the river Loire.

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

BY
THOMAS WILSON, LL.D.

CURATOR, DIVISION OF PREHISTORIC ARCHÆOLOGY, U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM
COUNSELLOR OF THE BAR OF THE SUPREME COURTS, COURT OF
CLAIMS AND OF APPEALS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

FORMERLY U.S. CONSUL AT GHENT, BELGIUM; AT NANTES AND NICE, FRANCE

ILLUSTRATED

G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS
NEW YORK & LONDON
The Knickerbocker Press
1899

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COPYRIGHT, 1899
BY
THOMAS WILSON
Entered at Stationers’ Hall, London

The Knickerbocker Press, New York

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TO
MY DEAR WIFE
THE COMPANION OF MY TRAVELS
WHILE THE MATERIAL FOR THIS VOLUME WAS GATHERED
THE PARTNER OF MY MANY JOYS
THE SHARER OF MY FEW SORROWS
THIS VOLUME IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED

T. W.

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