CHARTIER, secretary to Charles VII, king of France, born in the year 1386. He was the author of several works in prose and verse; but his most famous performance was his Chronicle of King Charles VII. Bernard de Girard, in his preface to the history of France, styles him "an excellent historian, who has given an account of all the affairs, particulars, ceremonies, speeches, answers, and circumstances, at which he was present himself, or had information of." Giles Corrozet tells us, that Margaret, daughter to the king of Scotland, and wife to the dauphin, passing once through a hall where Alain lay asleep, she stepped and kissed him before all the company who attended: some of them telling her, that it was strange she should kiss a man who had so few charms in his person, she replied, "I did not kiss the man, but the mouth from whence proceed so many excellent sayings, so many wise discourses, and so many elegant expressions." Mr Fontenelle, among his Dialogues of the Dead, has one upon this incident, between the princess Margaret and Plato. M. Pafquier compares Alain to Seneca, on account of the great number of beautiful sentences interposed throughout his writings.