PHILIP DE, an excellent historian, born of a noble family in Flanders in 1446. He lived in a kind of intimacy with Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy, for about eight years; but being seduced to the court of France by Louis XI. he was highly promoted by him, and executed several successful negotiations. After this king's death he experienced many troubles on account of being a foreigner, by the envy of other courtiers, and lay long in prison before he was discharged: he died in 1509. Comines was a man of more natural abilities than learning; he spoke several living, but knew nothing of the dead languages; he has left behind him some memoirs of his own times, that are admired by all true judges of history. Catherine de Medicis used to say, that Comines made as many heresies in politics as Luther had done in religion.

a town of French Flanders on the lines which the French have made to defend their country against the Austrian Netherlands. It is situated on the river Lis, in E. Long. 3. 1. N. Lat. 50. 30.