Godefroid de Naste, seigneur et lecteur au XIVe siècle

The inventory of the personal estate that had belonged to Godefroid de Naste, established after his death in Mons in 1337, mentions a list of 24 books owned by this squire. The aim of this paper is first of all to draw a profile of this personality who lived alternatively in his feudal estates of Flanders and Hainault, before swapping the former for Brogny (in Champagne). He can fairly easily be situated on the social ladder and his connections with the various Earls' courts can be made out. Then we will try to understand how this squire << keeps up his rank >> and which position his books hold among the luxury items mentioned in the inventory. Finally, we'll comment on the various categories of books found in the library and we'll see how much they reveal of Godefroid de Naste's personality and cultural interests.