The Treasure of the City of Ladies Read online

  Ten years before Agincourt, Christine had warned that if civil war broke out, France would lay itself open to attack by a foreign power. When the old Duke of Berry died in the following year (1416), all of Christine’s friends from the great days of Charles V were either dead or prisoners of war. Fortune’s wheel had dipped yet again. She wrote one last work before entering her convent: the Letter of the Prison of Human Life, addressed to Marie of Berry to help console her for the death or imprisonment of several members of her family. In 1418, not long before the Burgundians seized control of Paris, Christine retired to the safety of a convent, perhaps the one at Poissy where her daughter was a nun. Unable to leave her literary work entirely, Christine wrote some short prayers for the consolation of bereaved women, but for most of her time at the convent – from 1418 until her death some time after 1429 – we have no evidence that she wrote anything else, except her final work, which must have been written shortly before her death.

  The Hymn to Joan of Arc, although a minor work compared to Christine’s other books, should have been enough by itself to ensure Christine’s fame, because it is the only contemporary tribute to Joan of Arc and the only evidence of her achievements outside the trial records written during her lifetime. Christine was enthusiastic about Joan of Arc, as she exemplified both the heroism of women and the victory of good over evil in French politics. The main concerns of Christine’s life seemed to come together at last: good government, the dignity of women, and domestic and international peacemaking and justice.

  Christine’s date and place of death are unknown. She may or may not have lived to see the fall of Joan of Arc. The convent at Poissy is now in ruins and its records destroyed. All that remains of Christine de Pizan are the volumes that her lively mind produced and the portraits that illustrate some of them. Many of them have never been edited for the modern reader and most of them have never been translated. Christine has never been irretrievably lost, however. Her writings have been misplaced, discovered, rediscovered and attributed to other people, but in the end she will take her place with the great writers of the Middle Ages.

  Introduction to the Revised Edition

  In the years since this translation of The Treasure of the City of Ladies was first published, interest in Christine de Pizan has grown in a way that could hardly have been predicted. Both scholars and general readers have discovered her and her world. The availability of her texts has changed radically. No longer is she a vague rumour of the Middle Ages, known for a few of her early lyrics if at all. Almost all of her works are now available in modern versions as either edited original texts or translations into several modern languages. A bibliography of Christine’s writings and of books and articles about her was produced in 1984. Within ten years of its appearance, the compiler, Angus J. Kennedy, published a supplement which was almost the same length as his original bibliography. A Christine de Pizan Society was formed in 1990 and continues to flourish as an international forum for Christine studies. Scholarly conferences on topics in medieval literature or women’s studies regularly feature contributions about Christine’s life and works. When I expressed a hope in my Introduction to the first edition of this translation that Christine would eventually take her place among the acknowledged classics of world literature, I could not have imagined that it would happen so soon. She is now too well known to be ‘discovered’ ever again. She has arrived for good.

  When I originally translated The Treasure of the City of Ladies there was no modern edition of the text. It existed only in a few manuscripts from the fifteenth century and three printed editions from the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. As there seemed to be no substantial differences among the versions for a translator’s purposes, I chose the printed version of 1536 (the last printed version of the Trésor de la Cité des Dames, published by Jehan André and Denys Janot in Paris) as my source text and frequently checked it against an earlier manuscript in the British Library (Add. 15641). Now, however, a modern edition has appeared, edited by Charity Cannon Willard and Eric Hicks, and scholars can now consult a version that is close to Christine’s original text. I have taken this opportunity to revise a few passages in my translation in the light of this edition of Christine’s original Middle French text. The main noticeable difference is that the Prologue to the 1536 edition is the first chapter in the Willard and Hicks edition. I have accordingly changed the numbering of the chapters of Part One, making the total 27. I have also been able to correct some garbled readings and a few omissions in my translation. Occasionally, however, when I have encoutered flaws in the modern edition, I have preferred the André-Janot version.

  This revised edition contains a section of endnotes that should enhance the reader’s appreciation of Christine’s text and its background. A list of persons mentioned in the text has also been added to the end of the book, with brief explanatory notes. The bibliography is a guide both to references in the notes and to suggested further reading. Since readers will come to Christine at different levels of familiarity, I have tried to make the notes and bibliography as useful as possible to all readers. For those who are new to the literature and history of the Middle Ages I have included some works of general background of the period. For serious students there are more specialized references. Not everyone will need all the notes and bibliographical items, but I hope everyone will find some useful information among them.

  Some readers may have noticed that different editions, translations, or critical works give Christine’s name as Christine de Pisan and others as Christine de Pizan. The first edition of this present translation carried Christine de Pisan on the titlepage, but now it appears as Christine de Pizan. The change to the Pizan spelling has now become general, although major libraries and reference works still list her as Pisan. The change has come about because of the discovery that Christine used Pizan herself and the argument that, as the name derives from the town of Pizzano and not Pisa, the z in the name must be more authentic.1

  Sarah Lawson

  London

  PART ONE

  1. The beginning of the three Virtues’ book of instruction for ladies.

  After I built the City of Ladies1 with the help and by the commandment of the three Ladies of Virtue, Reason, Rectitude and Justice, in the form and manner explained in the text of that book, and after I, more than anyone else, had worked so hard to finish the project and felt so exhausted by the long and continual exertion, I wanted only to rest and be idle for a while. But those same three ladies appeared to me again, and all three lost no time in saying the same kind of thing to me: ‘What, my studious daughter, have you already put away the tool of your intelligence and consigned it to silence? Have you let your ink dry and abandoned your pen and the labour of your right hand, when you used to take such pleasure in it? Do you now intend to take seriously the propaganda of Laziness, who, if you are inclined to believe it, will sing sweetly to you: “You have done enough. It is time that you had a rest.”

  ‘But don’t you know that Seneca2 says that, although after great labour the wise person rests his mind,3 now is not the time to abandon good work? It is not like you to be among those who give up in mid-course. The knight who leaves the field of battle before the moment of victory is deeply shamed, for the laurel wreath belongs to those who persevere. Now stand up and make your hand ready; get up out of the ashes of indolence!

  ‘Hear our lectures and you will accomplish good work. We do not want to overwork you, but we have considered our virtuous labours, discussed them, and made a decision with the counsel of virtues and the example of God, who in the beginning of the world that He had created saw that His work was good and He blessed it. Then He made man and woman and the animals. Similarly may that preceding work of ours, the City of Ladies, which is good and useful, be blessed and exalted throughout the entire world so that this same work may be further disseminated.

  ‘We hope that just as the wise birdcatcher readies his cage before he may take his birds, so,
after the shelter of honoured ladies is made and prepared, devices and traps may be set with your help as before. You will spread fine and noble nets and snares that we will provide you throughout the land in the places and localities and in all the corners where ladies and generally all women pass and congregate, so that those who are wild and hard to tame can be grabbed, taken and snared in our nets so that no one or very few who get caught can escape and all or the largest part of them may be installed in the cage of our glorious city, where they may take up the sweet song of those who are already sheltered there as sovereign ladies and who unceasingly sing hosannas in harmony with the blessed angels.’

  Then I, Christine, hearing the soft voices of my very reverend mentors, filled with joy and trembling, immediately roused myself and knelt before them and offered myself in obedience to their noble wishes. Then I received from them this command: ‘Take your pen and write. Blessed will they be who live in our city to swell the number of citizens of virtue. May all the feminine college and their devout community be apprised of the sermons and lessons of wisdom. First of all to the queens, princesses and great ladies, and then on down the social scale we will chant our doctrine to the other ladies and maidens and all classes of women, so that the syllabus of our school may be valuable to all.’ Amen.

  2. The three Virtues urge all princesses and great ladies to come to their school. Their first teaching is to love and fear God.

  From us three sisters, daughters of God, named Reason, Rectitude and Justice, to all princesses, empresses, queens, duchesses and high-born ladies ruling over the Christian world, and generally to all women: loving greetings.

  Be it known that as charitable love prompts us to desire the well-being and spiritual development, the honour and prosperity of all women, and to wish the downfall and destruction of everything that could prevent them, we feel moved to address some words of instruction to you. Come, therefore, everyone, to the school of wisdom. Ladies raised to high estate, in spite of your greatness do not be ashamed to humble yourselves enough to hear our lessons, for, according to the word of God, whosoever humbles himself will be raised up.1 What in this world is more pleasant or more delectable to those who desire worldly riches than gold and precious stones? But yet those riches cannot enhance an ambitious person as much as virtues do, for virtues are nobler, because they endure forever and are the treasures of the soul; which is everlasting, while the others pass away like smoke, and so those who have tasted them desire them all the more ardently, more than any other earthly thing can be desired. Therefore it is fitting that those men and women who are placed by grace and good fortune in the highest estates should be provided with the very best things. And since virtues are the food of our table, we are pleased to distribute them first to those ladies to whom we speak, that is, to the above-mentioned princesses, and this will be the foundation of our teaching: first of all the love of and the fear of Our Lord, for this is the cardinal principle of wisdom, from which all the other virtues spring.

  Therefore listen, princesses and ladies honoured on earth, how first of all above all else you must love and fear Our Lord. Why love Him? For His infinite goodness and for the very great blessings that you receive from Him. Fear Him for His divine and holy justice, which leaves nothing unpunished. If you have this love and fear constantly in view, you will infallibly be on the way to the goal where our instruction will lead you, that is, to the virtues. Now this is true, and there is no doubt that all hearts that love God well should show it by good works, as He Himself says in the Gospel: ‘My father’s lambs love me and I watch over them.’2 That is, the creatures who love Him follow in His footsteps, which are virtuous, and He keeps them from all dangers. This is the way that the princess who loves Him shows it, for whatever duties or occupations she has due to the magnificence of her position, she will always keep before her eyes the light of the straight and narrow path. This light will combat temptations and the shadows of sin and vices and will conquer them and dispel them in the manner contained in what follows.

  3. How temptations can come to a high-born princess.

  When the princess or high-born lady wakes up in the morning, she sees herself lying luxuriously in her bed between soft sheets, surrounded by rich accoutrements and everything for bodily comfort, and ladies-in-waiting around her focusing all their attention on her and seeing that she lacks for nothing, ready to run to her if she gives the least sigh or if she breathes a word, their knees flexed to administer any service to her and to obey all her commands. And so it often happens that Temptation will assail her, singing sweetly: ‘By Almighty God, is there in this world a greater lady than you or one with more authority? To whom should you defer, for don’t you take precedence over everyone else? This or that woman, even if she is married to a great prince, cannot be compared to you. You are richer, or have a better lineage, or are more respected because of your children, more feared, and more renowned and wield more authority because of your husband’s power. Therefore who would dare to displease you in any way? Would you not well and truly avenge yourself with such power and such other advantages?

  ‘Therefore there is no one so great that you do not have power over him. Any time such and such a man or woman is arrogant towards you and presumptuously intends to harm you and does such and such a thing to cause your displeasure, you can avenge yourself later when you see your chance, and you will be able to do it very well with the power you have.’

  But what good does it do you to do that?

  ‘No one accomplishes anything, however skilled he may be, nor is anyone feared if he has no money or considerable financial resources. If you can manage to amass treasure so that you can look after your own needs, it is the surest course and the best friend you can have. Who would dare to disobey you, seeing that you have great resources to dispense? If you pay only low wages, your servants will still serve you gladly in the hope of eventually getting more money, for your wealth will be well known. You will have no trouble with this, and if there is any talk about it, such gossip cannot hurt you. What should you care? All you have to worry about is pleasing yourself. You have only your leisurely life in this world – what else can you need? You cannot lack for wines and foods; you can have them whenever you like, and every other pleasure. In brief, you need not bother about anything else except having all the delight and all the amusement that you can in this world. No one has a good time if he does not provide it for himself. You must have a carefree heart to make you happy and to give you a merry life. You must have such gowns, such ornaments, such jewels and such clothing made in a particular way and of a particular cut. It’s no more than you deserve.’

  4. How the good princess who loves and fears Our Lord can resist temptations by means of divine inspiration.

  All the above-mentioned things or similar ones are the dishes that Temptation sets before everyone who lives a life of ease and pleasure. But what will the good princess do when she feels herself tempted in this way? Then she will need the unshakeable love and fear of Our Lord God Jesus Christ, who will teach her some home truths, speaking like this: ‘O foolish and ill-advised simpleton, what can you be thinking of? Have you forgotten what you really are? Don’t you realize that you are a poor and miserable creature, frail, weak, and subject to all infirmities, passions, diseases and other pains that a mortal body can suffer? What advantage do you have over anyone else? What advantage would a pile of earth covered by finery have over one that was under a poor rag? O pitiful creature given to sin and every vice, do you want then, in that case, to ignore your true essence and forget how this wretched vessel empty of any virtue, that desires honours and comforts so much, will break and die shortly? It will be food for the worms and will rot in the earth as much as the poorest woman there is, and the unhappy soul will take with it nothing except the good or evil that the wretched body has done on earth. What will honours be worth to you then, or possessions or your family, which you boast of so much in this world? Will they help you in the torments you
will endure if you have lived wickedly in this world? Certainly not, but rather everything that you have abused will lead you to ruin. Alas, pitiful woman, it would have been better for you to have lived a troubled life as a poor woman than to be elevated to such great rank, which will be (if you are not on your guard against it) the cause of your damnation. For it is difficult to be among the flames without getting burned.

  ‘Don’t you know what God says in the Gospel, that the poor are blessed and that theirs is the kingdom of heaven?1 And elsewhere He says that a rich man can no more enter paradise than a laden camel can go through the eye of a needle.2