INTRODUCTION 



THE recent researches of scholars and students 

 have brought the study of mediaeval times 

 within the range of almosf any one who 

 cares to live in imagination in the past. No 

 part of this study has been more advanced 

 and made more informing to us than 

 that which regards the individual. This is 

 specially true of womankind, of whom we have 

 learnt somewhat, in some instances from their 

 own writings, and in others from allusions to 

 their work in those of contemporary and later 

 writers, and also, incidentally, from the vast 

 storehouse of didactic literature, which is so 

 suggestive in itself, reflecting through successive 

 centuries, as it seems to do, the standard of 

 conduct of the large majority. But on this 

 subject a very large one, and only partially 

 explored light can only be thrown gradually. 

 For this there are various reasons. One is that, 

 until comparatively recent times, the small details 

 of everyday life which go so largely to make 



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