CHRISTINE DE PISAN 



the story, perhaps to evade identification, ends 

 vaguely. But as we finish the story, we cannot 

 help feeling that even if Christine's setting is 

 fiction, she yet gives us a glance of real life. 



When Christine turned to her serious work 

 in the cause of womankind, she began by 

 attacking two books, Ovid's Art of Love, and 

 The Romance of the Rose, both of which, in the 

 Middle Ages, it was deemed wellnigh sacri- 

 legious to decry. Her challenge, L'Epistre au 

 Dieu a" Amours, took the form of an address to the 

 God of Love, professing to come from women 

 of all conditions, imploring Cupid's aid against 

 disloyal and deceitful lovers, whose base be- 

 haviour she largely attributes to the false teach- 

 ing of these two books. This argument appeared 

 in 1399, and she soon discovered that she had 

 stirred up a hornet's nest. But she had attacked 

 advisedly and fearlessly, and was quite prepared 

 for any counter onslaught. Her position was 

 considerably strengthened by the alliance and 

 co-operation of her staunch friend Gerson, the 

 Chancellor, who himself, in the name of the 

 clergy, took up arms against the flagrant scur- 

 rility to be found in the portion of The Romance 

 of the Rose contributed by Jean de Meun. Other 

 powerful allies joined the cause, and, to help to 

 crystallise their efforts, species of " Courts of 

 Love " were instituted, not alone for discourse 

 on love, as heretofore, but also in the defence 

 of women. All who united in this meritorious 

 fellowship undertook to wear a distinctive badge, 



