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SignatureandVoiceintheQueen’sMS
35
ThespellingIxpine’isfoundawhopping19timesonceintherubricannounc-
ingChapter10,and18timeswithinthechapteritself.Signifcantly,thename
writtenasICristine’occursonlyonce,butatakeymoment,whenJesusChrist
namesthesaintwithhisownname,crownsher,andplacesastaronherhead
(fol.368r,line13).
TociteBrownlee:
Theonomasticlinkherefguresthespirituallinkofauthorization,for
ChristineasspeakingsubjectisunderwrittenbyChrist.Becauseofher
divinelyconferredbaptismalname,sheliterallyspeaksIounomde
JhesuCrist’.
ByhavingbeenbaptizedwiththenameofStChristine,theauthorherself
beneftsfromdivineauthorizationwhenshepraystoherpatronsaintatthe
chapter’sconclusion.Itisatthispointthatsheintervenesforthefrsttime
inthevoiceoftheauthorChristine19.Signifcantly,shebearswitnesstothe
saint’sholylegendbyplacingitinherownwritings("enmesescriptures").As
Brownleestates,Christineactsasthesaint’shagiographer.TothisIaddthat
inthecontextoftheQueen’sMS,shedoessospecifcallybywritingdownthe
wordsofthesaint’slife(«laquellepourtareverenceayrecordeeassezaulong»,
myemphasis).Christine’sauthorityasauthorandashagiographerisheight-
enedbythefactthatsheisthepersonactuallytranscribingthewordsontothe
page.ThroughouttheQueen’sMSshepowerfullyappropriatesChristianau-
thoritybysigningherownnameusingthedivineabbreviation.Atthesame
timeshereinforcestheQueen’sauthorityasthefemalerepresentativeofthe
bodypoliticatatimewhenKingCharlesVIwassubjecttointermittentbouts
ofmentalillnessrenderinghimunabletoruleeffectively.
InothertextsChristinefrequentlyrepresentsherselfasthevoiceofthe
bodypolitic,avoicethatbyturnsisadvisory,prophetic,andconciliatory,
seekingpeaceaboveallothergoods.Intheonesurviving(autograph)manu-
scriptoftheLamentacion,shecouplesheruseofthedivineabbreviation,xpine,
withareferencetoherselfasavoicecryingoutinthekingdom.InParis,BnF,
fr.24864,whichsheon23August,1410addressedtoboththequeenofFrance,
QueenYsabeldeBavière20,andtoJeandeBerry,theopeningrubricreads:
"Lalamentacionxpinedepizan".Shesignsherselfatitsendasa"unepauvre
voixcriantenceroyaume,desireusedepaixetdubiendevoustous,vostre
servantexpine,meueentrésjusteentente,dointveoirlajournee!Amen".
19Ibid.,p.131.
20IspelltheQueen’snameasChristinedoesintheQueen’sMSandinallherotherpresenta-
tioncopies.
