Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
SignatureandVoiceintheQueen’sMS
39
Onthesecondpageofthedossier,foundonfol.237v,asnotedabove,
Christineintroducesthedebaters.Shelistsherselfusingthesacredsignature,
Ixpinedepizan’,andthenfollowsitwithfveinstancesofIxpine’beforetran-
scribingGontierCol’slettertoher,inwhichheaddressesChristinewiththe
words,"Aprudent,honoreeetsçaventdamoisellexpine",torequestacopyof
herreplytoJeandeMontreuil.Athttp://www.pizan.lib.ed.ac.uk/gallery/
pages/237v.htm,wecanseehownearthetopofthesecondcolumnChristine
exuberantlydecoratesthefrstletteroftheword«femme»whenshetran-
scribesthesecondpartofhiscomplimentarysalutationtoher.Gontier’ssec-
ondletteropenswithasimilarsalutationacknowledgingChristine’sintelli-
gence,butthistimeheaddsthathehasheardfromotherillustriousmenthat
hertalentsareknownfarandwide.IntranscribingGontier’ssecondletter,
Christinealsohighlightshiscomplimentarysalutationtoher.Inboth,Gontier
implicitlyrecognizesherstatusasaclergessewhocanholdherownamong
clercs28.Bymeansofherarrangementofthetwoepistlesonthepage,Christine
foregroundherauthorityinaclerklydebate.
TograspthefullforceofChristine’sstrategiesasscribeandeditor29,let
uslookatherinteractionswithGontierasshepresentsthemintheRoseDe-
bateEpistles,whereshegivesastrongdirectrebuttaltohisargumentsand
insultstoherfeminineintelligence.Onfol.237vsheintroducesGontieras
adebaterandthenpresentstheletterhewrotetoheron13September1402,
inwhichheasksherforacopyofherreplytoJeandeMontreuil’streatise.
Hisfrstlettercontainstheinsultthatmoreillustriouspeopleareusingher
asacoverorIrainhat’(thefamous"chappeapluye")sothattheirstanding
willnotbeharmedbytheattacksagainstsogreatanauthorityasJeande
Meun.Onfol.241vChristinetranscribesGontierCol’ssecondletter,dated
15September1401.Thereheasksherto"corrigeretamenderdel’erreuret
magnifestefolieoudemencetropgrantatoyvenueparpresompcionou
oultrecuidanceetcommefemmepacionnéeencestematiere".
InherletteroflateSeptember1401,foundonfol.242r,Christineresponds
directlytoGontier’sinsulttoherfeminineintelligencebysaying:"Etsetu
tantdesprisesmesraisonspourlapetitecedemafaculté(laquelletume
repprochesdedirecommefemmeetc.)".Inadditiontoherdirectrebuttalof
28
ForastudyofChristine’suseofthetermclergesse,seeClaireLeNinan,"Portraitsde
l’écrivainenclergessedansquelquesœuvrespolitiquesdeChristinedePizan",Cahiersdere-
cherchesmédiévalesethumanistes,23,2012,p.243-258.
29SeeLoriJ.Walters,"LeRôleduscribedansl’organisationdesmanuscritsdesromansde
ChrétiendeTroyes",Romania,106,1985,p.303-325andElspethKennedy,"TheScribeasEditor",
inMélangesJeanFrappier,Genève,Droz,1970,t.1,p.523-531.
