Description

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An early Tudor translation of the Cité des dames, a crucial argument written by Christine de Pizan on the importance of women.

Christine de Pizan's defense of women against centuries of misogyny, Cité des dames, was the only work of literature translated into English by Brian Anslay, an administrator in the household of King Henry VII. While numerous manuscripts were held in royal and aristocratic libraries, Anslay’s printed translation enabled a broader range of readers to appreciate the arguments for female rule crucial to the reigns of Mary I and Elizabeth I. Anslay’s translation also played a key role in the late-nineteenth-century revival of interest in Christine. This modernization of Anslay’s Tudor English makes his translation accessible to contemporary readers while preserving the rhythms of early Tudor prose. It includes an extensive introduction and notes highlighting both the history of the language and the cultural references embodied in the text.
 

About the Author

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Christine de Pizan (c.1365–c.1431) was the first professional European woman of letters. 

Christine Reno is professor emerita of French and Francophone studies at Vassar College. 

Karen Robertson is a senior lecturer emerita of English and women’s studies at Vassar College. 

Brian Anslay (d. 1536) was a trusted member of the royal household of Henry VII. 

Praise For…

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"Christine Reno and Karen Robertson present a deft transcription into modernized early modern English of Brian Anslay’s 1521 translation from Middle French of Christine de Pizan’s celebrated Cité des dames, first produced in manuscript around 1405. Anslay’s translation is an invaluable resource for studies of Christine and her legacy, for discussions of gender and authority in late medieval and early modern England and Europe, and for translation and the history of the book. The volume includes a concise introduction and useful glossary, while the text is accompanied by ample notes that explicate the mythological and historical personages who populate the City of Ladies. This important book is a delight to read and will inspire future work on Christine."
— Roberta L. Krueger, Burgess Professor Emerita of French and Francophone Studies, Hamilton College