The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-08-24

10 many OF her readers. Like other literary |
ladies, she complained of envy and persecution, |
but she perseveres through all difficulties, and |
dedicates her book Ito the King"
Marie was born in France. Some authorities |
suppose she wrote III England during the reign |
OF Henry III, and that the patron she names |
was william Langue-espee, who died in 1926;
others, that this ptUs UdiHd1t patron was Will |
liam, Count OF Flanders, who accompanied st.
LOUIS his first crusade in l2lS, and was killed
at tournament in 1851. A later sur
mise is that the book was dedicated to
stephen, French being his native Ian
guage. Among the manuscripts OF the
Bibliotheque Royale at Paris is Maries transla-
ton OF tn fables which Henry Beauclerc trans
lated from Latin into English and which Marie
renders into French. A proof that Ma7te's
poems are extremely ancient is deduced from
the names in one oil these tables applied to the
vol and the ioX. She uses other names than
those OF Ysengrin and Renard, which were
introduced as early as the reign of Cmur de
Lion, and it would seem that she could
not have failed to notice these remark
able names, had they existed in her time.
a complete collection of the works of
Paris in 1920, by NJ. de RoQuefort, who speaks
of her in the following terms:-"She possessed
that penetration which distinguishes at first
sight the different passions OF mankind which
seIzes upon the different forms they assume,
and remarking the objects of their notice,
discovers at the same time the means by which
they are attained" If this be true statement,
the acuteness OF feminine observation has
gained but little in the progress of the centuries
and her literary sisters of the present era can
hardly hope to eclipse the penetration of Marie
de France.
The Countesses de Die, supposed to be mother
and daughter were both poetesses. The elder
lady was beloved by Rabaud d'Orange, who
died in ll73, and the younger is celebrated by
William Adhemar q distinguished troubadour.
He was visited on his death.bed by both these
ladies, who afterwards erected o monument to
his memory. The younger countess retired to
a convent, and died soon after Adhemar.
script containing the writings of Christine de
Pisan, a distinguished woman OF the fourteenth
century. Her father, Thomas de Psan, a cele-
brated sdudnt OF Bologna, had married daugh.
ter of member OF the Grand Council of
Venice. So renowned was Thomas de Psan
that the kings of Hungary and France deter
mined to win him away from Bologna. Charles
OF France, surnamed the Wise, was
successful, and Thomas de Psan went to Paris
in 1868, bis transfer TO the French court
making great sensation among learned and
scientific circles of that day. Charles loaded
him with wealth and honors, and chose him
Astrologer Royal. According TO the history, as
told by Louisa Stuart Costello, IN her "SpeCi-
mems Of the Early Poetry of France" Christine
was but five years old when she accompanied
her parents to Paris, where she received every
advantage OF education, and, inherltng her
fathers literary tastes, early became learned in
languages and science. Her personal charms,
together with her fathers high favor at Court,
attracted many admirers. She married Stephen
Castel, a young gentleman OF Picardy, to whom
she was lenderly attached and whose chalact
she has drawn In most favorable colors. A
| few years passed happily, but, alas changes
| came. The king died. the pension and offices
| bestowed upon Thomas de Pisan were sus-
| pended, and the Astrologer Royal soon fol-
| lowed his patron beyond the stars. Caste
| was also deprived of his preterments; and
| though he maintained his wife and family for a
| time, he was cut off by death at thrtyfour
years of age.
Christine had need of all her energies to meet
|
| on so brilliant career Devotlng herself anew
| TO study, she determined to improve her talents
| for comG Gosltion, and to make her literary at
| tainmeDts means OF support for her children.
| The iust rat1ons in the manuscript volume Of
her works picture to us several scenes in Chris
tines life. In one, the artist has sliced off the
| side of house to allow us to see Christine in
her study, giving us also the exterior, roof and
| dormerwmdows, with points finished by
| gilt balls. The room is very small,
with crimson and white tapes,
try banging - Christine ia.I1S wears what
| literary ladies-blue, with the extraordinary
| two-peaked head-dress of the period, put on in
q. decidedly strong-minded manner. AT her feet
| sits white dog, small, but Wlse-looking, with a
cellar of gold bells round his neck. Before
| Christine stands a plain table, covered with
! green CLOTH her book, bound in crimson and
| gold, in which she is writing, lies before her.
Chrstine's style of holding the implements
| one in each hand-and the case of materials for
| her work which lie beside her, are according
| to representations of the ninidtOYi cali
graft at their labors; ana, as the art of
| calgraphY was well known at Bologna,
| so learned man as Thomas de Pisan must have
been acquainted with it, and would have caused
his talented daughter to be instructed in so
! rare an accomplishment. 1t is not therefore
| unreasonable to believe that, in the beaut1-
ful volume now in the British Museum, the
| work of Christine's hand, as well as the result
! OF her genius, is preserved. The next picture
shows us Christine presenting her book 10
| Charles VII of France, who IS dressed in a
! black robe edged with ermine; he wears a
[ golden belt, order, and crown. The king is
| seated beneath a canopy, blue, powdered
I beside him. dressed in robes of different
! colors-one in pink, and wear ng a large white
! hat of Quaker-like lasnlon. Christine has put
| on a white robe over her blue dress, perhaps as
| sign of mourning-she being then a widow.
| white veil depends from the peaks of her
| head-dress. She kneels before the king, and
| presents her book.
| Another and more elaborate picture repre-
| sents the repetition of the same ceremony before
| Isabelle OF Bavaria, queen OF Charles vi. We
| are here admitted into the private royal apart
ments of the fourteenth century. The hang
| ings of the apartment consist Of strips, upon
| which are alternately emblazoned the armorial
| devices of France and Bavaria. Acouch or bed,
| with square canopy covered with red and blue,
having the royal arms embroidered in the centre,
| stands on one side Of the room. The queen is
| seated upon q lounge of modern shape, covered
to correspond with the couch. She Is dressed
| in a splendid robe OF purple and gold, with long
| sleeves sweeping the ground, lined with ermine;
upon her head arises structure OF stuffed rolls,
| heavy in material and covered with jewels,
| which shoots up into two high peaks above her
forehead. six ladies are in waiting, two in
black and gold, with the same enormous
| headgears. They sit on the edge of
her Maiesty's sofa, while four ladies of