Customer Reviews

The Treasure of the City of Ladies: or The Book of Three Virtues (Penguin Classics)

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I'd never heard of this remarkable woman before I bought this book, and I'm shocked that she isn't more publicized. The Treasure of the City of Ladies is a collection of advice for every woman in the medieval world, with none of the segments longer than 1-2 pages. It's not the easiest read in the world, but the advice is relieved with tongue-in-cheek humor. The author's interests are wide, so even though much of her advice refers to nobility, she also covers servants and regular people. This is a great research book for anyone interested in women during this era. I found this book very refreshing because, unlike other writings of the time, it refuses to believe that women are inherently weaker or prone to evil. And surprisingly, much of the author's advice is still applicable today.

I personally find this book to be useful for the modern individual as well as the noble lady of the High Middle Ages, with only a very few mental changes. It combines ideals for the mind and soul with practical advice on marriage and running a household. The second section that offers advice for women of every social class down to beggars and prostitutes is fascinating. I find the book pleasant reading -- in fact, I am about to buy a second copy as my first is wearing out, and a copy as a gift for a friend.
I have a different take on this book than some, in that I am a member of an historical re-creation organization that studies and lives Medieval and Renaissance Europe. Christine de Pisan was writing for the woman that I am on the weekends. I tell my fellow historians that I think this book should be a required read for our queens, princesses, and noble ladies, and at least one knight of my aquaintance makes his squires read it as being useful for everyone.

Who would think of a 600 year old book being relevant to modern women? But it is. de Pisan provides insight into the mindset of another world (France in the 1400s) as well as engaging observations of women, men, and how they lived in her world. Her ideas and advice still offer insight into modern American culture -- we inherit many influences from mainland Europe and its own history. The richness of her observations of human nature and adept interpolations from her own experience also transcend language and culture barriers. Bear with the old prose and medieval literary trappings. It's fascinating.

Christine de Pisan was the first European woman known to have earned a living as a professional writer, and in this intriguing book she offers advice on conduct for women of all classes. A great emphasis is placed on religious observence and piety, as one would expect in an age when religion was an important part of most people's lives, but the book also offers a great deal of practical advice for women about how to manage their lives.

A baroness, we are told:

'ought to have the heart of a man, that is she ought to know how to use weapons and be familiar with everything that pertains to them, so thta she may be ready to command her men if the need arises. She should know how to launch an attack or defend against one, if the situation calls for it.'

medieval ladies had to be able to turn their hand to anything.

Sometimes her advice is posititvely modern, as for instance when she comments on the gap in understanding between the old and the young:

'There is quite often argument and discord, as much in outlook as in conversation, between old people and young ones, to the point that they can hardly stand each other, as though they were members of two different species.'

Evidently not that much has changed in the last 600 years.

Although Christine de Pisan mostly concentrated on describing how her readers should live the ideal life, sometimes she vividly describes women who are less than ideal. In the section on artisans' wives for instance, she writes disapprovingly:

'She too ought to stay at home gladly and not go every day traipsing hither and yon gossiping with the neighbours and visiting her chums to find out what everyone is doing. That is done by slovenly housewives roaming about the town in groups.'

I rather like the image of the cheerful housewives roaming about in groups.

I would recommend this fascinating book to anyone interested in medieval women, or in medieval history in general, or in women in general.

Please note that this book is not The Book of the City of Ladies.

This book of precepts is a fundamentalist Catholic text. Because `you are a poor and miserable creature that will die shortly, food for the worms', I shall write a book for you about the perfect moral behavior necessary to gain a place in Heaven.
What is this moral behavior?
First, humility, `although it is appropriate to the rank of her husband and of her class that she should receive honors.'
Secondly, `just hypocrisy', `although almsgiving should be done secretly, it would be better to give publicly because she would set a good example for others.'
Third, charity. `She has such great pity for people she sees in sin and misery that she weeps for them as though their distress were her own.'
Fourth, justice: an unjust God? `If you recognize that temporal wealth has come to you from God, you would think that God, who has not divided the wealth equally, was unjust ... not at all, because he has done it so that in giving and distributing to the poor, you can deserve your wealth from God.'
And the poor themselves? `We exhort them to patience because of the hope of the crown that is promised them. Waiting for the possession of Heaven by the merit of poverty patiently borne, rejoice in this great promise of joy!'

This book throws also a shrill light on the role of the confessor as an intriguer: `Because she is on friendly terms with her confessor, if she sees in her husband any spot of foul sin, she will have her confessor tell him'.
This reminds one of the role of the `sacrament' of confession in the Catholic Church, where women were terrorized and insulted: You have two children, but for a number of years you have no children anymore. What are you doing? This is not a catholic behavior. You will be damned!

However, there is one extremely positive point in her catechism: her anti-war stance. `Bearing in mind the great evils and infinite cruelties, destruction, massacres and detriments to the country that result from war.'
This `book of the three virtues' is a perfect example of a medieval religious text. It has only historical value.