Prudence for every estate
Compare the counsel given to princesses, estate managers, townswomen and poor women in the Book of the Three Virtues.
An original introduction. This guide accompanies the work; it is neither the complete text nor a translation.
Situating the text
Completed in 1405 and dedicated to Margaret of Burgundy, wife of the dauphin, the book is also known as The Treasure of the City of Ladies. It was printed in Paris in 1497 and 1503 and translated into Portuguese in 1518. The three ladies of the City return to instruct women of every estate, from queens and princesses to ladies at court, estate managers, townswomen, merchants’ and artisans’ wives, servants, prostitutes, peasants and the poor. Love of God comes first, followed by the worldly prudence each station requires.
Following the arguments
Peacemaker : A wise princess uses her position to mediate between the prince and his barons and to avert war. Household : A lady managing lands should know feudal law, revenues and accounts so that she can act in her husband’s absence. Reputation : Prudence teaches every woman to guard her good name, because slander can ruin those with little power.
Continuing the reading
Read the princess’s chapter on making peace, then the chapters on artisans’ and laborers’ wives, to compare the advice across ranks. Completed in 1405 and dedicated to Margaret of Burgundy, wife of the dauphin, the book is also known as The Treasure of the City of Ladies. It was printed in Paris in 1497 and 1503 and translated into Portuguese in 1518.
Christine’s practical ethics joins virtue to foresight, adapting one moral ideal to very unequal lives.
Your turn to think.
- How does the advice change when the reader’s rank and resources change?
- Where does prudence protect women, and where does it accept the limits of their situation?
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