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.
 

Christine de Pizan (c.1365–c.1431) was the first professional European woman of letters. Brian Anslay (d. 1536) was a trusted member of the royal household of Henry VII. 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.

Acknowledgments
Illustrations
Abbreviations

INTRODUCTION
The Other Voice
Life and Works of Christine de Pizan
Christine de Pizan’s City of Ladies
Brian Anslay, Henry Pepwell, and Richard Grey, Third Earl of Kent
Brian Anslay’s Translation
Editorial Principles and Practices

THE BOOK OF THE CITY OF LADIES
Opening Rubric
Table of Contents, First Part
Prologue of the Printer
The First Part
Table of Contents, Second Part
The Second Part
Table of Contents, Third Part
The Third Part

Glossary

Bibliography
Index