The Epistle of the Prison of Human Life

With an Epistle to the Queen of France and Lament on the Evils of the Civil War

Christine de Pizan

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9780429647345
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Medieval Literary Collections
• Index: Literature

Originally published in 1984, the three epistolary works of Christine de Pizan, alongside their translation. They are all personal documents from a woman who gave spiritual advice as well as an insight into the real workings of her society.

The Epistle of the Prison of Human Life

Cy commence l’epistre de la prison de vie humaine et d’avoir reconfort de mort d’amis et pacience en adversité.

Pour aucunement trouver remede et medicine a la griefve maladie et enfermeté d’amertume de cuer et tristece de pensee, par quoy flus de lermes–le quel a l’ame a tel cause ne puet prouffiter, ne au corps valoir–peust estre restraint et remis qui tant a couru et encores, dont c’est pitié, ne cesse entre meismement les roynes, princesses, baronnesses, dames, damoiselles du noble sang royal de France et generalment le plus des femmes d’onneur frappees de ceste pestillence en cestui françois royaume, a cause tant de diverses mors ou prises de leurs prouchains, si comme maris, enfans, freres, oncles, cousins, affins et amis; les uns deffunts par bataille, les autres trespassez naturelment en leurs lis, comme de maintes pertes et autres diverses infortunes et aventures obliquement puis un temps survenues; aviser comment se aucune chose proposer et ramener a memoire porroit servir et estre valable a aucun reconfort, dont du quel nombre des adoulees a ceste cause; redoubtee princesse, ma Dame Marie de Berry, Duchesse de Bourbon et d’Auvergne, tu n’as pas–dont il me poise–esté, ne n’es exempte ne exceptee; et pour tant comme les merites de ta large charité a moy estendue en cestui temps d’affliction presente ou amis sont faillis aient esté a mon petit estat vesval aidier a gouverner singulier secours–Dieu, par sa grace, retribueur t’en soit–comme de ce et d’autres tes bienfais recongnoissant et non ingrate, desireuse d’en aucune chose comme obligiee te povoir servir, a toy premierement des princesses de ce dit royaume, quoyque par mouvement d’autre en feusse chargee, sera adreciee ceste mienne epistre, qui, semblablement et par consequant puist estre valable a toutes les autres encheues es susdittes doleurs.

Donques, haute princesse, je, ton humble servant, meu de pitié et de loyale et vraie affection, comme dés pieça

Here begins the epistle on the prison of human life and how to find comfort with the death of friends and patience in adversity.

In order somehow to find a remedy and a cure for the severe malady and infirmity caused by a bitter heart and sad thoughts, a remedy which might restrain and dry up a flood of tears that can benefit neither the soul nor be of value to the body, and that has run and runs still–which is a pity–even among the queens, princesses, baronesses, ladies and young girls of the noble royal blood of France, and in general among most of the ladies-in-waiting, who have been stricken by this pestilence in this French kingdom: because of so many various deaths and abductions of kin–husbands, sons, brothers, uncles, cousins, relatives and friends, some killed in battles, others passing away naturally in their beds–and of so many losses and other various misfortunes and adventures which have occurred unexpectedly for some time; in order also to see if recalling anything to mind can be of help and be of use in consolation, since among the many ladies afflicted by this, Revered Princess, my Lady Mary of Berry, Duchess of Bourbon and Auvergne,¹ you have not been–so it seems to me–exempt or excepted; and therefore, because the merits of your great charity, extended to me in this present time of affliction when friends are missing, have been helpful to my humble widowed state in providing a personal assistance–may God, by His grace, reward you for it!–and because I recognize and am not ungrateful for all this and other good deeds of yours, and wishing to be able to help you in anything, to you first of all among the princesses of this kingdom, this epistle of mine will be addressed–although someone else has commissioned it–and it consequently can also be of value to all who have fallen in the aforementioned sufferings.

Therefore, High Princess, because I, your humble servant, moved by pity and loyal and true affection, began ceste present oeuvre je eusse encommenciee, dont l’excusacion de plus tost n’avoir achevé diray en la fin, mais comme mieux vaille tart que jamais et qu’encores ne soit, dont il me poise, si comme sont faucilles aprés aoust, veu la male disposicion du temps qui adés continue–Dieu, par sa grace, y vueille brief remedier–m’y suis reprise en entencion de, par la Dieu grace, la traire a bonne fin; et pour ce qu’achoison de mort d’amis qui souvent advient est la principal douleur qui ait grevé les cuers des loyales dames bien amantes, comme ce soit chose inrecouvrable et fort a oublier, sera le fondement de ceste mienne epistre prise sur celle matiere en donnant reconfort.

Et pour tant en ta personne qui bien en a eue sa part, je parleray a toutes semblablement, en faisant mon devoir, par moien d’escripture, selon mon petit savoir et congnoissance, de te ramentevoir aucunes raisons a propos prises et puisiees tant en hystoires approuvees comme es Saintes Escriptures, qui te pevent et doivent mouvoir a restraindre et delaissier l’effusion de lermes qui par grant douleur souvent habondent sur ta face, a cause de la perte de la chevalerie françoise et pour la grant quantité des trés nobles et dignes princes royaulx de France, si prouchains et affins de ton sang, que mors ou pris comme mary, filz, pere, cousins germains, que ducs, que contes, et tant haute gent, t’en trouver seule et desnuee; quoyque, la Dieu grace, tous sans reprouche, ains trés honnorablement, des trespassez: les uns naturelment comme catholiques en fin glorieuse et congnoissance de leur Createur, trés crestiennement et en grant humilité; les autres contre les ennemis anglois, assaillans d’une part, et eulx deffendeurs de l’autre, avec les martirs de Dieu esleus en la juste deffense par bataille, fais obeissans jusques a la mort pour justice soustenir et le droit de la couronne françoise et leur souverain seigneur, des quelz et pour les quelz et leurs semblables, dit l’Euvangille: “Beneurez sont ceulx qui seuffrent pour justice”; et trés noble et redoubtee Dame, avant que plus oultre je procede en ceste matiere, suppli humblement ton humaine debonnaireté, que n’ait a mal se en singulier je this work a long time ago (and I will tell at the end the reason why I did not finish it earlier, but since late is better than never, or so it seems to me that it is, just like scythes after August, considering the unfortunate disposition of the time which continues–may God, by His grace, remedy it quickly!–), I have gone back to the task, intending with the grace of God to draw it to an end; and because the death of friends which has been occurring frequently is the main sorrow which has grieved the hearts of loyal and loving ladies, and since this is a thing from which one cannot recover and which is hard to forget, the foundation of my epistle will be set upon this subject, while giving comfort.

And yet through you, who have had to bear your share [of grief], I shall speak to all ladies alike, in doing my duty by means of the written word, in so far as my meager wisdom and knowledge are able, in calling to mind the reasons culled, as the occasion called for, from accepted stories as from the Holy Scriptures; and these can and should restrain and stop the effusion of tears which, in your great grief flow often on your face, because of the loss of French chivalry, and for the great number of very noble and worthy royal princes of France, so close and akin to your blood, dead or captive, such as husbands, sons fathers, first cousins, or dukes, counts, and so many high persons of whom you find yourself deprived and devoid;² although all of the deceased, by the grace of God, died beyond reproach and honorably–some naturally as Catholics in a glorious end and in knowledge of their Creator, in a very Christian manner and in great humility; others, attacking the English enemies on one side, and resisting on the other as just defenders, were elected with God’s martyrs through battle, and were made obedient until death to sustain justice and the right of the French crown and their sovereign Lord; of them and for them and their fellowmen the Gospel says: “Blessed be those who suffer for justice”;³ and, Noble and Revered Lady, before I go any further in this matter, I humbly beg your Goodness not to think badly of me parle a toy, c’est assavoir par tu, ainsi comme meismement autrefois ay parlé en mes petites escriptures et epistres a ton trés noble pere, l’excellent duc de Berry–dont l’ame soit au ciel–et a maints autres princes et princesses, suivant le stille en ceste partie des poëtes et orateurs.

A mon premier propos, trés noble Dame, pour ce que les paroles dittes et venues de moy pourroient estre de trop petite efficace au regart de ta grant douleur, en te demoustrant et ramentevant matiere de pacience, te plaise au fort vouloir adjouster foy a la Sainte Escripture et a ce que les glorieux dotteurs et maints sages atteurs ont dit, tant d’avoir pacience es choses adverses que Fortune livre par diverses aventures, comme de la gloire et beneurté de ceulx qui meurent en grace, entre les quelz bien mors, ma trés redoubtee Dame, povons, par les signes catholiques et vraies conjettures qui de ce nous ont fait demoustrance, comprendre ceulx dessusdis, les quelz nature et pitié filiale et fraternelle te fait tant plaindre; pour la quel chose te puis faire une tel question et demande, c’est assavoir, le quel party plus tost esliroies: ou que yceulx feussent encore au monde vivans et estre y deussent, tant comme tu vivras ou assez plus, mais neantmoins feust telle l’aventure ou la destinee qu’emprisonnez tout leur vivant demourassent en peril de mort par chascun jour, usant leur vie en divers travaulx, perilz, dangiers et cuisençons; ou qu’il feust ainsi que un chascun d’eulx feust esleu estre empereur d’un tel monde que cestui est, et possible feust que jamais ne mourussent, ains a tousjours vesquissent en toute prosperité, seingneurie, joye, transquilité, et paix? Certes, ma Dame, je ne doubte pas que plus chier aroies ce que pour toy meismes tu esliroies: c’est a savoir le derrain des susdis .ii. partis. O redoubtee Dame, ne croirons-nous donques les Saintes Escriptures et la foy de Dieu vraie, sans la quelle avoir et tenir fermement, nul ne puet plaire a Dieu n’estre sauvé, si comme dit Saint Paul?

Et pour tant a propos dit Saint Bernart, que ceste vie mortele puet estre a un chascun figuree a la prison, car tout ainsi que la closture de la prison detient le prisonnier, si a destroit que user ne puet de ses mesmes vouloirs, n’acomplir ses desirs, ains communement a tout le contraire, semblablement, l’ame raisonnable, qui la plus noble partie est de l’omme, sans la quelle le corps n’est fors terre et pourreture, est detenue emprisonnee et liee dedens le corps tant comme elle y est, voire si contrainte et empeschiee par if I speak to you in the singular, that is by tu, just as I once spoke in my little writings and epistles to your very noble father, the excellent Duke of Berry–in Heaven rest his soul–and to many other princes and princesses, following in this the style of poets and orators.

36. Bernardus in margin

As to my first subject, Very Noble Lady, since my own words may be of little consequence with respect to your great sorrow, in showing you and calling to mind matters of patience, may it please you to give credence to the Holy Scriptures and to what the glorious doctors and many wise authors have written: as much concerning having patience in the adversities that Fortune doles out by means of various vicissitudes, as concerning the glory and the blessedness of those who die in grace; and among those who died well, my Very Revered Lady, we can, through the Catholic signs and the true manifestations which have shown this to us, include all those aforementioned men, for whom nature and filial and fraternal love make you grieve so; for this reason, I may ask you the following question and request, that is, which course would you choose: should those men still be alive in this world as long as you live or even longer, yet such should be their fate that they should remain imprisoned for the rest of their lives in deadly peril every day, wearing out their lives in various labors, perils, dangers, and torments; or should each of them be elected emperor of such a world as this, and possibly should never die, rather should live in total prosperity, power, joy, tranquility, and peace? Indeed, my Lady, I do not doubt that you would prefer the course that you would select for yourself: that is the second of the two. Oh, Revered Lady, shall we not believe the Holy Scriptures and have and firmly uphold the true faith of God, without which no one can be favored by God nor be saved, as Saint Paul says?⁴

And on that subject, Saint Bernard said that this mortal life can be, for all of us, compared to a prison,⁵ for just as the enclosure of a prison detains the prisoner so tightly that he cannot make use of his very intentions nor fulfill his desires, rather, he ordinarily experiences the opposite, in the same manner, the reasonable soul, which is the noblest part of man, without which the body is only earth and rot, is kept prisoner and bound inside the body as long as it is in it, and is even so constrained and prevented by the weight and the thickness of the said vessel, that it does not have the power, except in a very small way, to la pesanteur et rudece du dit vaissel, qu’elle n’a povoir, fors en bien petite partie, d’user de ses propres inclinacions et vouloirs, ains lui convient obeir le plus des fois tout au contraire de la ou elle tent. Et pour tant, bien dit a propos le sage Helbertus: que quant l’omme muert, l’ame est desliee et desprisonnee. Donques est-il ainsi que tout homme vivant en ce mortel monde–comme tous egaulx soions, grans, moiens et petis–quant en ceste qualité se puet et doit reputer prisonnier, or est a veoir se en celle prison homme de quelque estat qu’il soit, demeure asseur du tout aise et sans peril. O, com grant bien fust avoir seigneurie, puissance, prinsee, richesces, et bon les feist acquerre se par telz moiens peussent estre evitez et eschevez les mortelz perilz et divers agais de la faulse Fortune et les griefs cuisençons et tant penibles travaulx que le monde livre! Mais, se grandeurs mondanes y pevent servir ou non, assez d’exemples le nous aprennent, et sont a savoir si comme quoy.

Hé, que valu au grant empereur Alixandre sa haute puissance soubz la quel main tout le monde trembloit? Lui fut-elle donques garent lors que les traitres et ses meismes servans en petit de heure le getterent mort par poisons? Pou lui dura la joye de la fin de son grant travail a la conqueste du monde que il ne posseda pas .iii. jours entiers. Mais que dirons-nous de Julius Cesar? Ot-il bien emploié ses paines quant, par si longs travaux, tant de perilz passez, de bleceures souffertes et mesaises en pluseurs et diverses batailles, conquit la plus grant partie du monde? Lors que Fortune l’ot assis au plus hault de sa roe et quant repos cuida seignourir en triumphe comme empereur, o, comment a paines cuidast-il que homme lui osast nuire ne a pou meismement Fortune, cil qui de tant de perilz fu eschappez? Mais ne fut-il en pou d’eure occis de greffes entre ses barons en son privé conseil meismes par ses citoïens? Item, le bon prince Pompee en ot-il moins? Mais fut-il onques nul meilleur de lui en toutes chevalereuses graces et meurs vertueux, si que devisent les hystoires rommaines, qui tout Orient ot conquis et les pors et passages de mer despeschiez de larrons et tous conquis? Mais qu’en ot-il enfin, a nom Dieu? Le chef trenchié par les mains de traitres a qui il avoit bien fait. O, main de traitre et entencion traitreuse, tu soies maudite! Tant de maulx sont venus a ton occasion! Ha, tant de bons as desavanciez, dont qui tout vouldroit dire, seroit longue arenge! exercise its own inclinations and desires, and instead it has to follow most of the time the opposite of its own tendency. And on that subject, the wise Albert speaks very much to the purpose: when a man dies, his soul is delivered and set free.⁶ Thus each man alive in this mortal world–since we are all equal: high, middle, and low–in so far as he is in this condition, can and must consider himself a prisoner; however, it remains to be seen if, in this prison, man of any position whatsoever remains assured of all comfort, and of no peril. Oh, how good it could be to have control, power, fame, wealth, and how good it would be to have acquired them, if in so doing, the mortal perils, the various dangers of false Fortune, the deep torments, and so many painful labors handed out by this world could be avoided and shunned! But, whether worldly achievements can be of use or not, many examples tell it to us, and they are as follows.

5. Albertus in margin

Ah! Of what value was his strong power to the great emperor Alexander under which everyone trembled? Did it protect him when the traitors and his own servants quickly murdered him by using poison? Short was his joy at the end of his great venture, the conquest of the world which he did not own for a full ...