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The Boke of the Cyte of Ladyes
Brian Anslay's Translation of 1521 in Modernized English
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Brief Description
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 defence of women against centuries of misogyny, Cité des dames, was the only work of literature translated into English by Brian...
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The Boke of the Cyte of Ladyes
$11799
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"A transcription into modernized early modern English of The Boke of the Cyte of Ladyes, Brian Ansley's 1521 translation of Christine de Pizan's famous and epochal Livre de la citâe des dames (c. 1405), the first version to be printed in any language and the only printed version available to readers for the next four and one half centuries"--
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Description
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 defence 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 modernisation 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.
Series: The Other Voice in Early Modern Europe: The Toronto Series
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Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781649591166
Publisher: Iter Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 23 October 2025
Country: United States
Imprint: Iter Press
Illustration: 19 color plates
Contributors:
- Edited by Karen Robertson
- Translated by Brian Anslay
- Edited by Christine Reno
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 25.0mm
Width: 152.0mm
Height: 229.0mm
Weight: 626g
Pages: 362
About the Author
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.
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