Counselling Charles VI of France : Christine de Pizan, Honorat Bovet, Philippe de MĂ©ziĂšres, and Pierre Salmon
Four vernacular advice books were dedicated to King Charles VI (r. 1380- 1422) during his reign. Charles became king at the age of eleven, and both Philippe de MĂ©ziĂšresâ Songe du vieil pelerin and Honorat Bovetâs Arbre des batailles were dedicated to him in 1389, a year after his declaration of personal rule at the age of twenty. Charles VI began suffering from intermittent periods of mental illness from 1392 until his death. Both Christine de Pizanâs Chemin de long estude (1402-3) and Pierre Salmonâs Dialogues (1409, with a second version in 1412-15) were dedicated to him during this period. The four books suggested solutions to problems posed by the kingâs minority and later mental illness, as well as other political concerns including the papal schism, the Anglo-French wars, and the conflicts between the kingâs relatives that eventually descended into civil war. Although they have been described as belonging to the modern category of âmirrors for princes,â these books are united more by their common dedication to Charles than by their conformity to a modern understanding of genre. The booksâ textual contents and their manuscript images, layout, and circulation demonstrate the importance
Bourassa, Kristin Leigh Erika
Counselling Charles VI of France : Christine de Pizan, Honorat Bovet, Philippe de MĂ©ziĂšres, and Pierre Salmon. Four vernacular advice books were dedicated to King Charles VI (r. 1380- 1422) during his reign. Charles became king at the age of eleven, and both Philippe de MĂ©ziĂšresâ Songe du vieil pelerin and Honorat Bovetâs Arbre des batailles were dedicated to him in 1389, a year after his declaration of personal rule at the age of twenty. Charles VI began suffering from intermittent periods of mental illness from 1392 until his death. Both Christine de Pizanâs Chemin de long estude (1402-3) and Pierre Salmonâs Dialogues (1409, with a second version in 1412-15) were dedicated to him during this period. The four books suggested solutions to problems posed by the kingâs minority and later mental illness, as well as other political concerns including the papal schism, the Anglo-French wars, and the conflicts between the kingâs relatives that eventually descended into civil war. Although they have been described as belonging to the modern category of âmirrors for princes,â these books are united more by their common dedication to Charles than by their conformity to a modern understanding of genre. The booksâ textual contents and their manuscript images, layout, and circulation demonstrate the importance
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